(Hercole), a person eminently skilled in the science of music, though not a musician by profession. He was a man of rank in Bologna; and appears, from several letters to him that have been printed, to have had the title of Count. He published several controversial pieces on the subject of music. It seems that he entertained strong prejudices in favour of the ancient music; and that he attempted, as Vincentino and others had done, to introduce the chromatic genus into practice, but with no better success than had attended the endeavours of others. He corrected Gogavino's Latin version of Ptolemy in numberless instances; and that to so good a purpose, that Dr Wallis has in general conformed to it in that translation of the same author which he gave to the world many years after. He also translated into Italian Boetius de Musica, and as much of Plutarch and Macrobius as relates to music: besides this, he made annotations upon Ariostoxenus, Franchinus, Spataro, Vicentino, Zarlino, and Galilei; and, in short, on almost every musical treatise he could lay his hands on, as appears by the copies which were once his own, and are now repolished in many libraries in Italy. Of Bottrigaro's works it is said, that they contain greater proofs of his learning and skill in music, than of his abilities as a writer, his style being remarkably inelegant: nevertheless, he affected the character of a poet; and there is extant a collection of poems by him, in 8vo, printed in 1557. Walther represents him as an able mathematician, and a collector of rarities; and says that he was possessed of a cabinet, which the emperor Ferdinand II. had a great desire to purchase. He died in 1609.