CASTIGLIONE, Baldassare (1478-1529), diplomatist and man of letters, was born at Casatico near Mantua, and was educated at Milan under the famous professors Merula and Chalcondyles. In 1496 he entered the service of Lodovico Sforza, duke of Milan, returning to Mantua in 1500 when Lodovico was carried prisoner into France. In 1504 he was attached to the court of Guidobaldo Malatesta, duke of Urbino, and in 1506 he was sent by that prince on a mission to Henry VII. of England, who had before conferred on Federigo Malatesta, “the Good Duke,” the most famous mercenary of his age, the order of the Garter. Guidobaldo dying childless in 1508, the duchy of Urbino was given to Francesco Maria della Rovere, for whom Castiglione, envoy at the court of Leo X. (Medici), obtained the office of generalissimo of the Papal troops. Charged with the arrangement of the dispute between Clement VII. (Medici) and Charles V., Castiglione crossed, in 1524, into Spain, where he was received with highest honours, being afterwards naturalized, and made bishop of Avila. In 1527, however, Rome was seized and sacked by the Imperialists under Bourbon, and in the July of the same year the surrender of the castle of Sant’ Angelo placed Clement in their hands. Castiglione had been tricked by the emperor, but there were not wanting accusations of treachery against himself. He had, however, placed fidelity highest among the virtues of his ideal “courtier;” and when he died at Toledo in 1529, it was said that he had died of grief and shame at the imputation. The emperor mourned him as “one of the world’s best cavaliers.” A portrait of him, now at the Louvre, was painted by Raphael, who disdained neither his opinion nor his advice....
Castiglione wrote little, but that little is of rare merit. His verses, in Latin and Italian, are elegant in the extreme; his letters (Padua, 1769-1771) are full of grace and finesse. But the book by which he is best remembered is the famous treatise, Il Cori,egiano, written in 1514, published at Venice by Aldus in 1528, and translated into English by a certain Thomas Hoby as early as 1561. This book, called by the Italians II Libro d ’ Oro, and remarkable for its easy force and undemonstrative elegance of style no less than for the nobility and manliness of its theories, describes the Italian gentleman of the Renaissance, under his brightest and fairest aspect, and gives a charming picture of the court of Guidobaldo da Montefeltre, duke of Urbino, “confessedly the purest and most elevated court in Italy.” In the form of a discussion held in the duchess’s drawingroom—with Elizabetta Gonzaga, Pietro Bembo, Bernardo Bibbiena, Giuliano de’ Medici, Emilia Pia, and Ceretino the Unique among the speakers—the question, What constitutes a perfect courtier? is debated. With but few differences, the type determined on is the ideal gentleman of the present day. See Ginguené, Histoire Littéraire de V Italie, vi., vit; and J. A Symonds, Ths Renaissance in Italy, London, 1875.
CASTIGLIONE, GiovanniBenedetto (1616-1670), currently named in Italy II Grechetto, and in France Le Benédette, a painter of the Genoese School, was born in Genoa, and studied for some time under Vandyck. He painted portraits, historical pieces, and landscapes, but chiefly excelled in fairs, markets, and rural scenes with animals. His paintings are to be found at Rome, Venice, Naples, Florence, and more especially Genoa and Mantua. He also executed a great number of etchings, which are spirited, free, and full of taste; Diogenes searching for a Man is one of the principal of these. The etchings are remarkable for light and shade, and have even earned for Castiglione the name of “a second Rembrandt.” The Presepio (Nativity of Jesus) in the church of San Luca, Genoa, ranks among his most celebrated paintings; the Louvre also contains eight characteristic examples. In his closing years he lived in Mantua, painting for the court; here he received his name of “Grechetto,” from the classic air of his pastorals, and here he died of gout in 1670. His brother Salvatore aud his son Francesco excelled in the same subjects; and it is thought that many paintings which are ascribed to Benedetto are only copies after him, or perhaps originals by his son or brother.
CASTIGLIONE, Carlo Ottavio, Count (1784-1849), an Italian philologist of considerable reputation, was born at Milan of an ancient family. His principal work was done in connection with the Arabic and other Oriental languages; but he also performed good service in several other departments. In 1819 he published Monete Cufichx del Museo di Milano, and assisted Cardinal Mai in his Ulphiloe partium ineditarum in Ambrosianis palimpsestis repertarum editio. A learned Mémoire géographique et numismatique sur la partie orientale de la Barbarie appelée Afrikia par les Arabes appeared in 1826, and established his reputation. In 1829 he published by himself the Gothic version of the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians; and this was followed by the Gothic version of the epistle to the Romans, the~first epistle to the Corinthians, and the epistle to the Ephesians in 1834; by Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians in 1835, and by 2 Thessalonians in 1839. His life was written by Biondelli, and appeared at Milan in 1856.
[509 words — estimated reading time: 3 minutes]