Pietro Aretino

The First Modern

By: Danny Chaplin

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Known as "The Scourge of Princes" by some and labeled a rogue and scoundrel by others, Pietro Aretino, a sixteenth-century figure, emerges in this new biography as a multifaceted character. He was a poet, satirist, journalist, publicist, propagandist, art critic, social climber, lothario, pornographer, and blackmailer of Kings, Popes, and Emperors. Aretino's astonishing life journey began as the penniless son of a cobbler and a town harlot, but he quickly rose to captivate Pope Leo X, provoke Pope Adrian VI with his acerbic pasquinades, and befriend Pope Clement VII.

Knighted by the Knights of Rhodes, bestowed with a pension (and a golden necklace of lying tongues) by the King of France, and granted the privilege of riding alongside Emperor Charles V, Pietro Aretino defied the constraints of his humble origins. As a self-made man, he arguably became the first modern celebrity. Aretino's friendship with the renowned Venetian artist Titian further solidified his status. His scandalous "Lustful Sonnets" rocked Rome, his audacity extended to teaching Michelangelo the nuances of painting, and his bestselling collections of candid Letters offer a vivid portrayal of sixteenth-century Venetian life.

This biography presents an engaging portrait of a man who navigated turbulent times with resilience, depicting Aretino not only as a poet and lover but also as a survivor amidst the challenges of his era.