Riveting book about Medici that is hard to put down. What an interesting character he was in history. There are lots of twists and turns in this story and with this character. Like books that are based on real people and the authors take on the research that was used to develop the book about this character. Very interesting.

The Black Prince of Florence The Spectacular Life and Treacherous World of Alessandro dé Medici by Catherine Fletcher a book published by Oxford University Press.

If you are a passionate of Italy, if you fall in love for Florence because once you visited it or just you want to discover more about Florentine's Rinascimental history, this book is for you.

In an engaging tale that will keep you intrigued, we will discover the most powerful family of Florence in the 1500, the one of dé Medici focusing in particular in the character of Alessandro, called the Black Prince because a bastard of Lorenzo and Simunetta a lady of oriental origins and a slave at the Medici's mansion probably and so black if compared to the rest of the family.
Simunetta, his mother, was married but for what it is known, she made happy also other men of dè Medici, but probably the dad was Lorenzo the Magnificent.

The problem of a new guide when Lorenzo dé Medici called the Magnificent died for syphilis. There were two bastards: one Ippolito son of Giuliano and the other one Alessandro son of Lorenzo.

At the end the choice fell on Alessandro.

Lovers of weapons, Alessandro loved to collecting and presenting them to his friends. He did all his best for bettering the condition of Florence and surrounding areas, during his seven years of reign, Urbino included in his jurisdiction. He didn't spend a lot for Cortona it is remarked, just 1000 lire.

As many other powerful people at the end he was killed without too many compliments for a conspiracy. Trust me: at that time it was a miracle to staying alive if you were an important man. I discovered that there was a certain Agostino da Gubbio tailor of Alessandro.

Beautiful biography, reading this book was like to meet the protagonists of this fascinating book thanks to a wonderful writing-style and a fresh historic beautiful real tale. The author loved to treat the topic and that is why this book is so powerful.


I thank NetGalley and Oxford University Press for the digital copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I am such a sucker for History and this book certanily didn't disappoint. Brilliant!

Having read much about the de Medici, I was instinctively drawn to this tome about one of the more obtuse characters and another case of where fact far outstrips fiction.

Born on the wrong side of the blanket, Alessandro emerged on the tempestuous political scene of Renaissance Florence at the same time as another incorragable character - his kinsman and bitter rival, Ippolito.

Florentine politics was dominated by family, money and the Church - these were the main avenues of power, and the de Medici had all three in spades. And it was against this backdrop that bitter and bloody family rivalries were played out along side the scheming intrigues of the city's oligarchs, who strove to keep power out of the hands of the de Medici.

The de Medici, however, were favoured by the Church - the illegitimate Guilio de Medici sat upon the papal throne as Pope Clement VII - he was able to obtain a cardinal's hat for Ippolito (much to his chagrin for he also wanted to rule Florence). Add to this, Alessandro's marriage to the all power Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and what we have is a powerful ruler, whose illegitimacy in no way proved a barrier.

From extensive research, Fletcher successfully debunks many of the myths surrounding this engmatic man. We find that Alessandro, far from being a fool, a cruel tyrant, a murderer (as his was often portrayed), was scholarly, engrossing, charming, and a patron of the arts. We also find that the colour of his skin was in no way an issue or impediment during his own lifetime, for his friend and foes alike - that came much later. His life was indeed full of feuds, assassinations, duplicity, jealousy and betrayal - that merely was the norm of the day, and was no different from other parts of Renaissance Europe.

Fletcher provides a sympathetic work of a forgotten and much maligned prince. The writing is dramatic, yet entertaining, dramatic, suspenseful, and accessible. A worthy addition to anyone's personal library.