Banfi, Giulio c1630-1670 Italy, Milan - Spain, Madrid
lutenist, son of a doctor of Milan, having lost his father in his youth, he was raised by his uncle the famous lutenist Carlo Francesco Banfi (Milan c1620-) who taught him to play the lute, after 1653 Milan Chamber affairs obliged him to make a trip to Spain, his ship was captured by a privateer near the coast of Catalunya, he was taken to Tunis and sold as a slave, in this situation he obtained the freedom of playing the lute before the Bey, he asked to be presented to the prince and enter his service, his hope was not disappointed because he soon became the favorite of the Bey, eventually raising to the position of his Italian secretary, taking advantage of the freedom he began to study fortification and artillery, after years of living in Tunis he obtained permission to make a trip to Italy, then went to Madrid, the king of Spain who was informed of the knowledge that Banfi possessed, appointed him engineer and later lieutenant-general of his artillery, he died in Madrid in this raised position

[story free after Walther's Musicalisches Lexicon 1732]