Bernardino da Cirillo is known to musicologists as the author of a letter that has featured in studies on the reform of liturgical music following the Council of Trent. While the letter is significant in the context of Tridentine musical reform, existing musicological readings, to some extent, reflect a binary perception of religious thought of the sixteenth century, positioning it in relation to the Reformation versus Counter-Reformation, or humanist versus Catholic. Its position as a critique of polyphonic Church music is emphasised as a significant precursor or influence on Tridentine reform, especially with regard to the networks within Church hierarchies to which Cirillo was con-nected that might have been sympathetic to musical reform.

Cirillo was a key figure in the history of the Hospital of Santo Spirito. His tenure as commendatore of the Hospital (1556–1575) was one of the longest and most stable periods of leadership in the institution, and coincided with the period in which some of the significant changes instigated by the Council of Trent were enacted. It is surprising therefore that the music emanating from and performed in the Hospital of Santo Spirito, an organisation over which he had charge for a significant period, and where he could dictate roles and expectations of music and musicians, has never been fully explored. Further, the letter has never been situated within the context of Cirillo's other writings nor a broader view of his aesthetic considered.

Cirillo in the context of early modern Catholicism

Cirillo's early career no doubt shaped his views about music. He was born in Aquila in 1500 to a family of humble background but was able to pursue his studies thanks to the financial support of a local merchant. The death of both his parents left him to care for his family, forcing him to change career path to pursue the priesthood, obtaining a chaplaincy with a small stipend. In spite of the change of direction in his career, he continued to immerse himself in reading philosophy – Plato, Plotinus, Ficino, Pico della Mirandola and so on. Thanks to the income from his benefices, he was able to return to his studies in Rome and graduated ‘decretorum doctor’ in 1526. He became archpriest of the Santa Casa di Loreto in 1535 where he stayed for eighteen years.