Giovanni della Casa

Giovanni della Casa (28 June 1503 – 14 November 1556) was an Italian poet, diplomat, clergyman, and writer. He is best known for his famous book about good manners called Il Galateo overo de’ costumi. This book talks about polite behavior and how people should act in society.

From the time it was published, this book became very popular and influenced many people. Even in the 1700s, a well-known critic named Giuseppe Baretti said that the book is one of the most elegant pieces of writing in the Italian language. Della Casa’s work remains important today for learning about polite behavior.

Biography

Giovanni della Casa was born into a wealthy family near Borgo San Lorenzo in Mugello. He grew up studying in Bologna, Florence, and Padua.

In 1526, he spent a year at his family’s home in Tuscany, where he read and translated famous old books, especially the works of Cicero.

Later, he decided to work in the Church, encouraged by a friend, Alessandro Farnese. He became Archbishop of Benevento in 1544 and served as a church representative in Venice.

After some changes in church leadership, he chose to spend his time writing and reading. During this time, between 1551 and 1555, he wrote his famous book, Galateo. He passed away a year later in Rome and is buried in the Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle.

Galateo

Giovanni della Casa's most famous work, Galateo, is a well-known book about good manners in European history. In this book, he shares rules and ideas to help people live with dignity and harmony.

Della Casa writes in a friendly way, like an older uncle giving advice to his nephew. He talks about topics such as fashion and how to talk to others. He says that a successful person should look and act gracefully while also fitting in with society. He tells readers to be careful, kind, and thoughtful. For example, he advises not to smell someone else's wine because something might come out of your nose. By paying attention to how they look, speak, and behave, people can avoid upsetting others and show they are polite. Many of the ideas from Galateo are still helpful today.

Poetry

Giovanni della Casa was an important poet who changed lyric poetry. He did not copy Petrarch. Instead, he made a new style that was strong and grand. At first, he wrote fun, playful poems. Later, he wrote about serious things like love, sadness, and life's meaning.

Near the end of his life, he wrote powerful poems about how life can change quickly. His work, called Rime, became very popular after he died. He wrote in a way that made his poems sound like music. Two of his most famous poems are O dolce selva solitaria, amica and *Questa vita mortal, che ‘n o ‘n due_. He also wrote a book of poems called Carminum Liber. He was inspired by ancient writers like Horace, Catullus, Virgil, Euripides, and Propertius.

Latin writings

Giovanni della Casa was good at speaking and negotiating, which helped him get important jobs at the Vatican. He wrote many letters, political papers, and speeches. While he was in Venice, he wrote a book about whether getting married was a good idea. He also wrote about his friend Bembo and praised how well Bembo could write in both Latin and Italian.

His Latin works were collected by Piero Vettori and printed in Florence in 1564. Vettori included a book of poems, a life of Caspar Contarini, a book about duties, and translations from Thucydides, Plato, and Aristotle. All of his works were published together in Florence in 1707, with a biography written by Casotti.

Inquisition

Giovanni della Casa worked for the church in Venice. He helped arrest a person named Baldo Lupetino and worked to stop a group of people who followed the ideas of Lutheran. This changed the religious community in Venice.

Curiosities

He was the first person to use the phrase ragion di Stato, or "national interest," in a speech to an important leader in 1549.

The Abbey of Nervesa near Treviso, where he may have written his famous book, was damaged and is now in ruins.

His former home is now a nice place where people can stay as guests.