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Poggio Bracciolini

Type Figure Region Florence Time 1380–1459 Also known as Bracciolini

Italian humanist, seeker of classical manuscripts, and papal secretary born near Florence, who rediscovered lost classical texts such as Lucretius' D…

Timeline

  1. 1403–1414Rome · RomeServed as secretary in the Roman curia from about 1403, drafting Latin documents and handling personnel affairs; between 1411 and 1414 he built networks and classical learning at the curia's center, preparing for attendance at the Council of Constance with the pope.
  2. 1414–1418Constance · SwabiaAccompanied Pope John XXIII to Constance for the council as papal secretary; around 1415 he searched German monasteries for ancient books, rediscovering a complete copy of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura as well as works of Quintilian and Valerius Flaccus, shaking the Italian humanist world.
  3. 1419–1420Florence · FlorenceAfter the council he briefly left curial affairs and returned to Florence, reporting his manuscript discoveries to friends such as Coluccio Salutati and Niccoli; copies spread rapidly to humanist centers across Italy, fueling the wave of classical textual revival.
  4. 1420–1459Florence · FlorenceHe later resumed curial and Florentine public offices, writing the History of Florence, De Avaritia, and numerous letters; he continued seeking and annotating classical texts until his death in Florence in 1459, leaving a rich humanist documentary legacy.

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