author
Brunetto Latini
1220–1295
A major figure in 13th-century Florence, this scholar and statesman helped bring classical learning into early Italian literature. Best known for the encyclopedic Book of Treasures, he is also remembered as a teacher and friend of Dante.
1 Audiobook
Pataffio - Tesoretto
by Brunetto Latini
About the author
Born in Florence around 1220, Brunetto Latini was a notary, diplomat, scholar, and political leader connected with the Guelph party. After the Guelph defeat at Montaperti in 1260, he spent years in exile in France before returning to Florence, where he later held important civic offices.
He wrote in both Italian and Old French, and his best-known work is Li livres dou Tresor (Book of Treasures), an ambitious encyclopedia that gathered learning on history, ethics, politics, and rhetoric. He also wrote the unfinished poem Tesoretto and was known for treating language and rhetoric as practical tools for public life.
Brunetto Latini is often remembered today for his connection to Dante Alighieri, who regarded him as an important intellectual influence. His work stands at a turning point between medieval learning and the rise of literary culture in the Italian vernacular.