Recognized as the most influential Italian Baroque poet, Giambattista Marino was born in Naples on October 14, 1569. He was the oldest of seven children in a family of Calabrian origin. His mother, whose name remains unknown, died before 1600. Marino’s father, Giovan Francesco, was a lawyer who introduced his son to poetry and theater but nevertheless insisted that he study law. Two years of juridical studies (1583-1585) convinced Marino to abandon a career of “selling madness”, as he would later put it, to become a poet. He apparently sold his legal books to buy poetry, thus ending familial and financial support. In 1585, with no Humanist education, Marino entered Giulio Cortese’s Accademia degli Svegliati, assuming the name “Accorto”, or “the Shrewd One”.
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Citation: Patel, Maneesha. "Giambattista Marino". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 March 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2934, accessed 13 December 2024.]