Defeat of a Renaissance Intellectual: Selected Writings of Francesco Guicciardini

Francesco Guicciardini, a papal advisor and sixteenth-century power broker, wrote voluminously about his time in service to the Medici. This volume charts his career chronologically, revealing an intellectual whose philosophy of self-interest failed to perceive the interests of others. His letters, treatises, reports, and orations span his long career, from his first appointment as ambassador to the Spanish court to just a few years before his forced retirement. They reveal his role as a protagonist in the History of Italy and shed light on his self-recriminations and remorse. This book appeals to scholars who study the Medici clan, the Italian Wars, and Renaissance politics and history.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 10 May 2021
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

Francesco Guicciardini, a papal advisor and influential power broker of the sixteenth century, left a substantial literary legacy during his tenure in service to the Medici family. Spanning his career chronologically, the texts within this volume unveil an intellectual whose philosophy of self-interest, while failing to grasp the interests of others, ultimately served his own purposes.

In the tumultuous political landscape of Florence during Guicciardini's time, the struggle between republican leaders and the Medici family dominated Florentine politics. Like renowned figures such as Machiavelli, Petrarch, and arguably Dante, Guicciardini hailed from the "establishment intellectual" class, whose talents bolstered the dominance of authoritarian rule against the interests of his own class.

The collection of letters, treatises, reports, and orations included in this volume spans Guicciardini's extensive career, encompassing his initial appointment as ambassador to the Spanish court and his eventual forced retirement from political life. These writings provide a revealing glimpse into Guicciardini's role as a protagonist in his renowned History of Italy (1540), shedding light on the self-recriminations and remorse that sometimes gnawed at his conscience. They also elucidate the factors that led to Guicciardini's fall from political grace into irrelevance.

Through the previously untranslated writings included in this volume, "The Defeat of a Renaissance Intellectual" serves as a testament to the hard lessons Guicciardini learned in his service to the Medici. It underscores the futility of working within a corrupt system in search of solutions and the limitations of relying solely on reason and self-interest to predict human behavior. This book holds particular appeal to scholars engaged in the study of the Medici clan, the Italian Wars, and Renaissance politics and history.

Weight: 368g
Dimension: 150 x 229 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271083490