Which 1528 book by Baldassare Castiglione described the ideal Renaissance courtier?

Baldassare Castiglione described the ideal Renaissance courtier in The Book of the Courtier, published in 1528.

Castiglione presents the work as a series of conversations held at the court of Urbino in 1507. The dialogue explores the qualities expected of a refined courtier, including graceful speech, artistic ability, physical skill, moral judgment, and the ability to appear effortless. Castiglione called this cultivated ease sprezzatura.

The book also discusses the role of women at court and the relationship between courtly behavior and power. Its influence extended well beyond Italy through translations and reprints. The work is not a simple etiquette manual: it captures the Renaissance ideal of the broadly educated person who could move successfully among politics, literature, music, and social life.