Renaissance Florence
The Department of French & Italian and the Renaissance Studies Program present a lecture by
Roger Masters
Machiavelli and Leonardo: How a Failed Cooperation Shaped the Origins of Modernity
Thursday, April 27, 2006
4:00 pm
Sassafras Room, Indiana Memorial Union
Roger Masters is Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor Emeritus of Government at Dartmouth College. This presentation is based on his book Fortune Is a River: Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli's Magnificent Dream to Change the Course of Florentine History (Penguin/Plume, 1998). Masters’ talk will focus on developments in early 16th century Italy and how failed cooperation shaped the origins of modernity, specifically the failed scheme to build a series of canals that would extend the Arno River to the sea. Had their plan succeeded, Florence would have become a world power. Machiavelli might have never fallen from political power and been imprisoned; da Vinci might never have departed for Milan, Rome, and France—and the further failures and glories of his career. Publisher’s Weekly has noted that Master’s book provides “a remarkable window on the birth of the modern age.”
If you have a disability and need assistance, accommodations can be made to meet most needs. Please call 855-5458.
