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The Book of the Courtier
‘The courtier has to imbue with grace his movements, his gestures, his way of doing things and in short, his every action’
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.
George Bull’s elegant translation captures the variety of tone in Castiglione’s speakers, from comic interjections to elevated rhetoric. This edition includes an introduction examining Castiglione’s career in the courts of Urbino and Mantua, a list of the historical characters he portrays and further reading.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1528
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About the author
Baldassare Castiglione
76 books58 followersBest known Italian diplomat Count Baldassare Castiglione in 1528 wrote
Il Cortegiano
, which describes the perfect courtier.
Probably most famous prominent soldier Baldassarre Castiglione of Casatico in Renaissance authored the book. The very influential work, an example of a book, dealt with questions of the etiquette and morality in 16th-century European circles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldass...
Probably most famous prominent soldier Baldassarre Castiglione of Casatico in Renaissance authored the book. The very influential work, an example of a book, dealt with questions of the etiquette and morality in 16th-century European circles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldass...
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October 20, 2020When I opened this book today to attempt to review it, a bookmark fell out. It isn't a real bookmark but simply a leaflet I picked up in a gallery when I was in Northern Italy last September.
Reviewing the book now feels like finally closing the chapter on that trip.
I had set out for Italy with three books in my bag, one of which was this one. Although it is three months since I returned home, and although the other two books have been finished and reviewed months ago, this book has hung on, if not to my attention, at least to its place on my reading pile—though fifteen further books were finished in the meantime.
And so, as the December evenings got longer and darker, I forced myself to return to the The Book of the Courtier and to the discussions by a group of Italian noblemen and women which Baldesar Castiglione has recorded in this book. The discussions took place over the course of four winter evenings in 1507, in the salon of the Duchess Elisabetta Montefeltro of Urbino on the occasion of a visit to the ducal palace by a group of dignitaries from Rome.
'Discussion' is not quite the right term perhaps. 'Disquisition' might suit better since there was a topic around which the discussion was centered, and rather than everyone being free to speak, certain people were called on to give long commentaries on the chosen subject. The subject was the Ideal Courtier, how he should behave, how he should dress, how he should converse, and how he should love. That final aspect lead to a discussion of the Ideal Lady. She was allowed to be witty but mostly she had to be coy, and especially, never to speak out of turn or call attention to herself in any way. Hmm...
What was interesting for me in this book, apart from the way it documents a particular moment in history, was the way it overlapped with other books I'd been reading, in particular Alison Cole's Italian Renaissance Courts which included sections on several of the people mentioned in Castiglione's book and which explained the relationship between the Montefeltros and the other noble families in fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy.
The other main interest for me was the way the book echoed places I visited on my Italian trip. The bookmark I mentioned at the beginning was a leaflet I picked up when I visited the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche which is located in the Ducal Palace in Urbino where the conversations in this book took place.
So there I was, moving from one sumptuous room of the palace to another, viewing the art treasures in the Marche collection, when, around a corner and across a little corridor, I found myself entering the room that had belonged to Elisabetta, Duchess of Montefeltro. This was the salon in which the discussion of the Ideal Courtier took place more than 500 years ago. As I had read a third of the book at that stage, I was quite thrilled to be there. The focus of the room today is Raphael's 'La Muta' which is thought to be a representation of one of the Montefeltro noblewomen.
La Muta means the silent one—which fits well with the role of the women in this book. Speeches by women take up about 5 pages out of 350, and they are very short and always to the point. The rest of the book is taken up with long and involved speeches by men.
A further echo of my trip emerged in the final section of the book. castiglione mentions that although most of the people present in the discussions were dead by the time he published this account in 1528, the new Duke of Montefeltro, Francesco della Rovere, was still living. Francesco had been just a seventeen-year old in 1507 but he was nevertheless present at the discussions in Elisabetta's salon. He later married her niece, Eleanora Gonzaga of Mantua, who then became Duchess of Urbino. The day before I travelled to Urbino, I visited the Villa Imperiale in Pesaro—the elaborate summer residence that Francesco built for Eleanora. I didn't fully understand how significant that visit was until I came across the reference to Francesco and Eleanora in Castiglione's book. It was convergences like this that made reading this book memorable for me.
Reviewing the book now feels like finally closing the chapter on that trip.
I had set out for Italy with three books in my bag, one of which was this one. Although it is three months since I returned home, and although the other two books have been finished and reviewed months ago, this book has hung on, if not to my attention, at least to its place on my reading pile—though fifteen further books were finished in the meantime.
And so, as the December evenings got longer and darker, I forced myself to return to the The Book of the Courtier and to the discussions by a group of Italian noblemen and women which Baldesar Castiglione has recorded in this book. The discussions took place over the course of four winter evenings in 1507, in the salon of the Duchess Elisabetta Montefeltro of Urbino on the occasion of a visit to the ducal palace by a group of dignitaries from Rome.
'Discussion' is not quite the right term perhaps. 'Disquisition' might suit better since there was a topic around which the discussion was centered, and rather than everyone being free to speak, certain people were called on to give long commentaries on the chosen subject. The subject was the Ideal Courtier, how he should behave, how he should dress, how he should converse, and how he should love. That final aspect lead to a discussion of the Ideal Lady. She was allowed to be witty but mostly she had to be coy, and especially, never to speak out of turn or call attention to herself in any way. Hmm...
What was interesting for me in this book, apart from the way it documents a particular moment in history, was the way it overlapped with other books I'd been reading, in particular Alison Cole's Italian Renaissance Courts which included sections on several of the people mentioned in Castiglione's book and which explained the relationship between the Montefeltros and the other noble families in fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy.
The other main interest for me was the way the book echoed places I visited on my Italian trip. The bookmark I mentioned at the beginning was a leaflet I picked up when I visited the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche which is located in the Ducal Palace in Urbino where the conversations in this book took place.
So there I was, moving from one sumptuous room of the palace to another, viewing the art treasures in the Marche collection, when, around a corner and across a little corridor, I found myself entering the room that had belonged to Elisabetta, Duchess of Montefeltro. This was the salon in which the discussion of the Ideal Courtier took place more than 500 years ago. As I had read a third of the book at that stage, I was quite thrilled to be there. The focus of the room today is Raphael's 'La Muta' which is thought to be a representation of one of the Montefeltro noblewomen.
La Muta means the silent one—which fits well with the role of the women in this book. Speeches by women take up about 5 pages out of 350, and they are very short and always to the point. The rest of the book is taken up with long and involved speeches by men.
A further echo of my trip emerged in the final section of the book. castiglione mentions that although most of the people present in the discussions were dead by the time he published this account in 1528, the new Duke of Montefeltro, Francesco della Rovere, was still living. Francesco had been just a seventeen-year old in 1507 but he was nevertheless present at the discussions in Elisabetta's salon. He later married her niece, Eleanora Gonzaga of Mantua, who then became Duchess of Urbino. The day before I travelled to Urbino, I visited the Villa Imperiale in Pesaro—the elaborate summer residence that Francesco built for Eleanora. I didn't fully understand how significant that visit was until I came across the reference to Francesco and Eleanora in Castiglione's book. It was convergences like this that made reading this book memorable for me.
