Bartolomeo Platina

Around 1464, Platina purchased a post as a papal writer under the humanist Pius II, and became a member of the Platonism-influenced Roman Academy founded by Pomponio Leto.

In 1468 Platina was again confined in Castel Sant'Angelo for a further year, where he was interrogated under torture, following accusations that members of Julius Pomponius Laetus's Roman Academy were plotting to assassinate the Pope.

[2] Platina's fortunes were revived by the return to power of the strongly pro-humanist pope, Sixtus IV, who in 1475 made him Vatican librarian.

[4] Later, in Mantua, Platina was appointed tutor to the sons of the Ludovico III Gonzaga, a position previously held by Iacopo da San Cassiano and Ognibene Bonisoli [it].

Pius II having reorganized the College of Abbreviators in 1463 and increased their number to seventy, Platina was able to buy a sinecure, becoming a member in May 1464.

Besides his principal work Platina wrote several others of smaller importance, notably: Historia inclita urbis Mantuæ et serenissimæ familiæ Gonzagæ.

The Pinacoteca Vaticana contains a famous fresco by Melozzo da Forlì representing Sixtus IV Appointing Platina as Prefect of the Vatican Library.

It naturally attracted the attention of astrologers as may appear from the long judicium astrologicum by Avogario, of Ferrara, dated June 17, 1467; it was found again by Celoria among the manuscripts of Paolo Toscanelli, who had copied it himself.

A careful investigation of the authenticated Regesta of Callixtus (about one hundred folios), in the Vatican archives, shows that the comet is not mentioned in any other papal document.

Aeneas Sylvius and St. John Capistrano, who preached the crusade in Hungary, considered the comet rather as a favourable omen in the war against the Turks.

Arago's treatise was soon translated into all the European languages after which time the appearance of the comet (1456) is hardly ever mentioned, but this historical lie must be repeated in various shapes.

Shortly afterwards, Platina composed De honesta voluptate et valetudine ("On honourable pleasure and health"), a theoretical treatise on Italian cuisine.

Large portions of this text were directly copied from Martino's own book of recipes, Libro de arte coquinaria, with credit given by Platina.

[4][6] Platina's work, considered the first printed cookbook,[4] left the press in 1474 and ran into dozens of editions, disseminating Roman ideas about fine dining throughout Western Europe.