Niccolò Machiavelli

1469 - 1527 Renaissance Italian

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Biographical Core

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was a Florentine diplomat, philosopher, writer, and historian, considered the founder of modern political science. He served as secretary of the Florentine Republic's chancery from 1498, undertaking missions to France, Germany, and Cesare Borgia. After the Medici returned to power in 1512, he was imprisoned, tortured, and exiled to his farm at Albergaccio, where he wrote his seminal work 'The Prince' in 1513, emphasizing pragmatic 'verità effettuale' over moralistic ideals[1][2][3].

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