August 31, 2018
how in god’s name do you rate a book you read for a class in two days when you haven’t read a whole book in two weeks
I think what I found interesting about this is the parallelism between today and later; ideals and mistakes and the desire for perfection. Through his set of Renaissance-era conversations in Book of the Courtier, Castiglione suggests an ideal - the one way to be a man, the one way to be a woman, imitation of man after man after man. It is perhaps important to view Courtier as a work of its time; while Castiglione may likely share ideals with the participants, this is not only about the qualities of a perfect court, but about the priorities of men & women in the world they live within.
One of the Courtiers sums up the level of expectation for an ideal perfectly with this list:
A perfect Duke must exhibit perfect duality of strength and humanity, and demonstrate it perfectly in both situations, in other words, the balance of sprezzatura. This expresses the Renaissance ideal of perfect duality: it is not good to be talented at one thing, and rather, we must all be talented in many areas.
This stands as a contrast to Western culture today. While some level, we in Western culture are expected to exhibit perfection in many areas at once - for example, people are generally expected to be fairly beautiful and charismatic to be well-liked - many among our culture recieve popularity and success via only one talent. In the Renaissance, it was considered important to be all things, and flaws were not forgiven; in the US, we regularly elect politicians who are widely known to be somewhat rude.
Another, perhaps more relevant, aspect of the Courtier’s discussion on Renaissance values is demonstrated here:
In this world, mistakes are not an accepted part of life; they are life-destroyers, leaving your name defiled forever. This, in contrast to the first point, does parallel Western culture.
Recent political discourse in our culture especially has often focused on the growth of “callout culture;” the idea of calling out “problematic” - racist, sexist, homophobic, or just plain awful - things that celebrities do. This culture definitely has good results: when used correctly, it can take away from the normalization of homophobic and racist comments in our culture. But it can lead to a culture, especially on social media, of publicly shaming people for minor actions; expressing political viewpoints that may be liberal, but are not liberal enough. This can lead to people, especially minors, being afraid of behaving “badly” not because they care about the feelings of other people, but because they are afraid of public shaming - definite parallel.
Another similarity comes in the idea that women may be stained more easily than men; the idea of calling out celebrities often seems to apply to women far more than it does to men, and callouts often follow them for longer. But that's another topic.
So while Renaissance society is not always the same as ours, it is often similar. And while I found this book itself rather boring, I find it interesting that the past is so like the present.
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I think what I found interesting about this is the parallelism between today and later; ideals and mistakes and the desire for perfection. Through his set of Renaissance-era conversations in Book of the Courtier, Castiglione suggests an ideal - the one way to be a man, the one way to be a woman, imitation of man after man after man. It is perhaps important to view Courtier as a work of its time; while Castiglione may likely share ideals with the participants, this is not only about the qualities of a perfect court, but about the priorities of men & women in the world they live within.
One of the Courtiers sums up the level of expectation for an ideal perfectly with this list:
“Therefore, let the man we are seeking be exceedingly fierce, harsh, and always among the first, wherever the enemy is; and in every other place, humane, modest, reserved, avoiding ostentation above all things…” (25)
A perfect Duke must exhibit perfect duality of strength and humanity, and demonstrate it perfectly in both situations, in other words, the balance of sprezzatura. This expresses the Renaissance ideal of perfect duality: it is not good to be talented at one thing, and rather, we must all be talented in many areas.
This stands as a contrast to Western culture today. While some level, we in Western culture are expected to exhibit perfection in many areas at once - for example, people are generally expected to be fairly beautiful and charismatic to be well-liked - many among our culture recieve popularity and success via only one talent. In the Renaissance, it was considered important to be all things, and flaws were not forgiven; in the US, we regularly elect politicians who are widely known to be somewhat rude.
Another, perhaps more relevant, aspect of the Courtier’s discussion on Renaissance values is demonstrated here:
“And just as among women the name of purity, once stained, is never restored, so the reputation of a gentleman whose profession is arms, if ever in the least way he sullies himself through cowardice or other disgrace, always remains defiled before the world and covered with ignominy.” (22)
In this world, mistakes are not an accepted part of life; they are life-destroyers, leaving your name defiled forever. This, in contrast to the first point, does parallel Western culture.
Recent political discourse in our culture especially has often focused on the growth of “callout culture;” the idea of calling out “problematic” - racist, sexist, homophobic, or just plain awful - things that celebrities do. This culture definitely has good results: when used correctly, it can take away from the normalization of homophobic and racist comments in our culture. But it can lead to a culture, especially on social media, of publicly shaming people for minor actions; expressing political viewpoints that may be liberal, but are not liberal enough. This can lead to people, especially minors, being afraid of behaving “badly” not because they care about the feelings of other people, but because they are afraid of public shaming - definite parallel.
Another similarity comes in the idea that women may be stained more easily than men; the idea of calling out celebrities often seems to apply to women far more than it does to men, and callouts often follow them for longer. But that's another topic.
So while Renaissance society is not always the same as ours, it is often similar. And while I found this book itself rather boring, I find it interesting that the past is so like the present.
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March 3, 2009
This is a book for people without the stomach for Machiavelli. 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. Is the read as pleasant as a bagful of kittens? No, not really. It's long, often tedious, and for those of you who have absolutely no interest in history, a root canal might be preferable.
But you see, a guy...like...me (a freak)––who has an appreciation for politics and history––won't be running up to people on the street and spouting theories on sprezzatura, but he'll probably enjoy some of it nonetheless. The theme of the book is pretty straightforward. What would the perfect courtier (a person who serves at court) look like? Argument ensues via a list of historical people who are fictionalized for the debate. 99% of the humor in this work is based off in-jokes from the 16th century. I'm not one of the cool kids, so that part was lost on me, but I did enjoy some of the more historical references and factual information about figures like Caesar and Alexander (who are used frequently in developing this perfect courtier).
Bottom line: I can't recommend this to anyone I know isn't personally fascinated by the renaissance, or applying to work at a court somewhere. For your average Joe, I imagine this would be less entertaining than Al Gore debating geology with your high school algebra teacher. For history buffs only.
But you see, a guy...like...me (a freak)––who has an appreciation for politics and history––won't be running up to people on the street and spouting theories on sprezzatura, but he'll probably enjoy some of it nonetheless. The theme of the book is pretty straightforward. What would the perfect courtier (a person who serves at court) look like? Argument ensues via a list of historical people who are fictionalized for the debate. 99% of the humor in this work is based off in-jokes from the 16th century. I'm not one of the cool kids, so that part was lost on me, but I did enjoy some of the more historical references and factual information about figures like Caesar and Alexander (who are used frequently in developing this perfect courtier).
Bottom line: I can't recommend this to anyone I know isn't personally fascinated by the renaissance, or applying to work at a court somewhere. For your average Joe, I imagine this would be less entertaining than Al Gore debating geology with your high school algebra teacher. For history buffs only.
June 11, 2021
Ricorrendo alla forma del dialogo di stampo platonico così frequente in epoca rinascimentale, il Castiglione si propone di esporre le caratteristiche del perfetto cortigiano e della perfetta cortigiana. Cosa si dovrebbe fare, soprattutto cosa NON si dovrebbe fare e via discorrendo. L'ideale, sia pur nobile, di voler formare una persona di superiore sentire, purtroppo, come molta della precettistica cinquecentesca, risente di una pesante morale cattolica, di un vivere in funzione dell'apparenza e dell'altrui opinione che tende a renderlo soffocante, desueto, piuttosto avverso all'individualismo.
