PORTA, COSTANZO. - Conventual Franciscan friar, musician, b. at Cremona in 1505, d. at Padua on 26 May 1601. He was successively director, often also founder or reformer, of the musical chapels in various churches of Italy: in the cathedral of Osimo from 1552 to 1564, at the Santo in Padua from 3 January 1565, twice at the metropolitan church of Ravenna (1567-74 and 1579-85), at the Holy House of Loreto (1575-78), and again at Padua from 10 April 1585 until his death.
Among the copious output, mostly sacred, of Fr. P. the following works are noteworthy: *Musica in Introitus missarum*, for 5 voices, for the Sundays of the year (Venice 1566, 2nd ed. 1588); *Missarum liber primus*, 12 masses for 3, 4, and 5 voices (ibid. 1578); *Litaniae Deiparae V. M.*, for 8 voices (ibid. 1575); *Musica... in nonnulla ex sacris litteris collecta verba*, for 6 voices (3 voices), ibid. 1571-85; *Liber 52 motectorum*, from 4 to 8 voices (ibid. 1580); various books of madrigals for 5 voices, etc. Published posthumously were: *Hymnodia sacra totius per anni circulum*, for 4 voices (ibid. 1602), and *Psalmodia vespertina omnium solemnitatum... cum quattuor canticis B. V.*, for 8 voices, except one canticle for 16 voices (ibid. 1605). His works also appear in printed collections by Orlando di Lasso, G. B. Zuccarini, etc.
A distinguished composer and conductor, he promoted, together with Palestrina, the implementation of the Tridentine decrees on music in several places. He was also a skilled theorist (a manuscript of his *Tractatus de contrapuncto* is preserved in the Liceo musicale of Bologna). His polyphony is distinguished by the richness of its counterpoint and canonistic developments, and by notable expressive power.