• Medici

    Who was Machiavelli? A short guide to the Italian author who defined a Renaissance prince

    Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian Renaissance political philosopher, historian, and writer. He is best known for his influential work, “The Prince” (Il Principe), which is considered one of the most important treatises on political philosophy. Machiavelli served as a diplomat in the Republic of Florence during a time of political upheaval in Italy. His experiences and observations of power struggles and the behavior of political leaders greatly influenced his ideas on politics. “The Prince,” written in 1513, was intended as a guidebook for rulers, advising them on how to gain and maintain political power. In “The Prince,” Machiavelli emphasized the practical aspects of politics, focusing on strategies and techniques…

  • Anna d' Este
    Character interview

    Character Interview: Anna, Duchesse de Guise and Nemours

    Today we’re speaking with the matriarch of the Guise clan and a woman with an illustrious genealogy, Anna d’ Este. Q: You’ve been in France through momentous change, since 1548. Few people saw so many changes to the country firsthand as you did. Guise: Sometimes it feels as if I can’t believe how long I’ve lived or what I’ve seen. When I was a girl, my mother would talk about France, and I think she always wanted me to find a marriage in her home country. I know that those of us to whom God has given much are expected to endure much, but in my case, I think I’ve…