August 19, 2014
The first section discusses the qualities of the ideal courtier, and focuses on accomplishments such as dancing, fencing, etc. There is an extensive discussion of the types of humor, with many examples of jokes and tricks. The essence of humor is incongruence.
The sections that follow spend quite a bit of time discussing the qualities of an excellent court lady. This leads to many debates about courtly and corporeal love, with extensive debate about whether a woman should be allowed as much right to conduct love affairs as a man (many citations from Boccaccio). One curmudgeon finds a way on each day of the game/discussion to berate women, but the others rally to prove him wrong. The range of opinions about how a woman should conduct herself, and men’s role in relation to her are interesting. They suggest that one can’t present a simplistic historical view of women’s place during this period.
The last part of this edition briefly debates the best form of government and then gives one participant the floor for an extensive speech on the most fundamental quality of a courtier: the responsibility to advise his prince honestly. The courtier must gently influence his liege in order to keep the monarch from self-indulgence, arrogance and misrule, all errors that flow from the conniving flattery of other courtiers.
The listeners retort that this role would require a courtier too old and experienced to carry out the other courtier duties of dandy, soldier and lover, lest he subject himself to ridicule. The last speaker says that no, he could fulfill the role of lover of beauty, because true beauty is a thing in itself, a gift of God, and is not inherent in the thing that exhibits it. So a mature courtier could admire a beautiful lady without having to possess her, in fact that would be the truest expression of sublime love.
A bit slow in places, but interesting for the range of views it presents as being debated in courts of the time.
The sections that follow spend quite a bit of time discussing the qualities of an excellent court lady. This leads to many debates about courtly and corporeal love, with extensive debate about whether a woman should be allowed as much right to conduct love affairs as a man (many citations from Boccaccio). One curmudgeon finds a way on each day of the game/discussion to berate women, but the others rally to prove him wrong. The range of opinions about how a woman should conduct herself, and men’s role in relation to her are interesting. They suggest that one can’t present a simplistic historical view of women’s place during this period.
The last part of this edition briefly debates the best form of government and then gives one participant the floor for an extensive speech on the most fundamental quality of a courtier: the responsibility to advise his prince honestly. The courtier must gently influence his liege in order to keep the monarch from self-indulgence, arrogance and misrule, all errors that flow from the conniving flattery of other courtiers.
The listeners retort that this role would require a courtier too old and experienced to carry out the other courtier duties of dandy, soldier and lover, lest he subject himself to ridicule. The last speaker says that no, he could fulfill the role of lover of beauty, because true beauty is a thing in itself, a gift of God, and is not inherent in the thing that exhibits it. So a mature courtier could admire a beautiful lady without having to possess her, in fact that would be the truest expression of sublime love.
A bit slow in places, but interesting for the range of views it presents as being debated in courts of the time.
March 14, 2017
A book to read to learn about the Renaissance and how they thought.
It features conversation among courtiers discussing what the ideal courtier should be like. How, ideally, he should be noble birth; others dispute that many marvelous courtiers have risen from humble stations, but the original speaker maintains that since they are of course discussing the ideal, noble birth will help him in many respects. What he should study. Eloquence and avoiding affectation. What the ideal lady should be like -- with many disputations about chastity and which sex is better at it, and more -- and how love should proceed between a courtier and a lady. (Some hold that a lady should only love when it is possible to marry; others, not.)
A definite period piece but useful for anyone interested in the period.
It features conversation among courtiers discussing what the ideal courtier should be like. How, ideally, he should be noble birth; others dispute that many marvelous courtiers have risen from humble stations, but the original speaker maintains that since they are of course discussing the ideal, noble birth will help him in many respects. What he should study. Eloquence and avoiding affectation. What the ideal lady should be like -- with many disputations about chastity and which sex is better at it, and more -- and how love should proceed between a courtier and a lady. (Some hold that a lady should only love when it is possible to marry; others, not.)
A definite period piece but useful for anyone interested in the period.
June 9, 2016
One of the `bestsellers' of the European Renaissance, Castiglione depicts, debates and has fun with articulating the virtues of the ideal Renaissance courtier. 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. Everything from the courtier's ability to play tennis (really!) to his love life is up for debate, and this at least purports to give a female as well as male view.
The George Bull translation is now an old one, but it is elegant and unobtrusive. The introduction is probably a little slight as are the notes, but this is still an unexpectedly engaging read.
The George Bull translation is now an old one, but it is elegant and unobtrusive. The introduction is probably a little slight as are the notes, but this is still an unexpectedly engaging read.
January 10, 2019
The Renaissance is so much fun to study. The Book of the Courtier is a book on courtly etiquette and romantic love. The rules apply to a courtier who must follow these rules:
1. The courtier must be physically and emotionally fit.
2. He must be educated in art, music, war, and dancing.
3. The courtier must be sincere in everything he says and does.
4. He must know how to dress on certain occasions.
The book also shows how to treat women and women must be elegant and graceful as well
I read it a few months ago, since I was learning about the Renaissance at that time.
1. The courtier must be physically and emotionally fit.
2. He must be educated in art, music, war, and dancing.
3. The courtier must be sincere in everything he says and does.
4. He must know how to dress on certain occasions.
The book also shows how to treat women and women must be elegant and graceful as well
I read it a few months ago, since I was learning about the Renaissance at that time.
Read
October 24, 2015If anything ever deserved to be judged by the standards of its time, this is it. By the standards of its time, obviously it's adorable.
April 11, 2025
Druga polovina knjige za mene je bila puno zanimljiva nego prva, zanimljivo je vidjeti neke stavove koji su postojali u to doba pa ih u razgovoru likovi brane ili napadaju. Popriličan dio druge polovice odnosi se na odnos muškaraca i žena. Nije bilo lako uvijek se provlačiti, a realno je riječ o dugom razgovoru upravo dvoranina što znači biti dobar dvoranin, ali se to proširilo i na muško-ženske odnose, a onda i na vlast samu.
June 2, 2017
What a beautiful introduction written by Surrey Sutton!
"In the words of Castiglione’s English biographer: ‘The noble brow and broad forehead, the fine eyes, with their clear intense blue and vivid brightness, give the impression of intellectual power and refinement, tinged with a shade of habitual melancholy. All the spiritual charm and distinction of Castiglione’s nature, all the truth and loyalty of his character, are reflected in this incomparable work, which is a living example of the ideal gentleman and perfect courtier.’"
"The historical value of The Courtier apart from its influence outside Italy, is twofold. It is first and foremost a compendium of Renaissance thought. Not only does it provide the best illustration of the Renaissance preoccupation with the uomo universale , the many-sided man; it also touches, however briefly, on all the themes, great and trivial, pursued in contemporary Italian literature and thought, from the importance of study and imitation of the classical world to the role of Fortune in human affairs. Moreover, it sets before us the ideals of the Renaissance; and in this way it corrects and complements the picture of how Renaissance men did behave – as drawn, say, by Cellini – with an account of the moral and aesthetic standards to which many of them at least aspired."
