This book is surprising and entirely charming. Excellent discussion of what the ideal courtier would look like, circa 1510 or so, from the perspective of a lot of Italian gentlemen and women who entertain themselves of an evening with this sort of thought-provoking speculation and debate. Each covers a different conversation at the court of Urbino, Italy, in 1507. It was written by Baldassare Castiglione over the course of many years, beginning in 1508, and published in 1528 by the Aldine Press in Venice just before his death; an English edition was published in 1561. 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. Search Scholars' Bank This Collection. Everything from the courtier's ability to play tennis (really!) It's a nice window into early renaissance court life––it'll give you an idea about some of what Shakespeare's plays include, people like Henry VIII, etc. Engaging, witty, and entertaining, this is set up as a series of discussions set over four evenings at the court of Urbino, with the various characters agreeing, disagreeing and contesting each others' assertions. The author his hiding behind these characters. Welcome back. The Book of the Courtier (1528) is a series of fictional conversations by courtiers of the Duke of Urbino that takes place in 1507, while Castiglione was himself attaché to the Duke. Page 244. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2017. I don't get why anyone would dislike this. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-book-of-the-courtier-1588 Traits of the Model Courtier The narrative is divided into four books. Certainly an odd book, but I found it compelling and absorbing. This book is a Socratic exploration about greatness, framed as the recollection of a discussion held at court sometime in the early 1400's. The Italian answer/precursor to Machiavelli's. I. II. Download one of the Free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and computer. The Book of the Courtier (Italian: Il Cortegiano [il korteˈdʒaːno]) by Baldassare Castiglione, is a lengthy philosophical dialogue on the topic of what constitutes an ideal courtier or (in the third chapter) court lady, worthy to befriend and advise a Prince or political leader. Partly because it’s very dense, and partly because it was originally written in the early 1500’s, so much of the book drags in elegant language that tends to lose my twenty-first century attention span. The first section discusses the qualities of the ideal courtier, and focuses on accomplishments such as dancing, fencing, etc. 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. He is also Consultant Editor to the Penguin Business Series. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. I'll get us started with a few modest comments: What a beautiful introduction written by Surrey Sutton! We’d love your help. A primer for sycophants, Castiglione offers a guide to the intelligent, though for the most part unemployable, person with little talent. The main themes of The Book of the Courtier are gender roles and political/social etiquette. Libro del cortegiano by Conte Baldassarre Castiglione, Baldesar Castilgione, Baldesar Castiglione, 1901, C. Scribner's sons edition, in English 165: IV. One of my best readings! The book is far more worn that indicated at time of purchase, with a lot of damage to to the cover. It's lingered half-read for over a decade at this point. to his love life is up for debate, and this at least purports to give a female as well as male view. Il Libro del Cortegiano or The Book of The Courtier was written by Count Baldassare Castiglione (1478–1529), and was first published in vernacular Italian in 1528. Excellent discussion of what the ideal courtier would look like, circa 1510 or so, from the perspective of a lot of Italian gentlemen and women who entertain themselves of an evening with this sort of thought-provoking speculation and debate. Organized as a series of fictional conversations that occur between the courtiers of the Duke of Urbino in 1507, "The Book of the Courtier" discusses the expectations of a courtier who must have a warrior spirit, be athletic, and have good knowledge of the humanities, classics and fine arts. The third section digresses into a discussion of a matching ideal court lady to pair with the courtier, and allows itself some considerable argument over the merits of women as compared to men, whether or not they can be as worthy of praise, etc, which was pretty fascinating as an insight into the 16th century mindset. A way to explore history through details and 'good manners'. The book of the courtier by Castiglione, Baldassarre, conte, 1478-1529; Opdyke, Leonard Eckstein, 1888-Publication date 1903 Topics Courts and courtiers, Courtesy Publisher New York : Scribner's Collection kellylibrary; toronto Digitizing sponsor MSN Contributor Kelly - University of Toronto Language English. And wouldn't it be convenient if it were currently in print in English translation? It's intelligent, funny, and even beautiful at times. The value of the individual is believed to be important in the humanistic way of life. This is a book that deals with theory, but you can read a lot between the lines if you want to. Included in these virtues are grace, health, knowledge of arms, candor, trust, and beauty. conte Baldassarre Castiglione. “Practise in everything a certain nonchalance that shall conceal design and show that what is done and said is done without effort and almost without thought.”, “Outward beauty is a true sign of inner goodness. Set in 1507, when the author himself was an attaché to the Duke of Urbino, the book consists of a series of fictional conversations between members of the Duke's retinue. This part in particular I found overly long and tedious. castiglione, along with others attempt to portray and describe both the perfect courtier and the perfect woman. Heavy sledding here, but well worth the slog. Various characters discuss what traits are most important for those who would comprise a prince's court. 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