Born in a Lombard village in 1729, he was educated at Milan, and as a youth was known among the Arcadian poets by the name of Darisbo Elidonio.
Narodil sa v lombardskej dedinke v roku 1729, bol vzdelaný predovšetkým v Miláne a ako mladík bol známy medzi arkádskymi básnikmi pod menom „Darisbo Elidonio“.