"In the words of Castiglione’s English biographer: ‘The noble brow and broad forehead, the fine eyes, with their clear intense blue and vivid brightness, give the impression of intellectual power and refinement, tinged with a shade of habitual melancholy. All the spiritual charm and distinction of Castiglione’s nature, all the truth and loyalty of his character, are reflected in this incomparable work, which is a living example of the ideal gentleman and perfect courtier.’"
"The historical value of The Courtier apart from its influence outside Italy, is twofold. It is first and foremost a compendium of Renaissance thought. Not only does it provide the best illustration of the Renaissance preoccupation with the uomo universale , the many-sided man; it also touches, however briefly, on all the themes, great and trivial, pursued in contemporary Italian literature and thought, from the importance of study and imitation of the classical world to the role of Fortune in human affairs. Moreover, it sets before us the ideals of the Renaissance; and in this way it corrects and complements the picture of how Renaissance men did behave – as drawn, say, by Cellini – with an account of the moral and aesthetic standards to which many of them at least aspired."
April 2, 2016
I don't get why anyone would dislike this. Well, okay, maybe why terrible people would. I was actually surprised when I was reading this, of how deep Castiglione was. His metaphor for aging and changing perceptions was insanely on point in my opinion. I was also surprised by his apparent proto-feminist outlook, in that there is a clear emphasis on the "right" characters believing in women's innate equality with men. Gaspar is shown to be closed-off and extremely prejudiced on the subject, and his opinions are refuted by the more rational characters involved. Anyway, so for this period in history-and especially in Italy-I find Castiglione's viewpoint to be very informed and his ideas very progressive.
So, this was assigned reading for me, and yet I still liked it. I would have liked it more if I wasn't taking notes every few minutes for my paper, so I might read it again to really get more of the poetry of the language and maybe focus more on the actual features of the ideal courtier.
So, this was assigned reading for me, and yet I still liked it. I would have liked it more if I wasn't taking notes every few minutes for my paper, so I might read it again to really get more of the poetry of the language and maybe focus more on the actual features of the ideal courtier.
September 4, 2007
The edition I am reading is actually Daniel Javitch's Norton Critical edition (2002). There is a curiously high number of people on this site who claim to have read this work, yet who refrain from writing a review of it. I'll get us started with a few modest comments:
Javitch has been studying the Courtier for decades, and the more he does, the less he see reason to compare it to the "hard-nosed assessment of political realities that Machiavelli provided in the Prince." This is because, although the two were written in a very similar political climate in Italy, Machiavelli concerned himself with the harsh political realities of the ways affairs were actually conducted, while Baldasar Castiglione's work was more of a prescriptive guidebook for courtly behavior. I have recently likened it in a paper to a Castilian work written about two decades earlier: Fernando del Pulgar's Claros varones de Castilla.
An aspect of The Courtier I find most interesting is the Castiglione's choice of dialogue, which nearly obliges the 16th-century reader to consume the author's intent and message, allowing him to side with one speaker or another, yet through engaging the dialoge of the text, requires him to accept one of the various options provided. This, of course, has modern and contemporary political applications, too. It's just good rhetoric.
Javitch has been studying the Courtier for decades, and the more he does, the less he see reason to compare it to the "hard-nosed assessment of political realities that Machiavelli provided in the Prince." This is because, although the two were written in a very similar political climate in Italy, Machiavelli concerned himself with the harsh political realities of the ways affairs were actually conducted, while Baldasar Castiglione's work was more of a prescriptive guidebook for courtly behavior. I have recently likened it in a paper to a Castilian work written about two decades earlier: Fernando del Pulgar's Claros varones de Castilla.
An aspect of The Courtier I find most interesting is the Castiglione's choice of dialogue, which nearly obliges the 16th-century reader to consume the author's intent and message, allowing him to side with one speaker or another, yet through engaging the dialoge of the text, requires him to accept one of the various options provided. This, of course, has modern and contemporary political applications, too. It's just good rhetoric.
partial
December 2, 2021read books 1 & 4 for a class on political texts and, like, this wasn't the WORST thing we had to read for said class (thucydides, my beloathed), but i'm glad we didn't have to read the other two books, because, yes, to be fair, i am in the end-of-the-semester slump, but i think i would have found this dull as shit and hard to get through regardless
May 31, 2023
Aveva ragione il Serassi: "Questo libro [...] vien tenuto dagl'intendènti in grandissimo pregio, e riputato per unico paragone della vera lingua nobile d'Italia, perciocchè non si volle il Conte obbligare alla pretta favella Toscana, ch'egli confessava di non sapere, ma scegliendo secondo l'insegnamento di Dante nella volgare Eloquenza da tutti i dialetti Italiani le parole, e i modi di dire più vaghi ed espressivi, ne compose col suo prudente giudicio una finissima legatura, e formò uno stile così nobile, leggiadro, e di una proprietà ed efficacia tanto maraviglisa, che non v'ha forse altro libro Italiano, che per questo contro gli si possa paragonare." (Il libro del Cortegiano del Conte Baldessar Castiglione colla vita di lui scritta dal Sig. Abate Pierantonio Serassi, Padova, Giuseppe Comino, 1766, p. xix)
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"Chi adunque vorrà esser bon discipulo, oltre al far le cose bene, sempre ha da metter ogni diligenzia per assimigliarsi al maestro e, se possibil fosse, transformarsi in lui." (Lib. I, cap. XXVI)
"Io adunque queste parole antiche, quanto per me, fuggirei sempre di usare, eccetto però che in certi lochi, ed in questi ancor rare volte; e parmi che chi altrimente le usa faccia errore, non meno che chi volesse, per imitar gli antichi, nutrirsi ancora di ghiande, essendosi già trovata copia di grano." (Lib. I, cap. XXXIII)
"Ché in vero ad un gentilomo non si converria fare i volti, piangere e ridere, far le voci, lottare da sé a sé, come fa Berto, vestirsi da contadino in presenzia d’ognuno, come Strascino; e tai cose, che in essi son convenientissime, per esser quella la lor professione." (Lib. II, cap. L)
