The English word courtesan (French courtisane; German Kurtisane) is derived from the Italian cortegiana (“court lady”), the female counterpart to the courtier (Cortegiano). As central figures of the world of courtly society, the court lady and courtier were first described in idealized form by Baldassare Castiglione in Il Cortegiano (1528). The courtier here excelled particularly by virtue of his self-control, while the court lady exhib…