Also known as:
Italian: Lelio, Giambattista Andreini, Giovan Battista Andreini, Giovanni Battista Andreini
ANDREINI, GIOVANBATTISTA. - Comedian, poet and playwright, b. in Florence in 1578 to the celebrated actor Francesco Andreini (known professionally as Capitan Spavento) and to Isabella, an actress of international fame. Barely sixteen years old, he joined the company of the Gelosi under the name Lelio. From 1604, together with his wife Virginia Ramponi, he was a member of the company of the Fedeli, which was in the service of the Duke of Mantua, Vincenzo. Because of his profession he wandered through the various cities of Italy, went three times to France and once to Germany. He died in Reggio Emilia in 1654. His comedies are for the most part licentious and obscene.
His fame is linked to the Adamo (Milan 1613), a dramatic work truly remarkable for the grandeur of its conception, even if mixed with spectacular oddities in keeping with the taste of the age. Milton drew from it some happy suggestions for Paradise Lost. A. was also the author of sacred and profane lyrics, among which should be remembered: the poem in praise of St. Charles Borromeo, entitled Divina Vitione, and the sonnets in honor of the saints who were actors in life, collected under the title Teatro Celeste (Paris 1625).
Bibliography3 worksE. Bevilacqua, G. A. e la Compagnia dei Fedeli, in Giorn. stor. della Letter. ital., 33 (1894), pp. 76-155; 34 (1895), pp. 82-165; V. Mazzet
BIBL.: E. Bevilacqua, G. A. e la Compagnia dei Fedeli, in Giorn. stor. della Letter. ital., 33 (1894), pp. 76-155; 34 (1895), pp. 82-165; V. Mazzetti, Un famoso comico ed autore drammatico morto in Reggio dell'Emilia, Reggio Emilia (cfr. Giornale stor. della lett. ital., 65 [1915] p. 475).
Borzi, Italo. “Andreini, giovanbattista.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I, col. 1208. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1948. https://azioneromana.com/article/andreini-giovanbattista.
MLA
Borzi, Italo. “Andreini, giovanbattista.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1948, col. 1208. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/andreini-giovanbattista.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec1_andreini_giovanbattista,
author = {Borzi, Italo},
title = {Andreini, giovanbattista},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {I},
pages = {1208},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1948},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/andreini-giovanbattista}
}
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