Giovanni della Casa (28 June, 1503 – 14 November, 1556) was an Italian diplomat, bishop, and poet. He is known for his treatise on polite behavior, despite being an inquisitor.
Books by, or about, Giovanni della Casa*
Fun Facts about Giovanni della Casa:
- Giovanni della Casa was born in Florence, Italy. His family was rich and the young man was well educated both in Florence and Bologna.
- He spent a year, 1526, at his family’s villa reading and translating Latin classics, especially the works of Cicero.
- Eventually Giovanni della Casa decided he wanted to pursue a career in the Catholic Church. This was considered a very prestigious career.
- Eventually, he rose to become Archbishop of Benevento (1544) and in the same year, Pope Paull III made him Papal nuncio (a diplomatic representative) to Venice. This is where he was introduced to Venice’s Nobility, poets, and artists.
- Giovanni della Casa’s skills in diplomacy and rhetoric were the reason for his rise in the Vatican to high positions in a relatively short time.
- After the death of Pope Paull III, when he didn’t get a promotion to Cardinal, Giovanni della Casa retired from the Church and started a life of reading and writing.
- Galateo, Giovanni della Casa’s famous work is a series of rules and restrictions to live a simple life of harmony. According to a 2023 English translation, it comes down to “don’t be disgusting”.
- One of the reasons that Galateo was different from other, similar treatises, is because it was more concerned with behavior in polite society and not court etiquette.
- His poems are considered very intense, especially for the time. Their main themes are love, sadness, regret, as well as disillusionment.
- Giovanni della Casa died in Rome, and is buried in the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle.
Zohar – Man of la Book
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
Books by, or about, Giovanni della Casa*
Sources:
Casa, Giovanni Della | Encyclopedia.com
Don’t Be Disgusting | New York Times
Giovanni della Casa | Wikipedia
Giovanni Della Casa: Italian poet | Britannica
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Fun Facts Friday: Giovanni della Casa
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Giovanni della Casa (28 June, 1503 – 14 November, 1556) was an Italian diplomat, bishop, and poet. He is known for his treatise on polite behavior, despite being an inquisitor.
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Man of la Book
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