«Dalla musica vengon più eccitati i suoi generosi pensieri»
On Alessandro del Nero’s music patronage
Abstract
Between the late sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth century many members of the Florentine nobility made substantial contributions to various forms of entertainment, both at court and in the rest of the grand ducal capital. Among them was Alessandro Del Nero (1568-1650), Baron of Porcigliano. A patron of many painters and musicians, Del Nero actively participated in numerous balls, barriers and jousts organized in Florence. He was dedicatee of Domenico Visconti's Primo libro de arie a una e due voci (Venice, 1616) and Raffaello Rontani's Varie musiche... Libro sesto (Rome, 1622). Palazzo Del Nero was also often the venue for musical performances, balls and masquerades, attended by members of the Florentine aristocracy and, occasionally, the grand dukes themselves. Drawing on archival materials, letters and excerpts from Cesare Tinghi's court diaries, the present essay investigates Alessandro Del Nero's patronage activities, particularly toward musicians, as well as his direct participation in the broader musical and cultural life of early 17th-century Florence.
