Areti'no, Pietro

an Italian satirist of great eminence, was B. in Tuscany, 1492. Though of profligate life, and unprincipled in his writings, the caustic satire of his libellous verse gave him a high reputation, the patronage of sovereigns, and the friendship of his illustrious contemporaries, Michael Angelo, Titian, and Ta o. He notably made himself famous by his bitter satire upon the indecorous life of the nuns, and the profligacy of the cardinals and higher priesthood. He also satirized to such an extent the European sovereigns, that he aсquired the title of the "Scourge of Princes." His poetical works include a tragedy, and five comedies full of wit and genuine comic humor. D. 1557.