Niccolo Machiavelli

The Italian author of political writings, Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), was Chancellor of the Council of Ten in Florence from 1498 to 1512 and often spent time abroad on diplomatic mission, about which he wrote pointed reports (Legazioni). After the return of the Medici and the fall of the Republic, he lost his office and starting 1513 devoted himself only to his writings. He started from a pessimistic view of mankind, he formulated the concept of reason of state, rejected the idea of ??the Christian virtue of committed rulers and saw in power a constituent element of politics (Machiavellianism). His political writings are devoted to two types of government: the republics (The Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livy, 1531) and Of Principalities (Il Principe, English: The Prince, 1532, created in 1513). Il Principe became a fundamental treatise of the education of princes until the 18th century. Machiavelli also wrote novels, poems and comedies (Mandragola, between 1518 and 1520, is considered the most original comedy of the Renaissance) and the Florentine Histories, 1532. 03.05.1469