"On the steps of the Apennines, almost in the centre of Italy towards the Adriatic, is situated, as everyone knows, the little city of Urbino." It is in this Urbino that the author of these words, Baldesar Castiglione, learned in humanist scholarship, spent many years of his life, first in the service of Guidobaldo of Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, and after his death, in the service of Francesco Maria della Rovere. And it is in the Court of Urbino that provides the setting for his work The Book of the Courtier. It has been recorded by Castiglione himself that the idea for writing the book came to him during his time at the Court, when Fracesco was the Duke.
Four separate books make up the entire work. It recounts conversations at the Court of Urbino. Opinions expressed by the members of the Court- men and women alike. On the one hand, then, the book tries to present to its reader, a number of political ideas that surfaced during the Renaissance in the fifteenth century. On the other hand, it is a book that tries, through the discussions, to convey the idea of the perfect courtier, and in the process of doing so, also discusses, quite extensively in fact, the nature and duties of the good prince and the role of the courtier as an adviser to the prince. In the fourth book, Ottaviano points out that the greatest faults in a ruler are ignorance and conceit and the root of these two evils is falsehood. The prince may be led astray by false advice and it is the duty of the courtier to point him down the correct path. Is virtue natural or can it be taught? Which is better- a republic or the princely state? Should the courtier be formal or informal when he instructs the prince? These are some of the key issues that are discussed by the courtiers in the fourth book.
Castiglione's work had a long lasting and far reaching influence in Europe, especially in England. As a compendium of some of the political ideas of the Renaissance, it serves its purpose. But as George Bull points out in his introduction, the work had several flaws including glossing over or ignoring facts about the courtiers and distorting history. As an advice book (which it to a certain extent is) it is a part of a long standing tradition of such books in Europe. What is it then that makes Castiglione's work significant? In order to answer this question and place the book in context of the Renaissance, we must travel further back into the past and try and look at the way in which the Court, and along with that the role of the humanist, had developed and changed.
Quentin Skinner, in the first volume of The Foundations of Modern Political Thought notes that when the signori came to power in Italy, it helped in bringing about certain changes in Renaissance political thought. Of these, one of the most important changes was a shift in the notion of the role of the humanist. Hans Baron, in his book The Crisis of the Early Italian Renaissance, distinguishes between two forms of humanism, of which he terms one 'civic humanism'. Who was the civic humanist and what was his role? The civic humanist was one who would lead an active political life. Skinner notes that for writers like Leonardo Bruni and his successors, involvement in civic affairs was thought of as the representation of the highest condition of human life. But when the signori come to power and socio-political dynamics begin to change, there is also a noticeable shift in the role of the humanist. In the republican state, the civic humanist concerned himself with the whole body of citizens. Their advice was directed at everyone. In this later period, in the princely state, the humanist now focuses completely on the more powerful and more influential figure of the prince, overlooking the figure of the individual citizen.
Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier embodies this shift in the role of the humanist. In this work, the ideal courtier is not one who actively takes part in the affairs of the state. Instead, his only concern is the ruler, the prince. His only duty is to win the favour of the prince and give him good advice so that he follows the right path and can inculcate within him the right virtues. This is the reason why Castiglione's work acquires significance. Not because it is a book of courtesy, not because it brings together different contemporary political ideas, not because it is, to a certain extent, a part of the tradition of advice books written for princes, but because it is an evidence of this important shift in the role of the humanist as the courtier that took place in the fifteenth century in what Skinner calls 'The Age of Princes.' Ottaviano, in the fourth book, says, "...a man who strives to ensure that his prince is not deceived by anyone, does not listen to flatterers or slanderers or liars, and distinguishes between good and evil, loving the one and detesting the other, aims at the best end of all."
Four separate books make up the entire work. It recounts conversations at the Court of Urbino. Opinions expressed by the members of the Court- men and women alike. On the one hand, then, the book tries to present to its reader, a number of political ideas that surfaced during the Renaissance in the fifteenth century. On the other hand, it is a book that tries, through the discussions, to convey the idea of the perfect courtier, and in the process of doing so, also discusses, quite extensively in fact, the nature and duties of the good prince and the role of the courtier as an adviser to the prince. In the fourth book, Ottaviano points out that the greatest faults in a ruler are ignorance and conceit and the root of these two evils is falsehood. The prince may be led astray by false advice and it is the duty of the courtier to point him down the correct path. Is virtue natural or can it be taught? Which is better- a republic or the princely state? Should the courtier be formal or informal when he instructs the prince? These are some of the key issues that are discussed by the courtiers in the fourth book.
Castiglione's work had a long lasting and far reaching influence in Europe, especially in England. As a compendium of some of the political ideas of the Renaissance, it serves its purpose. But as George Bull points out in his introduction, the work had several flaws including glossing over or ignoring facts about the courtiers and distorting history. As an advice book (which it to a certain extent is) it is a part of a long standing tradition of such books in Europe. What is it then that makes Castiglione's work significant? In order to answer this question and place the book in context of the Renaissance, we must travel further back into the past and try and look at the way in which the Court, and along with that the role of the humanist, had developed and changed.
Quentin Skinner, in the first volume of The Foundations of Modern Political Thought notes that when the signori came to power in Italy, it helped in bringing about certain changes in Renaissance political thought. Of these, one of the most important changes was a shift in the notion of the role of the humanist. Hans Baron, in his book The Crisis of the Early Italian Renaissance, distinguishes between two forms of humanism, of which he terms one 'civic humanism'. Who was the civic humanist and what was his role? The civic humanist was one who would lead an active political life. Skinner notes that for writers like Leonardo Bruni and his successors, involvement in civic affairs was thought of as the representation of the highest condition of human life. But when the signori come to power and socio-political dynamics begin to change, there is also a noticeable shift in the role of the humanist. In the republican state, the civic humanist concerned himself with the whole body of citizens. Their advice was directed at everyone. In this later period, in the princely state, the humanist now focuses completely on the more powerful and more influential figure of the prince, overlooking the figure of the individual citizen.
Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier embodies this shift in the role of the humanist. In this work, the ideal courtier is not one who actively takes part in the affairs of the state. Instead, his only concern is the ruler, the prince. His only duty is to win the favour of the prince and give him good advice so that he follows the right path and can inculcate within him the right virtues. This is the reason why Castiglione's work acquires significance. Not because it is a book of courtesy, not because it brings together different contemporary political ideas, not because it is, to a certain extent, a part of the tradition of advice books written for princes, but because it is an evidence of this important shift in the role of the humanist as the courtier that took place in the fifteenth century in what Skinner calls 'The Age of Princes.' Ottaviano, in the fourth book, says, "...a man who strives to ensure that his prince is not deceived by anyone, does not listen to flatterers or slanderers or liars, and distinguishes between good and evil, loving the one and detesting the other, aims at the best end of all."
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