AREZZO, Betrico d', an Italian poet of the fourteenth century, born either at Arezzo or Reggio. Nothing is known of his life. His poems are:—1. Two "Ballate," with the "Canzoni di Dante," 1518; 2. "Rime," at the end of Giusto de' Conti's "Bella Mano," 1750.—J. S., G.
AREZZO, Claudio Mario, a Sicilian historian and poet, lived towards the middle of the sixteenth century. He was born at Syracuse of a noble family, and attracted by his learning the notice of Charles V., whom, in the character of historiographer, he accompanied in his Italian and German wars. Some time after his return to his native city, he became the object of a conspiracy which threatened his life, and he fled into Spain. An edition of his works was published at Basle in 1544, with the title "Cl. Marii Aretii Libri aliquot, lectu non minus jucundi quam utiles: quorum seriem versa pagina videbis; omnia non ante visa."—J. S., G.
AREZZO, Domenico d', a poet who lived in the end of the fourteenth century, and wrote a voluminous work, entitled "Fons Memorabilium Universi," preserved in MS. in the Vatican library at Rome.
AREZZO, Francesco d', a monk of the Franciscan order, confessor to Ferdinand I., duke of Tuscany, and author of several theological works, died in 1616. His principal performance is entitled, "Summa theologiæ speculativæ et moralis, ac commentaria scholastica in tertium et quartum sententiarum librum Joannis Duns Scoti," 1581.
AREZZO, Frederigo d', an Italian poet, contemporary with Petrarch, who wrote two letters to him. Crescimbeni says that his style was elegant and easy, and his thoughts poetical and graceful. Several of his poems are preserved in the Vatican library at Rome.
AREZZO, Gambino d', a poet, who flourished about 1471, in the time of Duke Borso da Este. Amongst other works he composed a poem in two books, the first treating of the private families of Arezzo; and the second, of the distinguished men of that city, and of Italy in general. This poem is preserved in MS. in Florence. He also wrote a poem in terza rima, which he called a comedia, after the great work of Dante.—J. F. W.
AREZZO, Gorello d' or Ser Gorello de' Sinigardi, was a native of Arezzo, lived in the fourteenth century, and wrote the "Cronaca di Ser Gorello," a metrical history of his native town, from 1310 to 1384. This curious work is preserved in the "Rerum Italicarum Scriptores," vol. xv.
AREZZO, Guittone d', one of the earliest of the Italian poets, having lived about the middle of the thirteenth century. Of his birth or early history we have not much information of a reliable character. Some assert he was born at Arezzo, from which he takes his cognomen, while Mazzuchelli, on the authority of a passage in a letter of Pietro Aretino, asserts that he was a native of the territory of Lubbiano. The family from which he sprang is equally a matter of dispute, but upon all hands it is agreed to have been a respectable one. He is said to have served with distinction in the wars between the Florentine republic and the Pisans, in which he was severely wounded. He then, in 1267, entered into an association of gentlemen, known as the "Fratelli Guadenti," a sort of military order established by Loderingo d'Andolo, whence he acquired the title of Fra Guittone. He subsequently founded the monastery "degli Angeli" at Florence, but died in 1294 before its completion. As a poet, Guittone deservedly ranks amongst the founders of the art in Italy, as well as one of the early formers of the pure style of Italian prose. He is not indeed the author of the sonnet, as some have asserted, but he was assuredly the first who gave it polish and regularity. Both Dante and Petrarch make mention of Guittone; the former in the Purgatorio, as a writer of amatory poetry, and again in his work, "De Vulgari Eloqnentia;" but he does not form a high estimate of him. Petrarch is more favourably disposed towards him, and speaks of him approvingly both in a sonnet and in his "Trionfo d'Amore." His works are enumerated by Mazzuchelli. Most of the poems have been published in the "Antichi Poeti," Venice, 1532, and elsewhere. His prose works were collected by Bottari; Rome, 1745. (Ginguené, Tiraboschi.)—J. F. W.