"Dovete ancora ricordarvi quella sciocchezza, che poco fa raccontò il signor Duca di quell’abbate; il quale, essendo presente un dí che ’l duca Federico ragionava di ciò che si dovesse far di cosí gran quantità di terreno, come s’era cavata per far i fondamenti di questo palazzo, che tuttavia si lavorava, disse: «Signor mio, io ho pensato benissimo dove e’ s’abbia a mettere. Ordinate che si faccia una grandissima fossa e quivi reponere si potrà, senza altro impedimento». Rispose il duca Federico, non senza risa: «E dove metteremo noi quel terreno che si caverà di questa fossa?» Suggiunse l’abbate: «Fatela far tanto grande, che l’uno e l’altro vi stia». Cosí, benché il Duca piú volte replicasse, che quanto la fossa si facea maggiore, tanto piú terren si cavava, mai non gli poté caper nel cervello ch’ella non si potesse far tanto grande, che l’uno e l’altro metter non vi si potesse, né mai rispose altro se non: «Fatela tanto maggiore». Or vedete che bona estimativa avea questo abbate." (Lib. II, cap. LI)
"È ancora faceta cosa interporre un verso o piú, pigliandolo in altro proposito che quello che lo piglia l’autore, o qualche altro detto vulgato; talor al medesimo proposito, ma mutando qualche parola; come disse un gentilomo che avea una brutta e despiacevole moglie, essendogli domandato come stava, rispose: «Pensalo tu, ché Furiarum maxima iuxta me cubat»" (Lib. II, cap. LXI)
"Ma se ’l nostro cortegiano farà quello che avemo detto, tutte le ritroverà nell’animo del suo principe, ed ogni dí ne vedrà nascer tanti vaghi fiori e frutti, quanti non hanno tutti i deliciosi giardini del mondo; e tra se stesso sentirà grandissimo contento, ricordandosi avergli donato non quello che donano i sciocchi, che è oro o argento, vasi, veste e tai cose, delle quali chi le dona n’ha grandissima carestia e chi le riceve grandissima abundanzia, ma quella virtú che forse tra tutte le cose umane è la maggiore e la piú rara, cioè la manera e ’l modo di governar e di regnare come si dee; il che solo basteria per far gli omini felici e ridur un’altra volta al mondo quella età d’oro, che si scrive esser stata quando già Saturno regnava." (Lib. IV, cap. XVIII)
"Ma perché la lite tra voi potrebbe esser troppo lunga, sarà ben a differirla insino a domani. – Anzi a questa sera, – disse messer Cesare Gonzaga. – E come a questa sera? – disse la signora Duchessa. Rispose messer Cesare: – Perché già è di giorno; – e mostrolle la luce che incominciava ad entrar per le fissure delle finestre. Allora ognuno si levò in piedi con molta maraviglia, perché non pareva che i ragionamenti fossero durati piú del consueto, ma per l’essersi incominciati molto piú tardi e per la loro piacevolezza aveano ingannato quei signori tanto, che non s’erano accorti del fuggir dell’ore; né era alcuno che negli occhi sentisse gravezza di sonno, il che quasi sempre interviene, quando l’ora consueta del dormire si passa in vigilia. Aperte adunque le finestre da quella banda del palazzo che riguarda l’alta cima del monte di Catri, videro già esser nata in oriente una bella aurora di color di rose e tutte le stelle sparite, fuor che la dolce governatrice del ciel di Venere, che della notte e del giorno tiene i confini; dalla qual parea che spirasse un’aura soave, che di mordent fresco empiendo l’aria, cominciava tra le mormoranti selve de’ colli vicini a risvegliar dolci concenti dei vaghi augelli." (Lib. IV, cap. LXXIII)
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"Chi adunque vorrà esser bon discipulo, oltre al far le cose bene, sempre ha da metter ogni diligenzia per assimigliarsi al maestro e, se possibil fosse, transformarsi in lui." (Lib. I, cap. XXVI)
"Io adunque queste parole antiche, quanto per me, fuggirei sempre di usare, eccetto però che in certi lochi, ed in questi ancor rare volte; e parmi che chi altrimente le usa faccia errore, non meno che chi volesse, per imitar gli antichi, nutrirsi ancora di ghiande, essendosi già trovata copia di grano." (Lib. I, cap. XXXIII)
"Ché in vero ad un gentilomo non si converria fare i volti, piangere e ridere, far le voci, lottare da sé a sé, come fa Berto, vestirsi da contadino in presenzia d’ognuno, come Strascino; e tai cose, che in essi son convenientissime, per esser quella la lor professione." (Lib. II, cap. L)
"Dovete ancora ricordarvi quella sciocchezza, che poco fa raccontò il signor Duca di quell’abbate; il quale, essendo presente un dí che ’l duca Federico ragionava di ciò che si dovesse far di cosí gran quantità di terreno, come s’era cavata per far i fondamenti di questo palazzo, che tuttavia si lavorava, disse: «Signor mio, io ho pensato benissimo dove e’ s’abbia a mettere. Ordinate che si faccia una grandissima fossa e quivi reponere si potrà, senza altro impedimento». Rispose il duca Federico, non senza risa: «E dove metteremo noi quel terreno che si caverà di questa fossa?» Suggiunse l’abbate: «Fatela far tanto grande, che l’uno e l’altro vi stia». Cosí, benché il Duca piú volte replicasse, che quanto la fossa si facea maggiore, tanto piú terren si cavava, mai non gli poté caper nel cervello ch’ella non si potesse far tanto grande, che l’uno e l’altro metter non vi si potesse, né mai rispose altro se non: «Fatela tanto maggiore». Or vedete che bona estimativa avea questo abbate." (Lib. II, cap. LI)
"È ancora faceta cosa interporre un verso o piú, pigliandolo in altro proposito che quello che lo piglia l’autore, o qualche altro detto vulgato; talor al medesimo proposito, ma mutando qualche parola; come disse un gentilomo che avea una brutta e despiacevole moglie, essendogli domandato come stava, rispose: «Pensalo tu, ché Furiarum maxima iuxta me cubat»" (Lib. II, cap. LXI)
"Ma se ’l nostro cortegiano farà quello che avemo detto, tutte le ritroverà nell’animo del suo principe, ed ogni dí ne vedrà nascer tanti vaghi fiori e frutti, quanti non hanno tutti i deliciosi giardini del mondo; e tra se stesso sentirà grandissimo contento, ricordandosi avergli donato non quello che donano i sciocchi, che è oro o argento, vasi, veste e tai cose, delle quali chi le dona n’ha grandissima carestia e chi le riceve grandissima abundanzia, ma quella virtú che forse tra tutte le cose umane è la maggiore e la piú rara, cioè la manera e ’l modo di governar e di regnare come si dee; il che solo basteria per far gli omini felici e ridur un’altra volta al mondo quella età d’oro, che si scrive esser stata quando già Saturno regnava." (Lib. IV, cap. XVIII)
"Ma perché la lite tra voi potrebbe esser troppo lunga, sarà ben a differirla insino a domani. – Anzi a questa sera, – disse messer Cesare Gonzaga. – E come a questa sera? – disse la signora Duchessa. Rispose messer Cesare: – Perché già è di giorno; – e mostrolle la luce che incominciava ad entrar per le fissure delle finestre. Allora ognuno si levò in piedi con molta maraviglia, perché non pareva che i ragionamenti fossero durati piú del consueto, ma per l’essersi incominciati molto piú tardi e per la loro piacevolezza aveano ingannato quei signori tanto, che non s’erano accorti del fuggir dell’ore; né era alcuno che negli occhi sentisse gravezza di sonno, il che quasi sempre interviene, quando l’ora consueta del dormire si passa in vigilia. Aperte adunque le finestre da quella banda del palazzo che riguarda l’alta cima del monte di Catri, videro già esser nata in oriente una bella aurora di color di rose e tutte le stelle sparite, fuor che la dolce governatrice del ciel di Venere, che della notte e del giorno tiene i confini; dalla qual parea che spirasse un’aura soave, che di mordent fresco empiendo l’aria, cominciava tra le mormoranti selve de’ colli vicini a risvegliar dolci concenti dei vaghi augelli." (Lib. IV, cap. LXXIII)
October 12, 2024
A charming dialogue on urbane culture. Which qualities do you value? I’d like polite talk to be playful and humorous rather than bland and inoffensive.
