Giovanni Rosini

While Giovanni was an infant, the family moved to Livorno, where he lived till the age of 12 years.

When his father was named royal vicar of Ponte a Sieve, Giovanni entered the seminary in Fiesole, where he studied rhetoric under Bazzi and Traballesi until 1791.

He soon began to write a history of Italian painting, published in 1839-1854 under the title Storia della pittura italiana esposta coi monumenti with numerous engravings.

He also wrote popular novels based on historic figures, such as a three volume story based on the story of the Monaca di Monza (The Nun of Monza), Marianna de Leyva y Marino, in 1833, a four volume work, titled Luisa Strozzi, in 1853, a novel on Ugolino della Gherardesca.

He was editor of a 25 volume edition of major Italian historians: Collezione di ottimi scrittori italiani, including historical works by Donato Giannotti, Giambullari, Dino Compagni, and Camillo Porzio.