This memoir by the Italian sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571) is one of the great works of Renaissance literature. It recounts Cellini's adventurous life, including his travels throughout Italy and France, his imprisonment in Rome, and his friendships with the likes of Michelangelo and Francis I. It also offers fascinating insights into the artistic methods and aesthetics of the time, and remains a classic of autobiography and...