Florentine Mysteries: Exploring the Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance with Niccolo Machiavelli

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

In 1520, Giulio de Medici (Pope Clement VII) commissioned a history of Florence from Niccolo Machiavelli, which the latter reluctantly accepted. This commission produced Florentine Histories - a work which, much like others by its author, subverts the conventions of its genre. It is revealing of Machiavelli's own political thought. Yet, much like his other works, it leaves a lot unsaid. In this class, we will read excerpts from Florentine Histories and Machiavelli's other major works to become acquainted with Machiavelli's Florence. Discussions will focus on the significance of internal Florentine politics (family feuds, murders, the works), and the rise of the Medici.