Baldassarre Castiglione - (Mantua 1478

Mantua 1478-1490
 Born in 1478 on the family estate in Casatico, near
Mantua
 His father, Cristoforo, is in the service of the Gozagas
 His mother is related to the Gonzagas
 His family enjoys the luxuries of court life
Maestro della Pala Sforzesca, part. della Pala con il ritratto di
Ludovico il Moro, Pala Sforzesca, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milano
Milan 1490-1499
 His relatives hold important positions at the court of
the Sforzas
 Carries out excellent humanistic studies (Latin and
Greek)
 Is introduced to the court of Ludovico il Moro, a great
centre of art and culture
Charles VIII King of France
Charles VIII King of France
 1494: Charles VIII, King of France, invades Italy
 Battle of Fornovo: the French lose the booty but return
home
 Castiglione’s father, Cristoforo, participates in the
battle, is wounded, and dies of his wounds in 1499
 Castiglione becomes head of his family
Mantua at the service of the Marquis
Francesco Gonzaga
 1499: the troops of Louis XII, King of France, defeat
Ludovico il Moro. Castiglione returns to Mantua
 Contrast between the splendours of the great court of
the Sforzas and the parsimonious modesty of the
Gonzagas’
 Castiglione sees Italian princes paying homage to
Louis XII: the Marquis of Mantua, Francesco Gonzaga,
Cesare Borgia il Valentino, and the Duke of Ferrara
Ercole d’Este
First diplomatic and military missions
 1503: In Rome at the court of the Borgia Pope,
Alexander VI, where he is deeply impressed by the
spectacle of the city and the Pope’s court
 1503: Following the Marquis of Mantua, Lieutenant
General of the French army in Italy, he takes part in
the military operation aimed at conquering the
Kingdom of Naples
 First real experience of battle. Operation is a
disastrous failure: Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of
Mantua, abandons command and returns home
Guidubaldo da Montefeltro
(Raffaello, Uffizi)
Guidubaldo da Montefeltro
 In Rome until April 1504
 Fascinated by the archaeological beauties of the city,
by the intense intellectual life promoted by the
humanists, poets, and prelates of different origins
 Meets the Duke of Urbino, Guidubaldo di Montefeltro,
who, after the death of Alexander VI and the election
of Pope Giulio II, has recovered his state, which in June
1502 had been taken from him by Cesare Borgia
 Switches masters from Gonzagas to Montefeltro
Mission in England
 First half of 1505 lives in Rome with the Duke Guidubaldo
 Involved in political dealings and projects regarding the





whole Italian situation
Nominated by the Pope to the Order of the Golden Spur
Sent to England on behalf of Guidubaldo to receive the
Order of the Garter
Friend Domizio Falcone and brother Gerolamo die
Pope Giulio II favours the adoption by Guidubaldo of his
nephew, Francesco Maria Della Rovere
Guidubaldo dies; Castiglione stays in the service of Della
Rovere
Louis XII King of France
League of Cambray- Holy League
 Giulio II promotes the League of Cambray to unite the
Italian and European states in a coalition against
Venice. Baldassarre participates in the battle
campaigns in Romagna
 1511: Giulio II organises the Holy League in opposition
to French hegemony in Italy. Castiglione follows
Francesco Maria Della Rovere and the Papal army
 Meets Louis XII in Bloys
Giovanni de Medici> Pope Leo X
Count of Novilara
 Cardinal Giovanni de’ Medici becomes Pope Leone X
 Castiglione publishes a letter to Henry VII of England,
De vita et gestis Guidubaldi Urbini ducis
 Francesco Maria della Rovere is recognised as
legitimate heir of Guidubaldo
 Duke Francesco Maria gives Castiglione the ducal and
ecclesiastic fiefdom of the princely castle of Novilara,
near Pesaro, together with the title of Count
Ambassador in Rome
 1513: Castiglione becomes Francesco Maria Della Rovere’s





ambassador in Rome
Lives in an environment of great international diplomacy
1514: witnesses the spectacular entry into the city of the
elephant Annone, sent by the King of Portugal, Don
Manuel I
Meets Miguel da Silva, ambassador of the King of Portugal
to the Pope (The Courtier is dedicated to Miguel da Silva)
Becomes friend of Pietro Bembo, Iacopo Sadoleto,
Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena, Raffaello, Michelangelo,
Antonio Tebaldeo, Federico Fregoso
Works on the first draft of The Courtier, which he finishes
at the end of 1515
Francis I King of France
Francis I and Leo X
 Leo X wants to increase his family’s power and gain a




dominant position across the whole of Italy
Frances I wants to re-conquer Milan, with the help of
the Republic of Venice
The state of Urbino, and Castiglione with it, is trapped
between two forces
At Marignano, French-Venetian troops are victorious
over the armies of Milan, Switzerland, and the Pope
Frances I became the arbiter of diplomatic equilibrium
in Italy
Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici (by Cristofano
dell’Altissimo, Uffizi)
Lorenzo di Piero de’Medici
 Leo X wants to obtain King Frances’ support to oust Francesco





