You are kindly invited to the seminar entitled as “Machiavelli, Turkish Pirates and Florentine Tyrants” organized by the Department of History.
Date: 20 November 2025, Thursday
Time: 16.30
Venue: A-130 FEASS Seminar Room
Title: Machiavelli, Turkish Pirates and Florentine Tyrants
Speaker: Marcello Simonetta, The Medici Archive Project, Florence
Abstract:
This talk will reveal Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince, in a surprising light. Through recent archival discoveries, we will see the Florentine Secretary busy in the pursuit of a Turkish pirate. We will also learn more about Machiavelli’s understanding of tyrants in Florence as well as out in the Mediterranean Sea.
Bio:
Marcello Simonetta earned his BA degree at Rome La Sapienza and later obtained his PhD at Yale University. He has taught in the US and in Paris at various institutions. He is currently a Senior Research Scholar at The Medici Archive Project in Florence. He is the author of several books, including a Medici trilogy, which has been translated into various languages. He has also written a monograph on Machiavelli and co-edited his Letters.