He was the author also of some motets, and Luca Marenzio, who brought the madrigal style to its most beautiful development and whose influence molded the methods of the English glee and madrigal writers, is believed to have been his pupil for a short time.

Marenzio unquestionably lived for some months in Mantua, where according to Calvi[9] he completed his studies under the guidance of the Duke.
[Footnote 9: "Scena Letteraria degli Scrittori Bergamaschi," per Donato Calvi.

Bergamo, 1664.] Of Alessandro Striggio and his art work at the court of Mantua and elsewhere special mention will be made in another part of this work.
Moreover it is not necessary that anything should be said here of the epoch-making creations of Claudio Monteverde, who was long in the Gonzaga service and who produced his "Orfeo" at Mantua.

Sufficient has been set forth in this chapter to give some estimate of the importance and activity of Mantua as a literary and musical center.

The culture of the age was confined almost exclusively to churchmen, professors, literary laborers and the nobility.