Paride da Ceresara

Paride da Ceresara (10 February 1466 – 1532) was an Italian humanist, poet, alchemist and astrologer.

Life
He was born in Ceresara and was descended from the Ceresara, a noble family. He was in the service of Isabella d'Este in Mantua and came up with the mythological, allegorical and celebratory themes for at least two of the paintings in her noted studiolo and perhaps the whole cycle. Paride collected and translated classical works such as Plautus' Aulularia and also studied Hebrew. He also wrote a number of erotic sonnets, signed with his pseudonyms Patrizio Tricasso and Patrizio Tricasso da Ceresara.

He was hosted at the court of Aloisio Gonzaga in Castel Goffredo as an astrologer. He was summoned to Mantua in 1532 by Federico II Gonzaga to become podestà of the city, where Paride built the Palazzo del Diavolo on the corso Predella (now corso Vittorio Emanuele II) as his personal residence. He died in Mantua.

Works

 * Expositione del Tricasso Mantovano sopra il Cocle, Venezia, published by Vettor q. Piero Ravano, 1535
 * Epitoma Chyromantico di Patritio Tricasso da Ceresari mantovano, Venezia, published by Agostino de Bindoni, 1538
 * Rime, edited by A. Comboni, Olschki, Firenze 2004