The Renaissance was a revolution in western thinking, science & mathematics, painting and sculpture, literature, and music. This revolution was centered in Italy, and attracted talent from all over Europe. Jacques Arcadelt was one of those.
Born in Flanders (nowadays French speaking Belgium), be made his way to Florence where he quickly became known as the master of the Madrigal, secular songs (as opposed to church music) typically inspired by poetry of the day. Arcadelt wrote literally hundreds of them., and his book of madrigals was exceptionally influential in the 1530s.
Looking back over nearly five centuries, this sounds old. While the secular subject matter was a big break from church music of the day, the music itself sounds like it could be at home at mass. Arcadelt continued his songwriting career later, after moving to Paris where he composed chansons (secular songs in French). He died there in 1568.
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