Castiglione, Baldassare (1478-1529)

Italian writer and diplomat. He described the perfect Renaissance gentleman in Il cortegiano/The Courtier (1528). Written in the form of dialogues, this work is one of the noblest expressions of the Renaissance spirit, and has been translated into most European languages.

Castiglione was born in Casàtico, near Mantua. He served the duke of Milan, and in 1506 was engaged by the duke of Urbino on a mission to Henry VII of England. He was made a count in 1511. In 1524 he was charged by Pope Clement VII with the difficult task of settling a dispute between the pope and the Holy Roman emperor Charles V. This took him to Spain, where he was naturalized and became bishop of Avila.