Author: Giovanni Della Casa

Giovanni Della Casa (1503–1556), an Italian archbishop, poet, and translator, is best known for his work “Galateo, overo de” costumi” (A Renaissance Courtesy-book: Galateo of Manners & Behaviours), which laid out the standards of social conduct and became the definitive courtesy book of the Renaissance. Born in Mugello, Tuscany, Della Casa was a figure of significant cultural importance in his day. His “Galateo” offers a comprehensive guide to etiquette, suggesting ways to converse and comport oneself gracefully in society, and it reflects the humanist interests of the time in moral philosophy and psychology. It was written in Italian rather than Latin to reach a wider audience and was translated into many languages, attesting to its international popularity. While his literary style is often characterized by wit and irony, Della Casa”s prose in “Galateo” is at once accessible and elegant, underscoring his skillful command of the vernacular language. His work has been studied for its insight into the social customs of the period and its commentary on human interactions, continuing to be of scholarly interest long after its sixteenth-century origins. Giovanni Della Casa thus remains a respected author in the annals of Italian literature and humanist thought, his work emblematic of the Renaissance preoccupation with the art of living well and with civility.