Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Cesare Borgia

*Analyzes Cesare's legacy and how it endured over the centuries. *Examines the legends and rumors surrounding Cesare's life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. *Includes pictures depicting Cesare and other important people in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. *Includes a Table of Contents. "Cesare Borgia was considered cruel; nonetheless, that cruelty united Romagna and brought it peace and stability. On careful reflection, he was more merciful than the Florentines, who, in order to avoid being seen as cruel, allowed Pistoia to be destroyed. Therefore a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies.” – Machiavelli, The Prince The Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. But it also had its fair share of notorious villains and legendary characters, such as the Borgias. In Charles River Editors’ Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.