The Book of the Courtier

by Baldesar Castiglione, Leonard Eckstein Opdycke (Translator)

Overview

First published in 1528 and written over several years by Baldesar Castiglione, count of Novilara, "The Book of the Courtier" is one of the most important and definitive accounts of Italian Renaissance court life. Organized as a series of fictional conversations that occur between the courtiers of the Duke of Urbino in 1507, "The Book of the Courtier" is a book of manners and etiquette and discusses the expectations for a perfect courtier. Castiglione had intimate knowledge of these rules and standards as he was a courtier and diplomat himself with many years spent in the Duke of Urbino's court. The courtier must have a warrior spirit, be athletic, and have good knowledge of the humanities, classics, and fine arts. As the fictional members of the court debate and try to describe the perfect gentleman, as well as the perfect lady, they engage in a discussion of the nature of nobility, humor, and love in the age of the Italian Renaissance. "The Book of the Courtier" was widely read and distributed soon after its publication and remains a significant first-hand account of this fascinating period in history. This edition follows the translation of Leonard E. Opdycke and is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781420964073
Publisher:	Digireads.com
Publication date:	11/04/2019
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Baldesar Castiglione was born in 1478, a member of an ancient Italian aristocratic family. He received a thorough humanistic education, acquiring a refined appreciation of art. He was essentially a courtier, and his literary activities were spare-time occupations. In 1504, after an unhappy period in Mantuan employ, he entered the service of Guidobaldo of Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. The ensuing years were the most satisfying of his life. He enjoyed the confidence of the Duke, who frequently entrusted him with important missions, and in his leisure moments he participated in the literary and intellectual activities of the court, then one of the most brilliant in Italy.

After Guidobaldo's death in 1508, he remained in the service of the new Duke, Francesco Maria della Rovere, becoming, in 1513, resident ambassador in Rome. In 1515 the expulsion of Francesco Maria from Urbino deprived him of a job, and in the years 1516-19 he lived quietly on his estates near Mantua. His major work is The Book of the Courtier. He also wrote a small number of excellent poems both in Latin and Italian. In 1519 he returned to Rome, as Mantuan ambassador, and after further activities on behalf of his Mantuan masters entered Papal service in 1524. From that date until his death in 1592 he was Papal Nuncio in Spain.
George Bull is an author and journalist who has translated six volumes for the Penguin Classics: Benvenuto Cellini’s Autobiography, The Book of the Courtier by Castiglione, Vasari’s Lives of the Artists (two volumes), The Prince by Machiavelli and Pietro Aretino’s Selected Letters. He is also Consultant Editor to the Penguin Business Series. After reading history at Brasenose College, Oxford, George Bull worked for the Financial Times, McGraw-Hill World News, and for the Director magazine, of which he was Editor-in-Chief until 1984. His other books include Vatican Politics; Bid for Power (with Anthony Vice), a history of take-over bids; Renaissance Italy, a book for children; Venice: The Most Triumphant City; and Inside the Vatican.
George Bull is an author and journalist who has translated six volumes for the Penguin Classics: Benvenuto Cellini’s Autobiography, The Book of the Courtier by Castiglione, Vasari’s Lives of the Artists (two volumes), The Prince by Machiavelli and Pietro Aretino’s Selected Letters. He is also Consultant Editor to the Penguin Business Series. After reading history at Brasenose College, Oxford, George Bull worked for the Financial Times, McGraw-Hill World News, and for the Director magazine, of which he was Editor-in-Chief until 1984. His other books include Vatican Politics; Bid for Power (with Anthony Vice), a history of take-over bids; Renaissance Italy, a book for children; Venice: The Most Triumphant City; and Inside the Vatican.

Editorial Reviews

"Peter Hainsworth's fresh translation of The Book of the Courtier will gladden those who have known this quintessentially important work through the available translations that are, after several decades, somewhat dated. Hainsworth's version is more accessible to contemporary readers because, first, it is more easily read, and second, because it deftly places Castiglione's classic discussion of manners, gender roles, language, and love in historical context. Instructors especially will welcome the Introduction’s establishment of the biographical, political, and cultural framework of Castiglione's dialogue; the explanatory notes that amply supply the information students will need to appreciate the conversation; and the guidance provided by an analytically enriched table of contents that groups the chapters meaningfully while highlighting the Courtier's principal themes. For 150 years, the ideals expressed in Castiglione's Courtier guided the European elite. Hainsworth’s robust new English edition will help students understand how and why."
—Margaret L. King, Professor of History Emerita, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, CUNY

From the Publisher