Timeline of Events in Patrizi's Life
1413 Francesco di Giovanni Patrizi is born on 24 February to Giovanni di Franchino
Patrizi and his wife Lorenza. He is baptized on 25 February.
1426 He delivers the academic prolusion Oratio de laudibus philosophiae for the
opening of the school year at the University of Siena.
1435-38 He studies Latin eloquence and Greek with Francesco Filelfo at the University of
Siena
1436 His first surviving letter, dated 19 April, is written to Lapo da Castiglionchio the
Younger.
1440 May-June. First term as prior of Siena for the terzo of San Martino
1441/46 Professor of rhetoric at the University of Siena. His De metris Horatii is likely
written during this period.
1446 He writes the letter-treatise De gerendo magistratu for his pupil, Achille Petrucci
1446 Elected chancellor. He resigns this office in favor of Achille Petrucci in March
1447 on being elected as prior.
1446 March-April. Second term as prior of Siena
1446 Podestà (governor) of the fortress town of Radicofani
1447 Marries Bartolomea di Antonio Gori, by whom he has four boys, Giorgio,
Camillo, Alessandro, and Giulio.
1447 August. Appointed Sienese ambassador to Pope Nicholas V in Rome.
1450 Ambassador to Florence. Ambassador to Rome for a second time.
1450 Signs along with 144 other Sienese a sworn pact (coniuratio) to uphold the
government of the “Tre Monti.”
1452 Ambassador to the Emperor Frederick III, then in Bologna. He accompanies
Frederick on his progress to Rome, where Frederick is crowned Holy Roman
Emperor on 1 April 1453.
1452 September-October. Counselor of the Capitano del Popolo in Siena.
1453 March-April. Third term as prior of Siena.
1453 September. He serves, together with Goro Lolli, as ambassador to the Duke of
Calabria, the future King Ferrante of Naples, who is in Tuscany in command of
the Neapolitan army.
1454 Second ambassadorial mission to the Duke of Calabria.
1455 July. The condottiere Jacopo Piccinino invades Sienese territory
1456 June. Halley’s comet appears in the skies. An outbreak of plague and a famine
follow. Emergency government (balìa) in Siena. Antonio Petrucci is exiled.
1457 January. Antonio Petrucci sponsors a coup against the emergency government,
which fails. 164 of Antonio’s political allies, including Patrizi, are arrested.
Patrizi is tortured and condemned to be executed, but is saved by the intervention
of Cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini.
1457 3 September. Patrizi is sentenced to 20 years of confino, a particularly strict form
of exile, in Pistoia.
1457 October. Patrizi is invited to teach in Lucca but the Sienese government refuses its
permission.
1457 November. With plague breaking out in Pistoia, Patrizi is allowed to withdraw to
the estate at Montughi belonging to the Milanese ambassador, Nicodemo
Tranchedini, outside Florence. He becomes tutor to Nicodemo’s son, Francesco.
He remains at Montughi until June 1459.
1457/59 Probable date of Patrizi’s epitomes of Quintilian’s Institutes and Priscian.
1458 7 May. Alamanno Rinuccini invites Patrizi to meet other members of Giovanni
Argiropolo’s “academy.”
1458 3 September. Enea Silvio Piccolomini is crowned Pope Pius II.
1459 February. Pius II visits Siena for the first time since becoming pope. Patrizi
composes a 104-line hexameter poem (Poem. 4.5) for his adventus.
1459 15 April. Patrizi is tonsured and ordained a priest. He is given a rich benefice at
Campoli in the Val di Pesa north of Siena.
1459 1 June. The Diet of Mantua, called by Pius to organize a crusade against the
Turks, opens.
1459 22 July Patrizi is ordered to go to Verona by the Sienese authorities, where he
arrives by 6 July with his pupil, Francesco Tranchedini.
1459-60 Early December. The Sienese authorities, under pressure from Pius II, allow
Patrizi free movement within Italy on condition that he remain outside Siena and
its territory. It is likely that he visited Mantua during the final weeks of the Diet,
which ended on 14 January 1460.
1460 March. Ecloga de Christi nativitate, Patrizi’s most successful poem, is dedicated
to Pius II.
1461 January. Letters dated from Rome document Patrizi’s presence in the city.
1461 Before 23 March. Patrizi’s first collection of Latin poetry, the Poematum libri IV is dedicated to Pius II. He likely begins work on the De republica.
1461 23 March. Patrizi is elected Bishop of Gaeta, an episcopal see in the Kingdom of
Naples.
1461 13 April. Patrizi’s exile from Siena is rescinded and he is restored to full citizen
rights.
1461 27 May. Patrizi is appointed Governor of Foligno in the Papal State.
1461 October. First mention of the De republica in Patrizi’s correspondence.
1461 Shortly before 1 December, Patrizi’s mother dies.
1462 March. Patrizi visits Siena for the first time since his exile.
1462 15 October. Patrizi mentions in a letter that he has reached the fifth book of his
De republica.
1463 September. Patrizi states that he has reached Book 8 of the De republica
1464 Spring, summer. A conspiracy is organized to expel Patrizi from the governorship
of Foligno.
1464 14 August. Pius II dies. A rebellion breaks out in Foligno while Patrizi is in
Nocera, and he is unable to return to the city.
1464 October. Patrizi is charged by his enemies in Foligno with maladministration and
corruption and a cardinalatial commission is formed to investigate, which likely
clears him of wrongdoing.
1464 December. Patrizi leaves Rome for his diocese in Gaeta.
1465 May-June. Patrizi represents the Kingdom of Naples at the marriage ceremonies
for Alfonso, duke of Calabria and Ippolyta Maria Sforza. He delivers the Oratio ad Hyppolytam Mariam Sforzam (De matrimonio) and renews his ties with Francesco Filelfo. He becomes tutor and adviser to Alfonso of Calabria.
ca. 1467/88 Earliest and latest datable poems in Patrizi’s second collection of Latin poetry, the Epigrammata, left unfinished at his death.
1471 9 August. Sixtus IV is elected pope.
1471 Scribal publication of Patrizi’s De republica, dedicated to Sixtus IV.
1476/78 Commentary on Petrarch’s Canzoniere finished, dedicated to Alfonso of Calabria.
1481-82 Outbreak of popular rebellion in Siena
1483/84 Scribal publication of Patrizi’s De regno
1484 September. Ambassadorial mission representing the King of Naples to
congratulate Innocent VIII on his election as pope. His Oratio ad Innocentium VIII is printed in Rome.
1491 Patrizi refounds the sanctuary of the Madonna della Civita in the hill town
of Itri, near Gaeta.
1494 22 August. Baccio Ugolino replaces Patrizi as Bishop of Gaeta after the latter’s
death.
1518 First edition of De republica published in Paris, edited by Jean de Savigny.
1519 First edition of De regno published in Paris, edited by Jean de Savigny.