Baldassare Castiglione (1478–1529)
Author of The Book of the Courtier
About the Author
Baldassare Castiglione is chiefly known for his prose dialogues titled The Book of the Courtier, which passed through more than 40 editions in the century after its original publication in 1528. Written in Italian based on Dante's Tuscan, it helped to establish Tuscan as the national literary show more language. The book was celebrated throughout Europe as a manual of courtly manners. However, the attentive reader senses the peculiarly Italian atmosphere that envelops the four main participants in the dialogue as they avoid talking of the political realities that had prompted Machiavelli to write The Prince just a few years before. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Image from Courts & Camps of the Italian Renaissance (1908) by Christopher Hare
Series
Works by Baldassare Castiglione
Il cortegiano e Opere minori 2 copies
Balthasaris Castilionis Comitis Libri IV. de Curiali Sive Aulico Ex Italico Sermone in Latinum Conversi Interprete… (2010) 2 copies
La seconda redazione del Cortegiano di Baldassarre Castiglione. Edizione critica — Author — 2 copies
I classici del pensiero italiano. 22. Baldassar Castiglione. Il libro del Cortegiano - Giovanni Della Casa. Galateo (2006) — Author — 1 copy
Lettere inedite e rare 1 copy
Opere 1 copy
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Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Castiglione, Baldassare
- Other names
- Castiglione, Baldesar
- Birthdate
- 1478-12-06
- Date of death
- 1529-02-02
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- Italy
- Birthplace
- Casatico (now Italy)
- Place of death
- Toledo, Spain
- Places of residence
- Mantua, Italy
Urbino, Italy
Milan, Italy - Occupations
- diplomat
courtier
author
poet
aristocrat - Short biography
- Baldassare Castiglione was born in Casatico in the province of Mantua to a noble and illustrious Lombard family. After receiving a classical education, he served first at the court of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, then entered the service of Francesco Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and then Guidobaldo da Montefeltro at Urbino. Castiglione's service in Urbino gave him an entree to the court of Pope Julius II, where he became a friend of the artist Raphael. He was sent as ambassador to King Henry VII of England in 1513. A few years later, Castiglione married, but became a cleric in 1521 after the death of his wife. In 1524 he was sent by Pope Clement VII as ambassador to the Emperor Charles V. Castiglione's "Book of the Courtier,"published in 1528, was a huge and immediate success. It quickly became the most important book of etiquette for both the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy in Italy and beyond. The work helped spread the values of Italian humanism throughout western Europe. Of particular note, still prized today, were the ideal courtier's qualities of grace and nonchalance, which Castiglione called "sprezzatura."
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Statistics
- Works
- 23
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 2,597
- Popularity
- #9,893
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 17
- ISBNs
- 94
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
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