July 23, 2011
Au début du 16ème siècle, dans une cour italienne, une compagnies de nobles et de dames devisent pour tenter de définir ce que doit être un parfait courtisan. Pour peu que l'on fasse abstraction de la mauvaise réputation attachée à ce nom (surtout au féminin), on découvre un idéal qui prend ses racines dans l'antiquité, chez Platon, Aristote, Quintilien pour édifier des âmes fortes et délicates ayant l'épée dans une main et la plume dans l'autre. Toutes les perfections dont ils se parent n'ayant point pour but d'en imposer et de paraitre odieux mais au contraire de séduire et de disposer le souverain à agir vertueusement, ils s'appliquent à cultiver la grâce, à savoir une sorte de détachement, de naturel qui masque le travail et l'effort à la vue des autres. Les rapports entre les sexes, l'affectif ne sont guère oubliés et occupent une part importante de l'ouvrage. La misogynie traditionnelle est mise en balance avec une conception plus réfléchie des situations des uns et des autres, comme on la retrouve dans l'Arioste, dont le frère est un des personnage qui prend part à la discussion.
June 16, 2022
'Therefore when he sets eyes on some beautiful and attractive woman, with charming ways and gentle manner, and being skilled in love recognizes that his spirit responds to hers, as soon as he notices that his eyes fasten on her image and carry it to his heart and his soul begins to take pleasure in contemplating her and feels an influx that gradually arouses and warms it, and those vivacious spirits shining from her eyes constantly add fresh fuel to the fire, then he should at the very beginning picture a swift remedy and alert his reason in order to defend with its help the fortress of his heart, and so close the passes to the senses and to desire that they cannot enter either by force or deception. If the flame is extinguished, so is the danger. But if it perseveres or grows, then in the knowledge that he has been captured the courtier should determine to eschew all the ugliness of vulgar passion and guided by reason set forth on the path of divine love. Then first he must reflect that the body in which beauty shines is not the source from which it springs, and on the contrary that beauty, being incorporeal and, as we have said, a ray of the supernatural, loses much of its nobility when fused with base and corruptible matter: for the more perfect when completely separated from matter. He must also reflect that just as a man cannot hear with his palate or smell with his ears, beauty can in no way be enjoyed nor can the desire it arouses in our souls be satisfied through the sense of touch but solely through what has beauty for its true object, namely, the faculty of sight. So he should ignore the blind judgement of these senses and enjoy with his eyes the radiance, the grace, the loving ardour, the smiles, the mannerisms and all the other agreeable adornments of the woman he loves. Similarly, let him use his hearing to enjoy the sweetness of her voice, the modulation of the words and, if she is a musician, the music she plays. In this way, through the channels of these two faculties, which have little to do with corporeal things and are servants of reason, he will nourish his soul on the most delightful food and will not allow desire for the body to arouse in him any appetite that is at all impure. Next, with the greatest reverence that lover should honour, please and obey his lady, cherish her even more than himself, put her convenience and pleasure before his own, and love the beauty of her soul no less than that of her body. He should, therefore, be at pains to keep her from going astray and by his wise precepts and admonishments always seek to make her modest, temperate and truly chaste; and he must ensure that her thoughts are always pure and unsullied by any trace of evil. And thus, by sowing virtue in the garden of her lovely soul, he will gather the fruits of faultless behaviour and experience exquisite pleasure from their taste. And this will be the true engendering and expression of beauty in beauty, which some say is the purpose of love. In this manner, our courtier will be most pleasing to his lady, and she will always be submissive, charming and affable and as anxious to please him as she is to be loved by him; and the desires of both will be very pure and harmonious, and consequently they will be perfectly happy.'
- The Book of Courtier, Baldesar Castiglione
J'ai terminé hier ce petit livre qui rapporte une discussion comme les textes de l'Antiquité en faisaient à la tonne. Une discussion s'étalant sur 4 jours pour 4 livres et qui rassemblait des gens de la noblesse italienne, certains de grandes familles (Gonzaga et Medeci). À première vue, cet ouvrage traite des règles de "bonnes manières" dans les cours de la Renaissance, car il s'agit d'une longue discussion traitant du "parfait courtisan" ; le courtisan idéal tel qu'incarné par Lorenzo The Magnificient (présent ici, à la cour du duc d'Urbino) ou Pietro Bembo (qui est celui parlant de l'amour "rationnel" des courtisans, dans la citation ici). On croirait donc avoir devant soi un ouvrage traitant d'une "esthétique" du courtisan de la Renaissance. Dans les faits, une polémique perdure à travers les trois derniers livres. Cette polémique advient lorsqu'une des dames présentent demande aux "conférenciers" (la femme de Guidobaldo, Elisabetta nomine avec les autres femmes les invités qui doivent préparer une présentation sur une question précise, comme un jeu) de décrire une courtisane idéale de la même manière, et qu'un des invités ajoutent "la femme courtisane idéale ne pourra jamais égaler en valeur le courtisan idéal" à cause des différences entre les hommes et les femmes. Une polémique qui nous rappelle tous ces débats dans le coin de 2017-2018 et des campagnes de lynchages médiatiques rattachés au mouvement de propagande MeToo. Même après 600 ans, nous en sommes au même point : essayer de comprendre les relations entre les hommes et les femmes, puis mettre en avant des valeurs, des comportements, des normes sociales... une genre "d'étiquette" qui fera que les hommes et les femmes pourront bien vivre ensemble et s'épanouir.
Mais.
Il est terminé, cet amour courtois, tel que décrit par Pietro Bembo.
J'ai toujours pensé de cette manière. J'ai eu 4 partenaires dans ma vie. Pour moi, la sexualité n'est pas à rentabiliser comme une entreprise. Pour moi, la sexualité et l'amour vont ensemble. Cette pudeur m'empêche de me reconnaître dans la culture de ma génération où la moitié des gens sont tatoués, avec plusieurs piercings, pratiquant le "polyamour" et parlant d'identités sexuels et de genre comme on parle d'équipes de sports professionnels.
Qu'est-ce que nous voyons comme phénomènes socio-sexuels, à part cette réalité que je viens de pointer?
- Les pratiques sexuelles liées aux APP comme Tinder sont utilisées par une minorité de gens. Dans cette minorité, une mini-minorité d'hommes socio-économiquement en avant (Tinder Swindler y compris - des gens qui simulent la richesse) s'accaparent la majorité des femmes qui sont sur ces plateformes. Elles penses qu'elles choisissent quand ce sont les hommes qui choisissent. Elles s'en rendent compte lorsqu'elles découvrent que ces hommes riches de Tinder ont parfois jusqu'à 4 concubines avec qui souper, en même temps, partout sur la planète.
- Dans les sphères inférieures de la société ; dans les familles sans père, les garçons décrochent de l'école et sont oubliés derrière par le reste de la société. L'inflation des diplômes les obligent à rester dans un univers féminin qui les torture pour leur "masculinité toxique" : les écoles publiques et les universités.
