author
Luigi Cornaro
1475–1566
Best known for writing about moderation, health, and long life, this Venetian nobleman became famous for turning his own strict routine into a lasting classic. His lively reflections on eating simply and aging well helped make him one of the early voices in European health writing.
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About the author
Born into the Venetian Cornaro family, Luigi Cornaro is remembered as a Renaissance nobleman whose name became closely linked with the idea of living temperately. Sources differ on his birth year, but they agree that he died on May 8, 1566, after becoming well known for his writings on health and longevity.
Cornaro said that after a period of illness and excess in earlier life, he adopted a much more measured way of eating and drinking. He later described this regimen in the work often known in English as Discourses on the Sober Life, a series of reflections that made him famous far beyond Italy.
His appeal has lasted because he wrote in a personal, practical way rather than as a physician. For generations, readers have been drawn to his simple argument: restraint, routine, and moderation can support both health and a satisfying old age.