Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Cavalieri, Francesco Bonaventura fränchāsˈkō bōnävānto͞oˈrä kävälyāˈrē [key], 1598–1647, Italian mathematician, a Jesuit priest. Professor at Bologna from 1629, he invented the method...

(Encyclopedia) Grazzini, Antonio Francesco äntôˈnyō fränchāˈskō grät-tsēˈnē [key], 1503–84, Italian author, one of the founders of the Accademia della Crusca (1550). He was an apothecary by trade. As a...

(Encyclopedia) Medici, Francesco de' dā mĕˈdĭchē, Ital. māˈdēchē [key], 1541–87, grand duke of Tuscany (1574–87); son and successor of Cosimo I de' Medici. In his reign the decline of the Medici family...

(Encyclopedia) Primaticcio, Francesco fränchāsˈkō prēmätētˈchō [key], 1504–70, Italian painter, called Le Primatice by the French. He was influenced by Correggio and by Michelangelo. As assistant to Giuli...

(Encyclopedia) Nitti, Francesco Saverio fränchāsˈkō sävāˈrēō nētˈtē [key], 1868–1953, Italian premier and economist. A professor of economics at the Univ. of Naples, he entered parliament in 1904 and w...

(Encyclopedia) Cavalli, Pietro Francesco pyĕˈtrō fränchĕsˈkō kävälˈlē [key], 1602–76, Italian composer, whose real name was Caletti-Bruni; pupil of Monteverdi, whom he succeeded as choirmaster of St. Ma...

(Encyclopedia) Grimaldi, Francesco Maria fränchāsˈkō märēˈä grēmälˈdē [key], 1618?–1663, Italian physicist and mathematician. A Jesuit and professor at Bologna, he studied in detail and named the dark ...

(Encyclopedia) Avalos, Ferdinando Francesco d': see Pescara, Ferdinando Francesco d'Avalos, marchese di. ...

(Encyclopedia) Straparola, Giovanni Francesco jōvänˈnē fränchāsˈkō sträpärôˈlä [key], d. c.1557, Italian writer. His lyric verse was not of lasting merit, but he excelled as a storyteller. He was perhap...

(Encyclopedia) Guicciardini, Francesco fränchāsˈkō gwēt-chärdēˈnē [key], 1483–1540, Italian historian and statesman. He represented (1512–14) his native Florence at the court of Spain, held offices in t...