Castiglione's Allegory: Veiled Policy in 'The Book of the Courtier' (1528)

Abstract

This study has been some 10 years in preparation, only about half the time that Castiglione devoted to preparing 'The Book of the Courtier' ('Il libro del cortegiano') for the press; but if the outcome in this case is anywhere near half as good as it was in Castiglione's, bearing in mind that we both experienced similar interruptions to our writing, then I will be satisfied that my time has been well-spent. I have approached Castiglione's text as someone with a background predominantly in history and philosophy rather than literary studies, initially having had a particular interest in the history and philosophy of Renaissance medicine. This orientation led me to focus on the analogy between statecraft and medicine, which, as I argue in Chapter 5 below, is central to the political position developed in Castiglione's work. It also brought to my attention the issue of "lovesickness," which is important for the argument I present in Chapters 3 and 4. Taken as a whole, however, this study is not limited to medically-related topics but spans a broad range offields relevant to intellectual history, including literature, politics, philosophy, and art history. I make no claim of being a specialist in all these areas and ask the indulgence of readers who may have devoted their professional lives to the study in depth of one or another of these fields, especially for any oversimplifications I may have introduced when characterizing material about which they have far more detailed know ledge than I do. But I hope the present attempt at synthesis will have some appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike.