The Book of the Courtier

Baldesar Castiglione, George Bull

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Italian

Penguin Classics
02 January 2001

The Italian Renaissance man's handbook, defining the virtues essential for a man of the Court

In The Book of the Courtier (1528), Baldesar Castiglione, a diplomat and Papal Nuncio to Rome, sets out to define the essential virtues for those at Court. In a lively series of imaginary conversations between the real-life courtiers to the Duke of Urbino, his speakers discuss qualities of noble behaviour - chiefly discretion, decorum, nonchalance and gracefulness - as well as wider questions such as the duties of a good government and the true nature of love. Castiglione's narrative power and psychological perception make this guide both an entertaining comedy of manners and a revealing window onto the ideals and preoccupations of the Italian Renaissance at the moment of its greatest splendour.

By: Baldesar Castiglione
Translated by: George Bull
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 269g
ISBN: 9780140441925
ISBN 10: 0140441921
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 02 January 2001
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Castiglione was born in 1478 and a member of an ancient aristocratic family. A courtier throughout his life, his writings were always a secondary affair. George Bull was an author and journlaist who translated six books for the Penguin Classics, including The Prince by Machiavelli. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was made a Knight Commander in 1999.