Photo: Anonymous Unknown author · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Francesco Canova da Milano
Person · male · Duchy of Milan · Monza · born 1497 · died 1543 · recording since 1990
Italian composer, 1497-1543
Also known as Francesco da Milano · Francesco da Milano · Франческо де Милано · 弗朗切斯科·卡诺瓦·达米拉诺
Timeline
11 events▣ Album 8◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1490s
1540s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Intabolatura da leuto del Divino
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Fantasia de Mon Triste: Renaissance Lute Virtuosi of Rome and Venice
Album
source: musicbrainz
2000s
2010s
· Album
Album: Dolcissima Et Amorosa: The Lute Music of Il Divino, Francesco Canova da Milano Vol.1
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: A Decoration of Silence: The Lute Music Of "Il Divino", Francesco Canova da Milano, Vol.2
Album
source: musicbrainz
Biography
English biography721 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1334226319
Biography
Francesco Canova da Milano (Francesco da Milano, also known as Il divino, Francesco da Parigi, etc.) (18 August 1497 – 2 January 1543) was an Italian lutenist and composer. He was born in Monza, near Milan, and worked for the papal court for almost all of his career. Francesco was heralded throughout Europe as the foremost lute composer of his time. More of his music is preserved than of any other lutenist of the period, and his work continued to influence composers for more than a century after his death.
Life
Francesco da Milano was almost certainly born in Monza, a small city some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. His father Benedetto was a musician, as was his elder brother Bernardino. According to Luca Gaurico's Tractatus astrologicus (1552), Francesco studied under Giovanni Angelo Testagrossa, but today this is considered somewhat unlikely. By 1514 Francesco was a member of the papal household in Rome. From that time for most of his career he was closely associated with the papal court. He and his father became private musicians to Pope Leo X in October 1516; Francesco's father kept this position until December 1518, but Francesco stayed until Leo's death in 1521. Little is known about his subsequent career in Rome, but he was still living in the city in early 1526: on 16 January 1526 he and one other lutenist performed for Pope Clement VII and Isabella d'Este.
Details of Francesco's later life are sketchy. He may have served at the Parisian court for a short time, since some sources refer to him as Francesco da Parigi. In 1528 he obtained a canonry in S Nazaro Maggiore in Milan, which he would cede to his brother in 1536. He may have travelled to Murano in 1530. Between 1531 and 1535 he served Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici, who died in 1535. In the same year Francesco worked as lute teacher to Ottavio Farnese, grandson of Pope Paul III. In a document dated 1 January 1538 Francesco is listed as a member of the household of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, a famous patron of the arts. In July Francesco married one Clara Tizzoni, a Milanese noblewoman, and moved to Milan, where the couple lived at least until September. By early 1539 Francesco and his father were once again employed by the papal court.
Nothing is known about Francesco's last years and his death, except that he probably did not die in Milan. The exact date of death, 2 January 1543, was recorded only by Luca Gaurico. Francesco's brother outlived him by at least 19 years, and died sometime after 1562. Francesco's father probably outlived his son as well; he died at some point before 1555.
"Canzona"
A composition called "Canzona by Francesco da Milano" (better known as the song "The City of Gold") is commonly misattributed to da Milano. It is actually a musical hoax by lutenist and famous mystificator Vladimir Vavilov, who composed this tune and credited it to Francesco da Milano. After being released by rock band Aquarium in 1987, the song became a big hit in the Soviet Union and beyond and raised questions about the actual credit. It was not until the 2000s that mystification was revealed and the credit for the hit went posthumously to Vavilov.
