Gregorio Leti

author

Gregorio Leti

1630–1701

A sharp-tongued seventeenth-century historian and satirist, known for lively, controversial books about popes, courts, and European politics. His writing mixed gossip, history, and polemic in ways that made him widely read and often fiercely criticized.

1 Audiobook

Il nipotismo di Roma, or, The History of the Popes Nephews from the time of Sixtus IV. to the death of the last Pope, Alexander VII

Il nipotismo di Roma, or, The History of the Popes Nephews from the time of Sixtus IV. to the death of the last Pope, Alexander VII

by Gregorio Leti

About the author

Born in Milan in 1630, Gregorio Leti became one of the most prolific Italian writers of his age. He is best known for historical and satirical works about the Catholic Church, especially the papacy, and he sometimes published under names such as Abbé Gualdi or Gualdus.

Leti’s career took him across Europe, and he spent important years outside Italy after converting to Protestantism. He lived in places including Geneva and Amsterdam, where he continued writing on religion, politics, and court life for an international readership.

His books were popular for their energy and boldness, but they also caused scandal. Many of his works were placed on the Index of Prohibited Books, which helped cement his reputation as an audacious and highly controversial voice in early modern historical writing.