Describes how a fifteenth-century goldsmith and clockmaker, Filippo Brunelleschi, came up with a unique design for the dome to crown Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, in a dramatic study set against the turbulent backdrop of Renaissance Italy. Reprint.

A biography of the famous writer, notorious libertine, and self-invented genius describes how he grew up among spies and informants in Venice, was arrested for reading forbidden books, escaped from prison, and toured the continent, finally joining the court of Catherine the Great.

Draws on Italian archives and authoritative sources to evaluate the life and legacy of the fifteenth-century art patron and statesman, tracing his relationships with Renaissance artists and world leaders, his role in making Florence a cultural capital, and his numerous brushes with death. Reprint.

Combining pulsing narrative and careful research, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and National Book Award finalist tells how a Jewish boy's kidnapping began the decline of the Vatican's political power. Reprint. 17,500 first printing.

Traces the story of a seventeenth-century mistress who significantly influenced the Catholic church and international policy in Rome during the reign of her lover and brother-in-law, Pope Innocent X, in an account that describes her humble origins, strategic marriages, and Vatican powers. 40,000 first printing.

The magnificent and definitive history of the Eternal City, narrated by a master historian.

Opening a window on Renaissance Florence and two of its geniuses, the author traces the little-known friendship between da Vinci and Machiavelli and their joint effort to fulfill da Vinci's extravagant dream of turning Florence into a seaport. 30,000 first printing.

"Ruler of Florence for seven bloody years, 1531 to 1537, Alessandro de' Medici was arguably the first person of color to serve as a head of state in the Western world. Born out of wedlock to a dark-skinned maid and Lorenzo de' Medici, he was the last legitimate heir to the line of Lorenzo the Magnificent. When Alessandro's noble father died of syphilis, the family looked to him. Groomed for power, he carved a path through the backstabbing world of Italian politics in a time when cardinals, popes, and princes vied for wealth and advantage. By the age of nineteen, he was prince of Florence, inheritor of the legacy of the grandest dynasty of the Italian Renaissance. Alessandro faced down family rivalry and enormous resistance from Florence's oligarchs, who called him a womanizer-which he undoubtedly was--and a tyrant. Yet this real-life counterpart to Machiavelli's Prince kept his grip on power until he was assassinated at the age of 26 during a late-night tryst arranged by his scheming cousins. After his death, his brief but colorful reign was criticized by those who had murdered him in a failed attempt to restore the Florentine republic. For the first time, the true story is told in The Black Prince of Florence. Catherine Fletcher tells the riveting tale of Alessandro's unexpected rise and spectacular fall, unraveling centuries-old mysteries, exposing forgeries, and bringing to life the epic personalities of the Medicis, Borgias, and others as they waged sordid campaigns to rise to the top. Drawing on newresearch and first-hand sources, this biography of a most intriguing Renaissance figure combines archival scholarship with discussions of race and class that are still relevant today."--Provided by publisher.