Recordings
Christopher Wilson and Shirley Rumsey, "Francesco Canova da Milano - Fantasias, Ricercars and Duets", Naxos (1994)
Ben Salfield, "Fantasie: 21 Fantasias by Francesco Canova da Milano", Red C (2004)
Hopkinson Smith, "Francesco da Milano: Fantasias, Intabulations, Ricercari, Dances, Reconstructions", Naïve (2008)
Tsiporah Meiran, Francesco da Milano : Research for lute, Band of Hippies (2010)
Paul O'Dette, "Francesco di Milano 'Il divino
Il DivinoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 25 tracks1Fantasia (30) dal secondo tono2:182Recercar (5) dal quinto tono3:033Il pescatore che va cantando2:054Quand’io penso al martir2:305Fantasia (64) dal primo tono2:166Saltarello1:547Recercar (3) dal settimo tono2:588Recercar (51) dal quarto tono2:449Recercar (41) dal quinto tono2:1210Ballo "Doma la donna se solo si sona"3:5011Fantasia (55) "La piu bella & divina a che abbia fatto"5:4012Gagliarda1:0313De mon triste desplaisir2:1614Fantasia (36) "De mon triste"2:1515Plus de tristesse, prends ta maitresse2:3816Recercar (28) dal quinto tono1:4017Fantasia (39) dal quinto tono2:1718Che glian strazza la socha3:1819Recercar (2) dal ottavo tono3:4720Sola la dolce sirena3:1921Fantasia (40) dal ottavo tono2:1322Fantasia (33) sopra mi-fa-mi2:4323Pavana "Mi fato e miserabil sorte"3:1524Fantasia (34) "La Compagna"2:5125La Mantuanella3:05'", Harmonia Mundi (2013)
Nigel North "Dolcissima Et Amorosa: The Lute Music of Il Divino, Francesco Canova da Milano Vol. 1" RGS (2014)
Nigel North "A Decoration of Silence: The Lute Music of Il Divino, Francesco Canova da Milano Vol. 2 " RGS (2015)
Sandro Volta, "Francesco da Milano: Music for lute" Brilliant Classics (2015)
Siro Pillosu, "Fantasie Divine, lute music by Francesco da Milano", Ibé (2019)
Duo Imbesi Zangarà, Francesco da Milano Complete Duets Original works and Joanne Matelart’s Arrangements players Carmelo Imbesi e Carmen Zangarà, Classical Music 3.0, (2021)
Duo Imbesi Zangarà, Francesco da Milano Fantasia a due Liuti from Castelfranco Veneto Manuscript, Single Track, players Carmelo Imbesi e Carmen Zangarà, Classical Music 3.0, (2024)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 19 | 79.7th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 8 | 81.1th |
| Studio albums | 8 | 88.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 11 | 87.9th |
| Recording span (years) | -447 | 0.4th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (8 release groups · 8 studio albums)
Albums · 8
Intabolatura da leuto del Divino
1990 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 27 tracks · 53:52
1Ricercar (Fantasia) 40:562Ricercar (Fantasia) 31:183Fantasia 212:334Mon per si ma marie1:555Fantasia 381:236Ricercar 53:417Reueillez moy1:398Fantasia 810:439Fantasia 642:3010O bone Yhesu2:2711Fantasia 401:4612De mon triste desplaisir2:0113Fantasie de mon triste 362:1114Chi uoleno dir de moy1:2015Vignon uignetta0:5316Fantasia 410:4017Fantasia 663:4518Fantasia 281:4019Ricercar 512:3320Fantasia 302:0921Ricercar 161:0622Ricercar 101:4323Fort se lament2:4624Quand'io penso al martir2:5925Tu discois que je mourroye1:5726Fantasia 332:4427Ricercar 34 la compagna2:34Lute Music: Fantasias, Ricercars and Duets
1994 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 27 tracks · 1:01:29
1Ricercar 692:112Ricercar 21:343Fantasia 822:404Ricercar 701:195Fantasia quinta2:456Ricercar prima1:467Fantasia 631:308Ricercar 732:449Fantasia 302:2010Fantasia 642:1611Fantasia 671:3212Fantasia sexta2:0013Ricercar terza1:5914Fantasia 555:0715Fantasia 562:4016Fantasia 652:3717Fantasia 810:5118Fantasia 664:0819Ricercar seconda1:4020Fantasia quarta2:1621Fantasia 831:5822Ricercar 762:1123Ricercar 131:3924Canon1:4425La Spagna1:4126Ricercar 101:5527Ricercar 794:26Fantasia de Mon Triste: Renaissance Lute Virtuosi of Rome and Venice
1997 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 21 tracks · 52:31
1Recercare2:482Malor me bat3:143Recercare1:274Adieu mes amours3:035Recercare1:066Padoana2:537Recercare Primo2:508De tous biens pleine2:569Et in terra3:2210Qui tollis3:2511Ricercar (88)3:1412Fantasia (33)3:1313De mon triste desplaisir (121)2:0314Fantasia de mon triste (36)2:4615Ricercar "La Compagna" (34)3:1116Ricercar (84)0:4817Fantasia (28)1:4418Las ye me plains (106)1:5219Fantasia (31)1:1620Ricercar (9)2:0921Ricercar (12)3:112008 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 25 tracks · 1:08:10
