Antonio Tebaldeo was an Italian poet. He figured among the writers of the time who engaged in the discussion concerning the nature of literary Italian.

Life

He changed his family name (Tebaldi) to Tebaldeo, in consonance with the practice of the Humanists, who sought to Latinize the form of their appellation as much as possible. After serving as tutor to Isabella d'Este

Isabella d'Este

Isabella d'Este was Marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, whose innovative style of dressing was copied by women throughout Italy and at the French court...

 and secretary to Lucrezia Borgia

Lucrezia Borgia

Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...

, he came to the court of Pope Leo X

Pope Leo X

Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...

 at Rome, enjoying the favour of the pope and the companionship of many erudite men and artists. He lost all his means in the sack of Rome

Sack of Rome (1527)

The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...

 (1527), and spent the remainder of his life in very narrow circumstances.

Works

He wrote verse in both Latin and Italian. His Italian verse is remarkable for diction and style rather than for any poetical excellence. With his artificial manner, his abuse of metaphor, and his studied imagery he was a forerunner of those extravagant versifiers who, in the seventeenth century, developed the movement called Marinism

Marinism

Marinism is the name now given to an ornate, witty style of poetry and verse drama written in imitation of Giambattista Marino , following in particular La Lira and L'Adone.-Features:The critic James V...

 or Secentismo.

A redaction of Poliziano's play Orfeo," which has been ascribed to Tebaldeo, aims to make that piece accord better with the principles of classic composition. See his verse in the edition of Venice, 1530, "Di M. Antonio Tebaldeo ferrarese l'opere d'amore".

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia article