Giorgio Valentino was born into a family of the aristocracy in the 15th century. He was born to become a noble when he got older. Nobles were expected to fulfill certain ideas in Renaissance society. The characteristics for a perfect Renaissance noble were expressed in The Book of the Courtier. This was written by the Italian diplomat Baldassare Castiglione. Giorgio wanted to read this book to learn how to serve his prince in the most effective and honest way.

As he got older, he learned to have character, grace, and talent. Giorgio went to school and learned about the liberal arts at humanist schools. Humanists believed that liberal studies helped students reach their full potential. He was a very good student, getting good grades and having lots of friends. This education was necessary for preparing sons of aristocrats, like Giorgio, for leadership roles. When Johannes Gutenberg created the printer, it helped spread education and Renaissance culture.

Giorgio also had an interest in the arts. He was especially fascinated by the fresco paintings of Masaccio. A fresco was a painting done on fresh, wet plaster with water-based paints. Masaccio mastered the laws of perspective. He painted in a realistic style, often painting the human nude. Giorgio had himself painted in this style.

Soon enough, it was time for Giorgio to get married and carry on the family name. His family, like many others in the Renaissance period, had worked out the details for his arranged marriage when he was three years old. He was going to marry Rossana Sodano to keep business ties in tact. Giorgio was the center of his family and managed all finances. He determined the path for his kids and had absolute authority over them.

Giorgio and Rossana were very in love even though it was an arranged marriage. They had two sons, Orsino and Napoleone, and a daughter, Bassilla. Rossana raised the children and made sure that the boys were brave and talented so that they could become nobles. They went to fight in a battle, and sadly, Napoleone did not come back alive. However, he was praised by many, especially his mother, for fighting bravely and honorably.

Bassilla Valentino would never become a legal adult while Giorgio was alive. She helped her mother do things around the house and learned how to run a household. She was very bright, like her father, and was going to marry a boy named Gavino when she became of age. She would do this because he was one of the most powerful aristocrats who needed a good wife.

Giorgio and Rossana lived a prosperous life. Giorgio was a powerful noble and Rossana was a good wife who taught their children well. Orsino served as one of the most powerful advisers to the king. Bassilla married Gavino, and Gavino had a powerful position in the government just as Orsino did. Giorgio contracted the Black Death and died soon after. Rossana died of old age a few years later.

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