Baldassarre Castiglione

"Baldesar Castiglione, an Italian diplomat and man of letters began to write The Book of the Courtier while he was attached to the court of the Duke of Urbino and finished it by 1516. It was published by Aldo in Venice in 1528 and almost immediately achieved international renown, being translated into English by Sir Thomas Hoby as early as 1561. Today it still remains the most vivid picture ever set down of Italian court life during the Renaissance;...

Highly influential account of Renaissance court life by Italian courtier, diplomat, and writer, Baldassarre Castiglione, in which he describes the perfect courtier, the noble lady, and the relationship between courtier and prince.