He was born in 1511 or 1513, in
Cherasco, into a patrician
Florentine family. His father, Marcello Virgilio Adriani (died 27 November 1521), was a professor of literature, and served as the chancellor of the Republic. In 1538, he joined the
Order of Clerics Regular of Somasca and soon became a teacher of philosophy and theology. From 1546 to 1553, he was a professor of history and geography at
Collegio-Convitto di Casale. Giovanni Battista was secretary to the
Republic of Florence. He was among the defenders of the city during the
siege of 1530, but subsequently joined the
Medici party and was appointed professor of rhetoric at the university. At the instance of
Cosimo I he wrote in Italian a contemporary history, spanning from 1536 to 1574, which is generally considered a continuation of
Guicciardini chronicles, although the historian
Brunet finds this notion erroneous. This
Istoria dei suoi tempi was published in Florence in 1583; a new edition appeared also in Florence in 1872.
De Thou acknowledges himself greatly indebted to this history, praising it especially for its accuracy. Adriani also composed
funeral orations in Latin on the emperor
Charles V and other noble personages, and was the author of a long letter on ancient painters and sculptors prefixed to the first volume of
Vasari. Giovanni Battista's son, named Marcello, born 1533 became a professor of rhetoric at the Accademia Fiorentina. He edited and translated a number of classic texts, including the ''Trattato dell'elocuzione'' by
Demetrius of Phalerum. == Works ==