Florence: A History from the Earliest Times to the Death of Lorenzo the Magnificent

Author: Niccolò Machiavelli
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Machiavelli's History of Florence is a monumental work of Renaissance humanist historiography. The author abandoned the traditional annalistic approach of arranging historical facts and vividly narrated the history of Florence from its establishment as a city-state to 1492 through lively and concrete prose. He broke away from the practice of ecclesiastical historians, who were often filled with religious superstition, and instead explained the development and changes of history through human actions. The book provides some vivid historical accounts, such as the uprising of the wool workers, parts of the commercial operations and rule of the Medici family, and a description of the Bank of San Giorgio in Genoa. However, more importantly, the author employed a humanist perspective to write the history of people, exposing the greed, cunning, and militaristic ambitions of the popes and other rulers.