CELLINIANA

Speranza

Cinquecento life seems generally to have conformed to a BI-SEXUAL norm.

Cellini had sexual relations with male members of his staff.

Such relations were not strongly dsapproved of, and were NOT subject to legal action.

Benedetto VARCHI had a notorious series of homosexual liaisons, not with assistants, as Cellini had, but with well-born boys to whom he taught linguistics and a brand of popular neo-Aristotelian philosophy.

One of them, Giovanni de' Pazzi, was locked in his room after dinner by his uncle ANTONIO DE' PAZZI, to prevent his seening Varchi, and was caught climbing down a rope to meet VARCHI in the street.

VARCHI was knifed by the boy's indignant uncle.

In 1526, Varch was attracted by GIULIANINO GONDI, who died soon after from wounds incurred in a street fight, and Gondi was succeeded by Lorenzo Lenzi and Giulio della Stufa.

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To Pallante RUCCELLAI, Varchi addressed EROTIC poems, under the name "Cerillo".