Maria Della Rovere and hand the state of Urbino to his nephew
Lorenzo de’ Medici, master of Florence
Castiglione uses all his skills to prevent this
1515: Writes a prologue to Libro del Cortegiano containing a
paean to the King of France aimed at ingratiating himself and
the cause of Urbino
Goes to Bologna, where Frances I and Leone X had met, to find
an agreement regarding the fate of Duke Francesco Maria
Leo X gives Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici (to whom Machiavelli
had dedicated The Principe) the title of Duke of Urbino
Castiglione is forced to follow his masters into exile in Mantua
Federico Gonzaga (by Tiziano)
Federico Gonzaga
 1516: Castiglione marries Ippolita Torelli
 Completes the second draft of the Libro del Cortegiano
 1517 –1520: He has a son, Camillo, and two dauthers, Anna and




Ippolita
1519: After the death of Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua,
and of Lorenzo de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino, Castiglione is sent to
Rome to further the interests of the young Marquis Federico and
to secure the reintegration of Francesco Maria Della Rovere
Castiglione re-establishes good relations for the Gonzags
Leo X refuses to return the state of Urbino to the ousted Duke
Castiglione releases himself from Francesco Maria Della Rovere
to enter into the service of Federico Gonzaga
Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520)
Raffaello and his wife Ippolita die in 1520
 In Mantua, Castiglione is deeply moved and perturbed
by the premature death of a friend and his wife
Ippolita, not yet 20 years old
 1521: Castiglione takes the minor order of tonsure,
which gives him an ecclesiastic status, combining it
with militancy for the Church
 Castiglione realises that the Pope is the only authority
that can deal as an equal with the great European
monarchs
Pope Adriano VI
 1521 Adriano VI is elected Pope
 Castiglione participates actively in the secret dealings
aimed at redefining the political and military alliances
among the various Italian states
 Defends the Marquis Federico from the accusations of
the pro-French cardinals
 Defends his cousin, Francesco II Sforza, who is weak
and ill
Clemente VII (1523-1534)
Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici>Clemente VII
 The Church is again in the hands of the Medicis
 Castiglione is ambassador in Rome for Federico
Gonzaga
 Tries to convince the Pope to adopt a pro-Empire
strategy against Frances I of France
 Papal ambassador, Nuncio pontificio, in Spain
 Clemente VII makes secret agreements with Frances I
without telling Castiglione
Frances I King of France
Charles V (by Titian, Munich, Alte Pinacoteke)
Madrid
 1525: the French, led by Frances I, re-conquer Milan
 Imperial troops of Charles V retreat to Pavia
 French troops lay siege to the city, but are defeated
 Frances I is captured and taken to Madrid
 Castiglione congratulates Charles V on the victory at
Pavia
 Presents an official document in which the Pope
apologises for his recent alliance with the French
League of Cognac
 Castiglione warns the Pope not to offer his support to
both parties
 1526: the Treaty of Madrid, Frances I is set free
 All the Italian territories in dispute go to Charles V
 Frances I promotes an anti-imperial alliance, the
League of Cognac, that in May 1526 unites against
France, Rome, Venice, and Florence
The Courtier is printed-Sack of Rome 1527
 1528: The Courtier is printed in Venice. Castiglione sends




instructions for its distribution including to men of letters,
princes, gentlemen, and dames of the courts of
Renaissance Europe
6 May 1527: imperial troops stationed in Italy enter Rome
and loot the city
The Pope is forced to flee to Castel Sant’Angelo
Clemente VII sends Castiglione a severe reprimand,
accusing him of not having warned the Pope in good time
Castiglione replies, demonstrating his fidelity and loyalty,
listing the specific reasons that had made the sack of Rome
possible
Sack of Rome 1527
Dies in Toledo 1529
 Charles V offers Castiglione the bishopric of Avila
 Castiglione does not accept because of the troubles
between the Emperor and the Pope
 January 1529: Clemente VII gives permission and
Castiglione is invested
 Baldassarre dies, struck by violent fevers, on 8th
February, little more than 50 years old

Download Report