Source: Medievalists.net
by unattributed
“Few voices from the Middle Ages speak to us as directly as Francesco Guicciardini’s. Born in Florence in 1483, he rose to prominence as a statesman and diplomat in a world of feuding city-states, papal power plays, and constant betrayals. Unlike many political thinkers of his time, Guicciardini did not deal in ideals — he dealt in survival. His Ricordi politici e civili (‘Political and Civil Maxims’) is a collection of sharp reflections drawn from decades in government. These are not lofty meditations on virtue, but hard-nosed lessons in how people really act: selfishly, calculatingly, and often deceptively. At times sly, at times cold, Guicciardini’s advice has the ring of lived experience.” [hat tip – JR] (08/25)
https://www.medievalists.net/2025/08/medieval-wisdom-for-modern-politics/