Biography
Francesco received his lute training from Testagrosso. Across much of his career he remained in papal service in Rome, attending Leo X, Clement VII, and Paul III. He additionally instructed Paul’s grandson and held a post under Cardinal Ippolito de’ Medici. Because Paul III esteemed him so highly, the pontiff brought Francesco along on the journey to the landmark meeting between Charles V and Francis I. Among all surviving lute compositions of the century, Francesco’s output constitutes the most significant body of work. His pieces comprise fantasias and ricercares as well as lute adaptations of motets, madrigals, and chansons. Later composers repeatedly turned his music into parodies, a practice that reflects the international renown he enjoyed as the first Italian musician of the Renaissance to attain such distinction.