Pietro Aretino, Italian author (b. 1492)
Pietro Aretino (US: , Italian: [ˈpjɛːtro areˈtiːno]; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his time and an outspoken critic of the powerful. Due to his communications and sympathies with religious reformers, he has been suspected to have been a Nicodemite Protestant.