Giovanni Della Casa

Born in Tuscany in 1503, Giovanni della Casa was educated in Bologna, Florence, Padua, and Rome, and moved comfortably between literary and church circles. He became a diplomat and senior churchman, serving as papal nuncio to Venice and later holding the archbishopric of Benevento.

He is remembered above all for Galateo overo de' costumi, a treatise on manners published after his death in 1558. Written with wit and close attention to daily life, it made rules of courtesy feel practical and human rather than stiff, and it remained widely read for generations.

Della Casa was also admired for his lyric poetry and prose, especially by readers interested in Renaissance Italian style. He died in 1556, but his name still survives as a symbol of etiquette, thanks to a book that gave elegant form to the small habits of everyday living.