Tail Feathers

Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione - Raphael

Born: December 6, 1478 Died: February 2, 1529

Baldassare Castiglione was one of those early Italian Renaissance writers that we know and love so well, but perhaps have not heard much of. Born in Casatico, near Mantua, Castiglione was privy to a wealthy and famous society, one which included Giuliano de’Medici, Pietro Bembo, and Cesare Gonzaga, his cousin. He was an ambassador for Pope Julius II, the “Warrior Pope”, and it was in that post that he was painted by Raphael—the portrait above.

Castiglione’s most famous work was The Book of the Courtier, which, in essence, detailed what one had to do to be a true gentleman of Italian society. As most scholars were in those days, he was a student of the ancient Greek and Roman writings, but in particular he channeled the words of Cicero, which detailed the “perfect orator”, and advised that all men be versed in rhetoric and speech in order to be a respectable and successful man. Good advice, as during this time the quickest way to win an argument was to be an excellent speaker.

The Book of the Courtier swiftly caught on, and was published in Spanish, German, Italian, Latin, and French, and over 108 editions were published between 1528 and 1616 alone. Clearly, he had something going for him.