Barbaro, Francesco (1390–1454)

Venetian politician and humanist author. In his political career, he became the governor of several Venetian territories and led the defence of Brescia against the Milanese army of Niccolò Piccinino. In his youth, however, he had been educated by Gasparino Barzizza and by Guarino, who taught him Greek; he also spent time with the Florentine humanist coterie and dedicated his De Re Uxoria/On Wifely Matters (1416) to a leading Florentine, Lorenzo di Giovanni de' Medici. In later years he acted as patron to Flavio Biondo, among others.