- Les femmes occidentales deviennent statistiquement plus éduquées que les hommes, puis se retrouvent en déficit d'hommes-éduqués à marier. Les femmes-éduquées restent célibataires et/ou se louent un utérus ukrainien/indien pour fusionner avec un enfant qui détestera plus tard sa mère pour ce choix de vie.
- Les hommes-non-éduqués quant à eux prennent de la drogues et jouent à des jeux vidéos. Les plus "courageux" copieront les exemples de mafieux/gangs de rue pour acheter, avec le pouvoir, la violence et l'argent, les femmes qui recherchent (encore en 2022) ce genre d'hommes. Les plus instables finiront comme des hikikomori, les ados de Columbine ou ces idiots qui partent faire le djihad avec DAESH.
Nous vivons donc une crise dans le "système d'éducation", une crise dans les familles, une crise dans les médias et la culture, une crise dans les relations hommes-femmes.
Cette crise fait entièrement partie de la Révolution Culturelle. Dans les moments où les sociétés arrivent au point où l'espérance de vie et le taux de fertilité s'effondrent, il y a une résurgence révolutionnaire. Les marxistes utilisent ces crises pour endoctriner vos enfants dans leurs sectes de gauchistes. Ils savent que les gens les plus instables psychologiquement, comme par exemple les enfants atteints de dysphorie du genre ; mal dans leur peau, sont les clients potentiels les plus faciles à convertir dans leur mouvement de MASS FORMATION PSYCHOSIS.
Nous sommes en direct de la Révolution Culturelle, et nous devons réapprendre à aimer de manière courtoise le sexe opposé si nous souhaitons ne pas finir morts... de désespoir... et puis ensuite, oubliés.
- The Book of Courtier, Baldesar Castiglione
J'ai terminé hier ce petit livre qui rapporte une discussion comme les textes de l'Antiquité en faisaient à la tonne. Une discussion s'étalant sur 4 jours pour 4 livres et qui rassemblait des gens de la noblesse italienne, certains de grandes familles (Gonzaga et Medeci). À première vue, cet ouvrage traite des règles de "bonnes manières" dans les cours de la Renaissance, car il s'agit d'une longue discussion traitant du "parfait courtisan" ; le courtisan idéal tel qu'incarné par Lorenzo The Magnificient (présent ici, à la cour du duc d'Urbino) ou Pietro Bembo (qui est celui parlant de l'amour "rationnel" des courtisans, dans la citation ici). On croirait donc avoir devant soi un ouvrage traitant d'une "esthétique" du courtisan de la Renaissance. Dans les faits, une polémique perdure à travers les trois derniers livres. Cette polémique advient lorsqu'une des dames présentent demande aux "conférenciers" (la femme de Guidobaldo, Elisabetta nomine avec les autres femmes les invités qui doivent préparer une présentation sur une question précise, comme un jeu) de décrire une courtisane idéale de la même manière, et qu'un des invités ajoutent "la femme courtisane idéale ne pourra jamais égaler en valeur le courtisan idéal" à cause des différences entre les hommes et les femmes. Une polémique qui nous rappelle tous ces débats dans le coin de 2017-2018 et des campagnes de lynchages médiatiques rattachés au mouvement de propagande MeToo. Même après 600 ans, nous en sommes au même point : essayer de comprendre les relations entre les hommes et les femmes, puis mettre en avant des valeurs, des comportements, des normes sociales... une genre "d'étiquette" qui fera que les hommes et les femmes pourront bien vivre ensemble et s'épanouir.
Mais.
Il est terminé, cet amour courtois, tel que décrit par Pietro Bembo.
J'ai toujours pensé de cette manière. J'ai eu 4 partenaires dans ma vie. Pour moi, la sexualité n'est pas à rentabiliser comme une entreprise. Pour moi, la sexualité et l'amour vont ensemble. Cette pudeur m'empêche de me reconnaître dans la culture de ma génération où la moitié des gens sont tatoués, avec plusieurs piercings, pratiquant le "polyamour" et parlant d'identités sexuels et de genre comme on parle d'équipes de sports professionnels.
Qu'est-ce que nous voyons comme phénomènes socio-sexuels, à part cette réalité que je viens de pointer?
- Les pratiques sexuelles liées aux APP comme Tinder sont utilisées par une minorité de gens. Dans cette minorité, une mini-minorité d'hommes socio-économiquement en avant (Tinder Swindler y compris - des gens qui simulent la richesse) s'accaparent la majorité des femmes qui sont sur ces plateformes. Elles penses qu'elles choisissent quand ce sont les hommes qui choisissent. Elles s'en rendent compte lorsqu'elles découvrent que ces hommes riches de Tinder ont parfois jusqu'à 4 concubines avec qui souper, en même temps, partout sur la planète.
- Dans les sphères inférieures de la société ; dans les familles sans père, les garçons décrochent de l'école et sont oubliés derrière par le reste de la société. L'inflation des diplômes les obligent à rester dans un univers féminin qui les torture pour leur "masculinité toxique" : les écoles publiques et les universités.
- Les femmes occidentales deviennent statistiquement plus éduquées que les hommes, puis se retrouvent en déficit d'hommes-éduqués à marier. Les femmes-éduquées restent célibataires et/ou se louent un utérus ukrainien/indien pour fusionner avec un enfant qui détestera plus tard sa mère pour ce choix de vie.
- Les hommes-non-éduqués quant à eux prennent de la drogues et jouent à des jeux vidéos. Les plus "courageux" copieront les exemples de mafieux/gangs de rue pour acheter, avec le pouvoir, la violence et l'argent, les femmes qui recherchent (encore en 2022) ce genre d'hommes. Les plus instables finiront comme des hikikomori, les ados de Columbine ou ces idiots qui partent faire le djihad avec DAESH.
Nous vivons donc une crise dans le "système d'éducation", une crise dans les familles, une crise dans les médias et la culture, une crise dans les relations hommes-femmes.
Cette crise fait entièrement partie de la Révolution Culturelle. Dans les moments où les sociétés arrivent au point où l'espérance de vie et le taux de fertilité s'effondrent, il y a une résurgence révolutionnaire. Les marxistes utilisent ces crises pour endoctriner vos enfants dans leurs sectes de gauchistes. Ils savent que les gens les plus instables psychologiquement, comme par exemple les enfants atteints de dysphorie du genre ; mal dans leur peau, sont les clients potentiels les plus faciles à convertir dans leur mouvement de MASS FORMATION PSYCHOSIS.
Nous sommes en direct de la Révolution Culturelle, et nous devons réapprendre à aimer de manière courtoise le sexe opposé si nous souhaitons ne pas finir morts... de désespoir... et puis ensuite, oubliés.
September 17, 2017
Leer El cortesano ha sido una experiencia interesante y jugosa. Lo que he tenido estas semanas entre mis manos ha sido un documento auténtico del siglo XVI, un libro entretenido que permite hacerse a la idea de la mentalidad imperante en el momento. Destacan las referencias a Platón y Aristóteles por todas partes y el debate sobre las mujeres, especialmente curioso y provechoso. Asimismo, agradezco mucho poder leer la traducción de Boscán, que ayuda a ambientar la lectura.
