By Francisco Prendes Veiga (@FPVMus);xNLx;All the images are public domain pictures, taken from the Wikipedia
We don't know the exact date. He was born in Palestrina (a small medieval city about 35 km east of Rome) c. 1525
It's said that he visited Rome for the first time in 1537 (he was about 12 years old) He stayed there as a chorister in Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.
When he was 19 he became organist of the cathedral of St. Agapito in Palestrina
Married Lucrezia Gori (she died in 1580) They were married for 33 years and had three songs
Pope Julius III appointed him "maestro di cappella" (musical director) of the Cappella Giulia (a choir that sings in St. Peter's Basilica)
It contains 5 complete masses
He apparently received this prestigious position despite being married and not having been approved by the other singers. Dissmissed with a small pension in September
On October 1, 1555, Palestrina received his next appointment, as maestro di capella at San Giovanni Laterano in Rome. He stayed only until 1560, when an argument over pay led him to resign
In 1561, he took the equivalent post at Santa Maria Maggiore, where he had sung as a young boy, and subsequently stayed there for about five years.
It is his most well-known and most often-performed mass. It was sung at the Papal Coronation Masses (the last being the coronation of Paul VI in 1963).
It's titled Motecta festorum totius anni. and it contains 36 motets (for 4 voices)
Palestrina became maestro di capella at the Capella Giulia again in 1571, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Both his brother, Silla, and his son, Rodolfo, died.
His second son, Angelo, also dies
He marries Virgina Dormoli, a wealthy widow (his first wife had died in 1580)
26 spiritual madrigals for 5 voices
Book of motets
Died in Roma, of pleurisy.
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