Agostini, Lodovico b. 1534 d. September 20, 1590 Composer. An important figure of the late Renaissance period. He was a distinguished Catholic cleric whose compositions were entirely secular and progressive in style and form. His "Third Book of Madrigals" (1582) is the earliest known collection of music written for female voices. The illegitimate son of a priest, he was born in Ferrara, Italy, and spent most of his life there. He enjoyed equally successful careers as a court musician under Duke Alfonso II d'Este and in the Ferrarese church...[Read More] (Bio by: Robert Edwards) Chiesa di Santo Spirito, Ferrara, Provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Antonioni, Michelangelo b. September 29, 1912 d. July 30, 2007 Motion Picture Director, Screenwriter. Born in Ferrara, Italy. He received an Academy Award-Nomination for the 1966 film "Blow-Up". During the course of his career, Antonioni worked with such film stars as Alain Delon, Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau, Richard Harris and Jack Nicholson. His other notable films include, "Story of a Love Affair" (1950), "The Adventure" (1960), "The Red Desert" (1964), "Three Faces of a Woman" (1965), "Zabriskie Point" (1969), "The Passenger" (1975) and "Beyond...[Read More] (Bio by: C.S.) Cimitero della Certosa, Ferrara, Provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Borgia, Lucrezia b. April 18, 1480 d. June 24, 1519 Italian Aristocracy. Born in Rome, the third child of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress Vanozza dei Cattanei. She stayed in her mother's house for three years before she and her brothers were removed to the care of a Borgia cousin, Adriana de Mila. Like most women of the age, she was little more than a pawn. At eleven she was betrothed to Don Cherubin de Centelles; the betrothal, however, was broken almost immediately, and Lucrezia was married by proxy to Don Gasparo de Procida. In...[Read More] (Bio by: Iola) Convento del Corpus Domini, Ferrara, Provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
De Pisis, Filippo b. 1896 d. 1956 Italian Painter. He started to study drawing at the age of six. At eighteen he entered the University of Bologna, where he studied literature and philosophy and continued to paint. After graduating he went to Rome and worked for four years as a teacher, and began dedicating himself seriously to painting. In the early 20s, he became aware of his homosexuality and at this time he moved to Paris to study the work of French artists that he admired, especially Delacroix and Manet. He remained in...[Read More] (Bio by: Bunny Boiler) Cimitero della Certosa, Ferrara, Provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Mentessi, Giuseppe b. September 29, 1857 d. June 14, 1931 Italian Painter and Teacher. He came from a poor family and his father died when he was five, but his mother manager to send him to art school. In 1880 he began his career as a teacher at the Accademia di Brera in Milan and in 1887 he was appointed Professor of Landscape Painting. He painted pictures dealing with social issues, particually poverty and suffering. During his lifetime his works were exhibited across Europe, for example his painting Our Daily Bread was shown at the first Venice...[Read More] (Bio by: Bunny Boiler) Cimitero della Certosa, Ferrara, Provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Previati, Gaetano b. 1852 d. 1920 Artist, Author. Studied in Florence and Milan. He painted historical subjects to begin with but after studying the work of Rossetti and other Pre-Raphaelites his work became spiritual. During the late 1880's he adopted Divisionism (separation of colour into dots or patches applied directly to the canvas). During his lifetime his work was exhibited throughout Europe. He also wrote several books on theory and technique of painting. (Bio by: Bunny Boiler) Cimitero della Certosa, Ferrara, Provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy