No one is sure of the exact date of Titian's birth; when he was
an old man he claimed to have been born in 1477 in a letter to
Philip II, but this seems most unlikely. Other writers
contemporary to his old age give figures for his age which would
equate to birth-dates between 1473 to after 1482, but most
modern scholars believe a date nearer 1490 is more likely. He
was the eldest of a family of four and son of Gregorio Vecelli,
a distinguished councillor and soldier, and of his wife Lucia.
His father was superintendent of the castle of Pieve di Cadore
and also managed local mines for their owners. Many relatives,
including Titian's grandfather, were notaries, and the family
were well-established in the area, which was ruled by Venice. At
the age of about ten to twelve he and his brother Francesco (who
perhaps followed later) were sent to an uncle in Venice to find
an apprenticeship with a painter. The minor painter, Sebastian
Zuccato, whose sons became well-known mosaicists, and who may
have been a family fri