1Fantasia (30) dal secondo tono2:182Recercar (5) dal quinto tono3:033Il pescatore che va cantando2:054Quand’io penso al martir2:305Fantasia (64) dal primo tono2:166Saltarello1:547Recercar (3) dal settimo tono2:588Recercar (51) dal quarto tono2:449Recercar (41) dal quinto tono2:1210Ballo "Doma la donna se solo si sona"3:5011Fantasia (55) "La piu bella & divina a che abbia fatto"5:4012Gagliarda1:0313De mon triste desplaisir2:1614Fantasia (36) "De mon triste"2:1515Plus de tristesse, prends ta maitresse2:3816Recercar (28) dal quinto tono1:4017Fantasia (39) dal quinto tono2:1718Che glian strazza la socha3:1819Recercar (2) dal ottavo tono3:4720Sola la dolce sirena3:1921Fantasia (40) dal ottavo tono2:1322Fantasia (33) sopra mi-fa-mi2:4323Pavana "Mi fato e miserabil sorte"3:1524Fantasia (34) "La Compagna"2:5125La Mantuanella3:05"Il divino": The Lute Music of Francesco da Milano
2013 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 36 tracks · 1:17:06
01Fantasia (3)1:2402Fantasia (Appendix, 31)4:0103"Que Voulez Vous Dire de Moi"1:2204"Tu Discois Que Je Mourroye"1:5805Fantasia (64)2:4006Fantasia (16)1:0207"O Bone Jesu"2:4708Fantasia (40)1:5009Fantasia 562:0510Fantasia 391:4611Fantasia 581:2812Ricercar (4)0:5513"De Mon Triste Desplaisir"2:0414Fantasia de Mon Triste2:2315"Vignon Vignetta"1:3916Ricercar (8)2:2917Fantasia (38)1:2818Fantasia (41)0:3819"Las Je My Plains"1:4120Fantasia (20)3:1421Fantasia (21)2:5622"Mon Pere Si Ma Marie"1:5623Ricercar (51)2:4124Fantasia (30)2:1825Ricercar (5)3:3326Fantasia (28)1:4027Fantasia (66)4:0728"Reveillez Moy"1:4829Ricercar (13)1:3930Fantasia (83)1:4831"Pourquoy Allez Vous Seullette"1:5832Ricercar (10)1:4833Fantasia (63)1:0934"Quand'Io Penso Al Martire"3:0735Fantasia (33)2:5436Fantasia (34) "La Compagna"2:50Dolcissima Et Amorosa: The Lute Music of Il Divino, Francesco Canova da Milano Vol.1
2014 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 32 tracks · 1:05:04
1Ricercar No. 40:462Ricercar No. 12:093Ricercar No. 721:194Fantasia No. 21:335Fantasia No. 271:476Fantasia No. 621:017Fantasia No. 31:418Ricercar No. 82:149Fantasias Nos. 32 & 412:0310Qunata beltà, Jacques Arcadelt2:2111Fantasia, sopra Qunata beltà1:5612Fantasias Nos. 31 & 71:3213Fantasia No. 571:3414Fantasia No. 840:5715Ricercar No. 810:4716Fantasia No. 732:4217Ricercar No. 401:5018Ricercar No. 161:0319Ricercar No. 172:3020Fantasia No. 302:4921Ricercar No. 151:3922Ricercar No. 512:4923Fantasia No. 281:4024Fantasia "Dolcissima et Amorosa"2:4425Fantasia No. 581:3526Fantasias Nos. 38 & 393:3327Ricercar No. 351:5828Fantasia No. 562:3129Ricercar No. 101:3430De mon triste de desplaisir, Jean Richafort1:4731Fantasia de mon triste No. 362:2732Fantasia et Ricercar "La compagna"6:132014 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 22 tracks · 49:29
1Ricercare No. 12:522Ricercare No. 22:073Ricercare No. 32:104Ricercare No. 41:205Ricercare No. 53:566Ricercare No. 63:157Ricercare No. 71:158Ricercare No. 82:219Ricercare No. 92:0610Ricercare No. 103:4511Fantasia No. 302:3912Fantasia No. 311:4313Fantasia No. 321:0614Fantasia No. 333:4415Fantasia de mon triste No. 363:0716Fantasia No. 401:2217Fantasia No. 421:5718Fantasia No. 571:5419Fantasia No. 591:1620Ricercare No. 702:5021Ricercare No. 840:5922Ricercare No. 891:45A Decoration of Silence: The Lute Music Of "Il Divino", Francesco Canova da Milano, Vol.2
2018 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 29 tracks · 1:11:49
1Ricercar No. 62:532Fantasia No. 611:003Fantasia No. 671:424Fantasia No. 652:365Fantasia No. 233:226Ricercar No. 701:127Ricercar No. 711:168Ricercar No. 883:049Fantasia No. 555:1810Ricercar No. 781:0011Fantasia No. 291:4512Ricercar No. 911:3613Fantasia No. 53:4114Ricercar Nos. 14, 75 & 142:1615Ricercar No. 441:3916Fantasia No. 642:1817Fantasia No. 254:0018Ricercar No. 692:0419Fantasia No. 831:5620Fantasia No. 821:2421Ricercar No. 502:2722Fantasia No. 261:5123Ricercar No. 521:4424Fantasia No. 212:4525Fantasia No. 631:1726Fantasia No. 203:3227Ricercar No. 182:4128Fantasia No. 19 “Bellissima”4:5329Fantasia de Francesco Milanese divina4:37
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Francesco Canova da Milano head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 19 | 79.7th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 8 | 81.1th |
| Studio albums | 8 | 88.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 11 | 87.9th |
| Recording span (years) | -447 | 0.4th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Francesco_Canova_da_Milano.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/751bf650-5a3d-4e79-ab16-c495ace5f078discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/751bf650-5a3d-4e79-ab16-c495ace5f078core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q955377seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Canova_da_Milanobiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Canova_da_Milano
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Anonymous Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q955377 · MusicBrainz: 751bf650-5a3d-4e79-ab16-c495ace5f078