Baldassarre Castiglione Mantua 1478 Toledo 1529 Mantua 1478

Baldassarre Castiglione (Mantua 1478 - Toledo 1529)

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 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 8 th February, little more than 50 years old