The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

This gorgeous manuscript from the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana originated during the year of Machiavelli’s death, 1527, in Italy, probably Rome. The luxuriously decorated book was surely the commission of a high-ranking patron and is adorned inter alia with 27 gorgeously designed initials. The Roman copyist Genesio de la Barrera is responsible for the splendid work, and transcribed Machiavelli’s Il Principe with Italian text for this manuscript.

The Founder of Machiavellianism

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) began his political career in the Republic of Florence where he was active as a senior official in the Palazzo Vecchio. As a diplomat, he became acquainted with the various leaders of Europe, from the Pope to the Kaiser. Additionally, Machiavelli occupied a leading position in military affairs, which is why he fell into disgrace after the Medici’s 1512 seizure of power in Florence – he was fined, tortured, and banished from the city. He subsequently went into seclusion and pursued his literary creation henceforth that has made him famous to this day. He recorded inter alia a history of Florence, a treatise on the art of war, and above all his famous magnum opus Il Principe.

The Ruthless Prince

Il Principe – The Prince – is dedicated to Piero de’ Medici. With this manuscript from the year 1513, Machiavelli composed a handbook on political power, which became one of the most important books on politics in history! Here the author describes his ideal conception of a Renaissance ruler. He presents the art of political leadership regardless of the consequences. The motto “the ends justify the means” culminating in ruthlessness and violence ensured that the work was both revered and maligned from the beginning.

The Triumph of Il Principe

Il Principe made its author the template for numerous politicians and rulers up to the modern period and shaped the concept of Machiavellianism. The work appeared in printed form beginning in 1532 and in this way spread across Europe and eventually the world. Nevertheless, the wonderful, luxuriously-designed manuscript from 1527 offers the opportunity to discover this work within its historical framework!