JOHN FLORIO’S LIFE: A TIMELINE

A timeline of John Florio’s life, from his birth to his death.

John Florio’s life began in London in 1552. After two years, with Mary Tudor’s ascension to the throne, his family was forced to leave and settled for one year and half in Strasbourg. He later moved to Soglio, a little village in between Italy and Switzerland, and there he spent his childhood formed by his erudite father. At ten years old he was sent to Tübingen, in Germany, to study under the renowned Protestant humanist Pier Paolo Vergerio. He came back to London in 1570, starting his successful career as one of the most prominent humanist in Renaissance England.

1552

JOHN FLORIO IS BORN

John Florio is born in London. His father is Michelangelo Florio, a protestant preacher, translator and grammarian with Jewish ancestors.

MARCH 4, 1544

STRASBOURG

At 2 years old, John Florio is forced to leave London, moving to Strasbourg.

1555

SOGLIO

John Florio moves to Soglio.

1563

TUBINGEN

At eleven years old, John Florio is sent to Tubingen to study under the renowned Protestant humanist Pier Paolo Vergerio.

1570

LONDON

John Florio comes back to London.

1578

FIRST PATRONAGE

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, becomes John Florio’s patron.
“FIRST FRUITS” is John Florio’s first work.

1579

OXFORD

John Florio goes to Oxford as poor scholar and becomes servant and tutor of Italian language to Barnabe and Emmanuel Barnes, sons of the Bishop of Durham.

1580

JACQUES CARTIER

John Florio publishes the English translation of Jacques Cartier’s Voyages to Canada titled “A shorte and briefe narration of the two nauigations and discoueries to the northweast partes called Newe Fraunce: first translated out of French into Italian, by that famous learned man Gio: Bapt: Ramutius, and now turned into English by Iohn Florio; worthy the reading of all venturers, trauellers, and discouerers”

1583

GIORDANO BRUNO

John Florio meets Giordano Bruno at Oxford and decides to move with him at the French embassy in London.

1583-1585

AT THE FRENCH EMBASSY

John Florio works as personal secretary to the French ambassador Michel Du Castelnau, and as his daughter’s tutor in Italian.

1585

A LETTER LATELY WRITTEN FROM ROME

John Florio publishes the anonymous pamphlet “A letter lately written from Rome”.

1586

BABINGTON PLOT

John Florio works as spy for Francis Walsingham in the Babington Plot.

1588

ARCADIA

John Florio works as anonymous editor for Philip Sidney’s “Arcadia” in collaboration with Matthew Gwinne and Fulke Greville.

1590

HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, THIRD EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON

Henry Wriothesley becomes John Florio’s patron. Florio works as his personal secretary and Italian tutor.

1591

SECOND FRUITS & GIARDINO DI RICREATIONE

John Florio publishes “Second Fruits” the second bilingual language lesson manual to which is annexed “Giardino di Ricreatione“, a collection of six thousands Italian proverbs.

1591