Giovanni della Casa | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Giovanni della Casa by Jacopo Pontormo | |
| Born | 28 June 1503 Florence or Borgo San Lorenzo |
| Died | 14 November 1556 (aged 53) Rome |
| Occupation | poet, author, Bishop of Benevento, diplomat, inquisitor |
| Nationality | Tuscan |
| Literary movement | Mannerism |
Giovanni della Casa (28 June 1503 – 14 November 1556) was an Italian poet, diplomat, clergyman and inquisitor, and writer on etiquette and society. He is celebrated for his famous treatise on polite behavior, Il Galateo overo de’ costumi (1558). From the time of its publication, this courtesy book has enjoyed enormous success and influence. In the eighteenth century, influential critic Giuseppe Baretti wrote in The Italian Library (1757), "The little treatise is looked upon by many Italians as the most elegant thing, as to stile, that we have in our language."[1]
- ^ The italian library. London, 1757, 40.