AREZZO, Paolo d' or Scipione Burali d'Arezzo, was born at Atri, near Gaeta, 1511. After some years' brilliant success as a lawyer, during which Charles V. made him a member of the collateral council of the kingdom of Naples, a disgust for the world taking possession of him, he retired into a monastery of the Theatine order, and devoted himself entirely to devout meditation and the discharge of pious offices. His contempt for worldly distinction seems to have been very sincere, as he successively refused not only several bishoprics which were pressed upon his acceptance, but declined the honours of the archiepiscopal see of Brindisi, to which he was called by Philip II. in 1562. His talents, however, were of such service to the church, that the pope could not allow him to remain in obscurity. He was first nominated bishop of Piacenza in 1568; two years afterwards had a cardinal's hat conferred upon him; and finally, in 1576, was compelled by the sovereign pontiff to accept the archiepiscopate of Naples—a dignity, however, which he did not live to fill, having died a few days after his appointment to it. He is chiefly remembered for his bold and successful resistance to Philip's renewed attempts to introduce the inquisition into Italy.—(Ughelli, Italia Sacra.)—S.
AREZZO, Tommaso, was born at Orbitello, in Tuscany, in 1756. Having taken orders. Pope Pius VI. placed such confidence in his ability and discretion as to send him as his delegate to Russia, for the purpose of endeavouring to effect a union between the Greek and Romish churches,—a mission, the object of which was frustrated by the death of Paul I. Arezzo was summoned by Napoleon to a conference at Berlin, at which the emperor strove to inoculate him with views inimical to the interests of Rome, but without success, for immediately on his arrival in the Holy City, Arezzo betrayed his confidence to the pope, who nominated him governor of Rome during its occupation by the French in 1808. On the return of Pius VII. to the Eternal City, Arezzo was immediately promoted, with the dignity of cardinal, to many high offices; the last to which he was raised being that of vice-chancellor of the church, bestowed on him by Pius VIII. He died at Rome in 1833. His memoirs, written by himself, but never published, contain matter of much interest regarding the stirring period in which he lived. He was founder of the celebrated academy Degli Ariostei, and the restorer of the college of Jesuits, founded at Ferrara, by Ignatius Loyola.—(Arnault, Biographie des Contemporains.)—S.
ARFE, Henrique de, a German silversmith and sculptor, established in Spain about 1500, where he executed the tabernacles of the cathedrals of Leon, Cordova, and Toledo, all works that still retain the German style. His son Antonio and grandson Juan, the latter especially, continued the same career with great success, having, however, modified the old style of the father into one of more modern character. The tabernacle of Seville, by Juan, is considered a masterpiece of taste in design, and delicacy in execution. Juan wrote, besides, a treatise on die-sinking, a branch in which he was also very proficient. Another member of the same family, Jose de Arfe, having studied in Italy, further-enlarged his style, and executed several colossal works for the cathedral of Seville, said to have been admirable, but unfortunately lost to us. Died in 1666.—R. M.
ARFIAN, Antonio de, a pupil of Luis de Vargas, and a celebrated painter both in oil and in fresco, in the latter of which he more particularly excelled,—flourished at Seville, in Spain, about the middle of the sixteenth century. He was the first who in painting bas-reliefs, by giving them a background, gave them the appearance of standing out from the canvass. His son Alonzo was also celebrated as a painter.—S.
ARGAIZ, Gregorio de, a Spanish monk, who lived in the 17th century, and wrote a history of the Spanish church, which was discovered to have been compiled from forged documents.
ARGALL, John, a student of Christchurch, Oxford, in the latter part of Queen Mary's reign. In Elizabeth's reign he took orders, and obtained the living of Halesworth, in Suffolk. He died suddenly in 1606. He published two tracts, "De vera Penitentia," and "Introductio ad artem Dialecticam."
ARGALL, Richard, an English poet of little repute, who lived in the reign of James I.
ARGAND, Aimè, a natural philosopher and chemist, was born at Geneva about the middle of last century. He was the inventor of the lamp called by his name, which was produced while he was resident in England in the year 1782. A person named Langé pretended to have perfected his discovery, by adding to the burner a glass chimney, which, confining the air around the flame, causes it to rise above the wick, and thereby to give a much greater amount of light than it could otherwise do: although the fact appears to be, that this improvement had already been made by Argand's brother.
