The Book of The Courtier was written by Count Baldassare Castiglione over the course of many years and was first published in vernacular Italian in 1528. An English edition was published in 1561.The book is a courtesy book or book of manners which deals with issues of etiquette, behaviour and morals, particularly at princely or royal courts, and provides a fascinating insight into Renaissance court life. The book takes the form of a Renaissance dialogue, a literary form that incorporated elements of drama, conversation, philosophy and essay. The book is organized as a series of fictional conversations that occur between the courtiers of the Duke of Urbino in 1507 (when Castiglione was in fact part of the Duke's Court). Over the course of four evenings, members of the court try to describe the perfect gentleman of the court. In the process, they debate the nature of nobility, humour, women and love.
About the Author
Baldassare Castiglione was an Italian courtier, diplomat and writer best known for his dialogue Il libro del cortegiano (1528; The Book of the Courtier).He was born into an illustrious family at Casatico, near Mantua (Lombardy), where his family had constructed an impressive palazzo. Castiglione was educated at the humanist school of Giorgio Merula and Demetrius Chalcondyles, and at the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan. He returned to Mantua in 1499 to enter the service of the marquis, Francesco Gonzaga, transferring to the service of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino, in 1504. Among his duties was a mission to England to receive the Order of the Garter as a proxy for Guidobaldo. Baldassare Castiglione of Mantua, endowed by nature with every gift and the knowledge of many disciplines, learned in Greek and Latin literature, and a poet in the Italian (Tuscan) language,was given a castle in Pesaro on account of his military prowess.
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