Aldrovandi, Ulisse (1522–1605) Italian natural
historian
The son of a wealthy Bolognese notary, Aldrovandi was
educated at the university of Bologna where he later be-
came professor of natural history. Financially indepen-
dent, he was free to pursue his interests through extensive
European travel. In this manner he accumulated a good
deal of information on European fauna, and preparation of
this material for publication dominated the remainder of
his life. By his death only the volumes on birds, Or-
nithologiae (1599–1634), and insects (1602) had begun to
appear. Ten further volumes, dealing with almost every as-
pect of the animal kingdom, were edited by pupils and ap-
peared before 1668. Despite his considerable first-hand
experience, Aldrovandi continued to operate mainly in a
literary tradition, giving fanciful tales from the classical
writers Strabo and Pliny the same authority as his own ob-
servations. Consequently, while there was a place for the
hydra and basilisk in Aldrovandi’s bestiary, fossils were
dismissed in his Musaeum metallicum (1648) as of little
importance.
Aldus Manutius See MANUTIUS, ALDUS
Aleandro, Girolamo (1480–1542) Italian humanist and
diplomat
Born at Treviso, he studied at Padua and then Venice,
where he met Aldus MANUTIUS. In 1508 he went to Paris
on the advice of and with an introduction from Erasmus.
BUDÉwas among his first private pupils. In 1509 he gave a
course of lectures in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin at Paris and
taught there intermittently until 1513. His Lexicon Graeco-
Latinum appeared in 1512. After ill health forced him to
give up teaching he was employed as a papal envoy, hav-
ing a notorious confrontation with LUTHERin Germany in
1520–21. He became Vatican librarian (1519) under Leo X
and later cardinal (1536). Aleandro was an influential
teacher. Sometimes his classes numbered 1500 students
and he was largely responsible for introducing GREEK
STUDIESto Paris.
Alemán, Mateo (1547–1615) Spanish novelist
Descended from Jews who had been forcibly converted to
Catholicism, Alemán, who was born the son of a prison
doctor in Seville, studied medicine in Salamanca and Al-
calá but abandoned his studies before completion. His
most important literary work, GUZMÁN DE ALFARACHE
(1599), is one of the earliest PICARESQUE NOVELS. Such was
its popularity throughout Europe that there were several
pirated editions, as well as a spurious sequel, which ap-
peared even before Alemán could complete the second
part of his own work (1604).
Success however did not alleviate his constant finan-
cial difficulties; he had supported himself in a series of in-
significant administrative jobs, but in 1601 he was
imprisoned for debt for the third time. Alemán’s fortunes
prospered only after he emigrated to Mexico (1608) with
his patron Archbishop García Guerra, whose biography he
published in 1613. His other minor works include a biog-
raphy of St. Anthony of Padua (1603) and Ortografía
Castellana (1609), the latter containing some sensible pro-
posals for the reform of Spanish spelling.Alençon, Francis, Duke of See FRANCIS, DUKE OF
ALENÇONAlesius, Alexander (Alexander Alane, Alexander
Ales(s)) (1500–1565) Scottish-born Lutheran theologian
He was born in Edinburgh and graduated at the University
of St. Andrews (1515) and became a canon there. In 1527
he was chosen to refute the Lutheran doctrines of Patrick
HAMILTON, but ended up converting to them himself. Fol-
lowing a spell in prison, he escaped abroad (1532), meet-
ing Luther and other leaders of the German Reformation,
while maintaining his attack on ecclesiastical abuses in
Scotland, as the result of which he was excommunicated
(1534). After carrying a letter from Philipp MELANCHTHON
to HENRY VIIIof England in 1535, he became a lecturer at
Cambridge University, under the patronage of Thomas
CROMWELL. However, his lectures on the Psalms so en-
raged the Cambridge Catholics that he had to retreat to
London. Fearing further harassment, he returned to Ger-
many (1539), where he was again involved in controversy,
and eventually settled in Leipzig, where he died. He wrote
exegetical works on the Psalms and Epistles and a defense
of the view that there is biblical authority for just two
sacraments. His translation of parts of the BOOK OF COM-
MON PRAYERinto Latin was published in 1551.Alessi, Galeazzo (1512–1572) Italian architect
Alessi was born in Perugia and later (1568) designed the
principal doorway for the cathedral there. He visited
Rome in the late 1530s and his style was formed by his en-
thusiasm for classical architecture, especially as mediated
by MICHELANGELO. His most distinguished work combines
the dignity of the classical orders with sumptuous detail,
as exemplified in the courtyard of the Palazzo Marino,
Milan (1553–58). From 1549 onward he designed a num-
ber of notable buildings in Genoa, among them the church
of Sta. Maria Assunta di Carignano (begun 1552) and
some fine villas and palaces in the Strada Nuova (now the
Via Garibaldi), which he himself may have laid out. Other
examples of his work appear in the Certosa di Pavia (sar-
cophagus of Giangaleazzo Visconti), at Brescia (the upper
part of the Loggia), and Bologna (gateway to the Palazzo
Communale; c. 1555). His style was much admired and
influenced buildings as far afield as Spain and Germany,
especially after RUBENS published Palazzi di Genova
(1622), a study in which Alessi’s Genoese work features
prominently.1100 AAllddrroovvaannddii,, UUlliissssee