Giambattista Andreini

Portrait of Andreini aged 35 by Carlo Antonio Procaccini

This image of commedia dell'arte actors from The Feather Book of Dionisio Minaggio is thought to depict Andreini as "Lelio" and his wife Virginia Ramponi-Andreini as "Florinda".^[1]

Giambattista Andreini (February 9, 1576 – June 7, 1654)^[2] was an Italian actor and playwright.

Life

Born in Florence to stage stars Isabella Andreini and Francesco Andreini, he had a great success as a comedian in Paris under the name of Leylio. He was a favourite with Louis XIII, and also with the public, especially as the young lover. ^[3] His wife Virginia Ramponi-Andreini, whom he married in 1601, was also a celebrated actress and singer.

Works

He left a number of plays full of extravagant imagination. The best known are L'Adamo (Milan, 1613), The Penitent Magdalene (Mantua, 1617), and The Centaur (Paris, 1622). From the first of these three volumes, which are extremely rare, Italians have often asserted that Milton, travelling at that time in their country, took the idea of Paradise Lost.

Notes

1. Katritzky, M. A. (2006). The Art of Commedia: A Study in the Commedia Dell'Arte 1560-1620, p. 245. Rodopi. ISBN 9042017988
2. Jakubcová, Alena (2007). Starší divadlo v českých zemích do konce 18. století (in Czech). Prague: Academia. p. 19. ISBN 978-80-200-1486-3.
3. Chisholm 1911.

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Andreini, Francesco". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.