Pomponio Torelli (1539 – 9 April 1608) was Count of Montechiarugolo and a writer of prose, poetry and plays.

He was tutored at home by Andrea Casali, then studied at Padova under Bernardino Tomitano [it] and Francesco Robortello.

A portrait of him by Cesare Aretusi was commissioned in 1602 by Giovan Battista Masi, who married Torelli's daughter Clelia in 1604 and who, with Torelli's son and heir Pio, was among those beheaded on 19 May 1612 for involvement in the Congiura dei feudatari, or "plot of the feudal lords", against Ranuccio Farnese.

[2] Torelli wrote love poetry in the style of Petrarch; his Rime were published in 1575, with an expanded edition in 1586, and his Scherzi poetici in 1598.

[5] In his dramaturgy, Torelli respected the classical unities of time, place, and action and showed a preference for Greek (rather than Roman) structural and compositional features, with no scene divisions and a strong role given to the chorus.