The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini

Inn-keepers and prostitutes, kings and cardinals, artists and soldiers rub shoulders in the pages of Cellini's notorious autobiography.

Benvenuto Cellini was a celebrated goldsmith and distinguished sculptor, yet it is on his autobiography that much of his fame rests. Begun in Florence when he was fifty-eight, it was primarily intended to be the story of his life and art, his tragedies and triumphs. However, as he was an active participant in the wars and struggles of the period and drew his...