Cito a Ángel Crespo: Pero lo que quizá sea más interesante es que en estos diálogos de Castiglione no se trata de imponer una solución o un criterio, sino de dejar al lector que medite; y, si hay más de uno, se les ofrece la posibilidad de seguir dialogando. Nadie se atreve, ni parece que lo desee, a ser maestro. La sonrisa del que se dispone a hablar o es reconvenido después de haberlo hecho, e incluso la de quien le reconviene, esa sonrisa que se esboza para responder a una objeción, y hasta una impertinencia, es una prueba del talante propicio a la tolerancia ideológica y a la huida de toda coacción psicológica.
Cito a Ángel Crespo: Pero lo que quizá sea más interesante es que en estos diálogos de Castiglione no se trata de imponer una solución o un criterio, sino de dejar al lector que medite; y, si hay más de uno, se les ofrece la posibilidad de seguir dialogando. Nadie se atreve, ni parece que lo desee, a ser maestro. La sonrisa del que se dispone a hablar o es reconvenido después de haberlo hecho, e incluso la de quien le reconviene, esa sonrisa que se esboza para responder a una objeción, y hasta una impertinencia, es una prueba del talante propicio a la tolerancia ideológica y a la huida de toda coacción psicológica.
October 31, 2025
Le livre 4 était un peu + fun que les autres mais c'est surtout qu'à part la philo j'ai pas les refs. wouldn't recommend to a non-specialist d'histoire de l'Italie / de la "renaissance".
November 26, 2025
Solo diré una cosa... Sprezzatura. Muy buen fanfic.
May 18, 2013
Several centuries ago, writing was simpler and more direct. Even though the sentences were longer, the word choice and meaning were always precise. This book is a Socratic exploration about greatness, framed as the recollection of a discussion held at court sometime in the early 1400's. Various characters discuss what traits are most important for those who would comprise a prince's court. Included in these virtues are grace, health, knowledge of arms, candor, trust, and beauty. All of these are explained through clever dialogue that invokes a sense of the 15th century and their appreciation of the classics. My favorite excerpt: "I have discovered a universal rule which seems to apply more than any other in all human actions or words: namely, to steer away from affectation at all costs, as if it were a rough and dangerous reef, and (to use perhaps a novel word for it) to practice in all things a certain nonchalance which conceals all artistry and makes whatever one says or does seem uncontrived and effortless."
February 26, 2021
E voltamos às leituras obrigatórias para a faculdade, desta vez centrando-me nas leituras para cultura portuguesa do Barroco.
"O Livro do Cortesão" é um livro composto por diversos diálogos imaginários entre vários membros da corte de Urbino em 1508, nos quais estes «cavaleiros» discutem quais deveriam ser as qualidades do cortesão perfeito.
Ao longo de todo o livro vamos descobrindo o que para cada um dos «cavaleiros» seria um verdadeiro cortesão, tendo estes qualidades e igualmente defeitos, mas acima de tudo quais as capacidades físicas e intelectuais que o cortesão perfeito deveria possuir.
Para mim esta foi uma leitura interessante, não das melhores, mas sinceramente consegui desfrutar a leitura e até me divertir um pouco.
Alguns dos diálogos são um pouco caricatos e pouco convencionais, mas apesar disto é bastante interessante ver aquilo que a sociedade pensava naquela altura, mesmo sabendo que estes diálogos são imaginários e foram criados pelo autor da obra.
Classificação 3.5 estrelas.
"O Livro do Cortesão" é um livro composto por diversos diálogos imaginários entre vários membros da corte de Urbino em 1508, nos quais estes «cavaleiros» discutem quais deveriam ser as qualidades do cortesão perfeito.
Ao longo de todo o livro vamos descobrindo o que para cada um dos «cavaleiros» seria um verdadeiro cortesão, tendo estes qualidades e igualmente defeitos, mas acima de tudo quais as capacidades físicas e intelectuais que o cortesão perfeito deveria possuir.
Para mim esta foi uma leitura interessante, não das melhores, mas sinceramente consegui desfrutar a leitura e até me divertir um pouco.
Alguns dos diálogos são um pouco caricatos e pouco convencionais, mas apesar disto é bastante interessante ver aquilo que a sociedade pensava naquela altura, mesmo sabendo que estes diálogos são imaginários e foram criados pelo autor da obra.
Classificação 3.5 estrelas.
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March 21, 2021I read this book forty-five years ago as part of my penchant for medieval or early modern literature.
Written at almost exactly the same time as Machiavelli's The Prince in the early part of the sixteenth century, this does for court manners what the other work tried to do for political practice: provide a compendium guide of how to do it properly. The life of these courts of the small, independent, almost always troubled and unsettled Italian city states during the time of the Renaissance was truly very interesting in intellectual, social, moral, political and cultural ways. In this work, questions of etiquette, self-presentation and moral righteousness abound, as does a heartfelt sense of devotion to one Elizabeta Gonzaga, a Duchess whom the author admired, in true courtly-love fashion, from afar. Costing me $2.45, this book has remained on a shelf of my book case for medieval works for almost a half century now.
Written at almost exactly the same time as Machiavelli's The Prince in the early part of the sixteenth century, this does for court manners what the other work tried to do for political practice: provide a compendium guide of how to do it properly. The life of these courts of the small, independent, almost always troubled and unsettled Italian city states during the time of the Renaissance was truly very interesting in intellectual, social, moral, political and cultural ways. In this work, questions of etiquette, self-presentation and moral righteousness abound, as does a heartfelt sense of devotion to one Elizabeta Gonzaga, a Duchess whom the author admired, in true courtly-love fashion, from afar. Costing me $2.45, this book has remained on a shelf of my book case for medieval works for almost a half century now.
March 12, 2014
This book is surprising and entirely charming. Similar to Machiavelli's The Prince, the characters in The Book of the Courtier discuss, in the form of Platonic dialogue, the ideal member of a court. It's intelligent, funny, and even beautiful at times. Certainly an odd book, but I found it compelling and absorbing.
However, it will probably be of little to no interest to anyone not interested in the time period, but if the Italian Renaissance floats your boat (as it does mine, clearly) this is absolutely worth the read.
However, it will probably be of little to no interest to anyone not interested in the time period, but if the Italian Renaissance floats your boat (as it does mine, clearly) this is absolutely worth the read.
December 16, 2017
Heavy sledding here, but well worth the slog. Gone are the days when people sit around for weeks discoursing on the nature of manhood - and yet, this is exactly the conversation we're having at the moment with the Me, Too movement. Castiglione's Courtier, like Machiavelli's Prince, is all about male power and how to use it correctly. The conversations about women really struck home - so little has changed in this department.
November 8, 2023
Fictionalised conversations by historic characters at the court of Urbino, Italy, 1507. The author his hiding behind these characters. Central focus on "grazia": amiable conduct, apparent carelessness, but with the purpose to flatter the lord. Interesting as an historic document, but rather dull to read, I'm afraid.
October 20, 2014
one of the continental texts that should be read as preparatory for Elizabethan study, along with Machiavelli, Montaigne, and Erasmus.
March 6, 2014
You could take a courtier and place him in Washington, DC or any other seat of power and he would not only fit in, but dominate.
January 18, 2016
Book 3 was the best...interesting book! Also love the author's name!
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