by Baldesar Castiglione

Baldesar Castiglione was born in 1478 at Casatico near Mantua, in the region of Lombardy, to an aristocratic family (his mother was related to the illustrious Gonzaga dynasty, which ruled the region). He received a traditional humanistic education in Milan, then was drawn by family connections into courtly life. At 21, Castiglione replaced his recently deceased father as a diplomat and military officer at the court of Francesco Gonzaga in Mantua. In 1504 the young courtier moved to Urbino, where he served under Guidobaldo da Montefeltro (1472- 1508), holding a semi-military post and carrying out diplomatic missions to Rome and abroad. Castiglione remained at the service of the Urbino rulers until 1516, when he rejoined the Gonzaga court in Mantua. In 1524 Pope Clement VII appointed him as nuncio (papal ambassador) and sent him to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles...