Career
A reformer of the University of Ferrara, Pigna was secretary to Alfonso II d"Este, Duke of Ferrara and court historian at Ferrara. Pigna"s I romanzi (1554) argued that chivalric romances like those of Ariosto were a modern form of poetry equal to those considered by Aristotle"s Poetics. Torquato Tasso, who succeeded Pigna as court historian, attacked Pigna"s defence of Ariostan poetry in his Discorsi dell"arte poetica.