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Baldassare Castiglione, detail of a portrait by Raphael, 1516; in the Louvre, Paris (credit: Giraudon/Art Resource, New York)

(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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