![Baldassare Castiglione, detail of a portrait by Raphael, 1516; in the Louvre, Paris [Credit: Giraudon-Art Resource/EB Inc.]](http://images.bookrags.com/images/eb/44102.gif)
Baldassare Castiglione, detail of a portrait by Raphael, 1516; in the Louvre, Paris [Credit: Giraudon-Art Resource/EB Inc.](born Dec. 6, 1478, Casatico, near Mantua—died Feb. 2, 1529, Toledo) Italian diplomat, courtier, and writer.
Born into a noble family, he was attached to the courts of Mantua and Urbino and later entered papal service. He is remembered for The Courtier (1528). Written in the form of a philosophical dialogue, it describes the conduct of the perfect courtier, the qualities of a noble lady, and the ideal relationships between the courtier and his prince. Immediately successful in Italy and beyond, it became a manual for those aspiring to aristocratic manners during the Renaissance.
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