- Fulvio Orsini
Fulvio Orsini (
December 11 ,1529 -May 18 ,1600 ) was an Italian humanist, historian, and archaeologist. He was a scion of theOrsini family , one of the oldest, most illustrious, and for centuries most powerful of the Roman princely families, whose origins, when stripped of legend, can be traced back to a certain Ursus de Paro, recorded at Rome in 998. [cite encyclopedia|title=Orsini Family|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica|date=2002]Orsini was the natural son probably of
Maerbale Orsini of the line of Mugnano. Cast off by his father at the age of nine, he found a refuge among the choir boys of St. John Lateran, and a protector in Canon Gentile Delfini. He applied himself energetically to the study of the ancient languages, published a new edition ofArnobius and of theSeptuagint , and wrote works dealing with the history of Rome. [cite web
title = Orsini
work = Catholic Encyclopedia
url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11325b.htm
accessdate = December 16
accessyear = 2006 ]Orsini brought together a large collection of antiquities, and built up a costly library of manuscripts and books, which later became part of the Vatican library . Orsini became also a friend and patron of
El Greco , while the painter was in Rome (1570-1577). Orsini's collection would later include seven paintings by the artist ("View of Mt. Sinai" and a portrait of Clovio are among them).M. Scholz-Hansel, "El Greco", 19]References
*cite encyclopedia|title=Orsini Family|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica|date=2002
*cite book|last=Scholz-Hansel|first=Michael|title=El Greco |year=1986 | publisher=Taschen| id=ISBN 3-8228-3171-9Footnotes
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