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, which was published in 1558. 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 had a big influence on 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 how people should behave politely.

Biography

Giovanni della Casa was born into a wealthy family near Borgo San Lorenzo in Mugello at Villa La Casa. He grew up studying in Bologna, Florence, and Padua with great teachers. 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 one of the most well-known books about good manners in European history. In this book, he shares many rules and ideas to help people live with simple dignity and harmony.

Della Casa writes in a friendly and lively way, pretending to be an older uncle giving advice to his nephew. He talks about many 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 in everything they do. For example, he advises not to smell someone else's wine because something might come out of your nose, even if it is unlikely. By paying attention to how they look, speak, and behave, people can avoid upsetting others and show they are intelligent and polite. Many of the ideas from Galateo are still helpful today.

Poetry

Giovanni della Casa was an important poet who led a change in lyric poetry. He moved away from copying Petrarch and created a new style that was strong and grand. He started by writing fun, playful poems but later turned to serious themes like love, sadness, and life's meaning.

Near the end of his life, he wrote powerful poems that looked at life's fleeting nature. His work, called Rime, became very popular after his time. He used a special way of writing where sentences flow from one line to the next, giving his poems a musical feel. 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, inspired by ancient writers like Horace, Catullus, Virgil, Euripides, and Propertius.

Latin writings

Giovanni della Casa was very good at speaking and negotiating, which helped him get important jobs at the Vatican. He showed his skill in writing in Latin through letters, political papers, and speeches to the Republic of Venice and Emperor Charles V. While he was in Venice, he wrote a book asking if getting married was a good idea. He also wrote about his friend Bembo, praising how well Bembo could write in both Latin and Italian, in poems and stories.

His Latin works were put together 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 as an important church representative in Venice. During his time there, he helped arrest a person named Baldo Lupetino and worked to end a group of people who followed the ideas of Lutheran, changing 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 bombed and is now in ruins.

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