"His time is far away, but belong to our many problems that Machiavelli lived and studied, belong to it for cultural, stylistic and psychological before the general historical or political. Machiavelli is indeed the center of the Italian and European Renaissance, but its orbit is irregular. Along the lines of the Renaissance proceeding with extreme intellectual method which is reflected in some few companions of ideas. Its orbit will rise to almost those of other masters of his time: Francois Rabelais, Francis Giucciardini, the farthest planet Michel De Montaigne, the poetic magic of Ludovico Ariosto, "so the book introduces Villari. And this portrait of Machiavelli is recommended for several reasons : language sliding the discussion and commentary of the works-including those that the school memories we have made "minor" - ours, the very human story of biographical episodes, the analysis of the diplomatic activity of Nicholas. Far from classroom, away from haste and anxiety to perform searches and inspections to which his name, to many, remains tied, Machiavelli speaks a language enthusiast and current, as in this passage of "Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius": - They are vile and detestable men [...] de sinks' kingdoms and republics, enemies of virtue and letters and every other art and utility that will bring honor to the human generation -.
Lucio Villari, Niccolo Machiavelli. An intellectual history of "Italian" in an Italy torn and divided, Piemme 2003.
