Origins & Early Life

Marsilio Ficino (Italian: [marˈsiːljo fiˈtʃiːno]; Latin name: Marsilius Ficinus; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism in touch with the major academics of his day, and the first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin. His Florentine Academy, an attempt to revive Plato's Academy, influenced the direction and tenor of the Italian Renaissance and the development of European philosophy. Ficino was born at Figline Valdarno.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His father, Diotifeci d'Agnolo, was a physician under the patronage of Cosimo de' Medici, who took the young man into his household and became the lifelong patron of Marsilio, who was made tutor to his grandson, Lorenzo de' Medici. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, the Italian humanist philosopher and scholar, was another of his students. During the sessions at Florence of the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1438–1445, when attempts to heal the schism of the Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic) churches had thus...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Lê Lợi — Contemporary (Died in 1433) (1433): Founder of the Later Lê dynasty, a pivotal national hero of Đại Việt.
• Stephen the Great — Contemporary (Born in 1433) (1433): Prominent Voivode of Moldavia, renowned for military defense and preserving autonomy.
• Zheng He — Contemporary (Died in 1433) (1433): Ming Dynasty admiral whose voyages expanded China's Indian Ocean influence.
• Camille Claudel — Shared historical date (10-19 · Died) (1943): Pioneering French sculptor celebrated for figurative works in bronze and marble.
• Chance Perdomo — Shared historical date (10-19 · Born) (1996): American and British actor known for roles in 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and 'Gen V'.
• Abby Stein — Shared historical date (10-01 · Born) (1991): Israeli-American author, rabbi, and activist who speaks on faith and gender identity.
• Antonio Inoki — Shared historical date (10-01 · Died) (2022): Pioneering Japanese wrestler, martial artist, and political figure.
• Margery Kempe — Historical peer (Died in 1438) (1438): Pioneering English mystic whose autobiography shaped early English literature.
• Sandro Botticelli — Historical peer (Born in 1445) (1445): Master of the Early Renaissance, famed for mythological and religious frescoes.
• Ernest Rutherford — Shared historical date (10-19 · Died) (1937): Pioneering physicist credited as the 'father of nuclear physics' through atomic structure research.
• 1433 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1433
• October 19 (10-19) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 19
• 1499 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1499
• October 1 (10-01) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 1