Cast of Characters
The characters in this novel are highly fictionalized depictions of historical people, unless otherwise noted.
Nico and Family
Nico: Niccolò Machiavelli. (1469-1527) Historian, comedian, tragedian. Second Secretary to the Chancellor of the Florentine Republic. Author of Il Principe (“The Prince”).
Papà: Bernardino Machiavelli, father of Niccolò Machiavelli
Mamma: Bartolomea Machiavelli, mother of Niccolò Machiavelli
Prima: Primavera Machiavelli, sister of Niccolò Machiavelli
Totto: Totto Machiavelli, younger brother of Niccolò Machiavelli
Nico’s Friends
Alessandra: Alessandra Scala. Daughter of Bartolomeo Scala. Poet, scholar, actress. An actual person, she only seems fictional.
Marullo: Michael Tarchaniota Marullus. Greek poet, humanist scholar, mercenary soldier, and courtier to Ferrante of Naples and Charles VIII of France. Husband of Alessandra Scala. An actual person, he only seems fictional.
Gio: Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici. Cousin of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Later renounced his Medici name and called himself Il Popolano (“The Commoner”). He married Caterina Sforza, Countess of Forli, in 1497. Their only child was Giovanni delle Bande Nere, a legendary condottiero. Their grandson, Cosimo, became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. An actual person, he only seems fictional.
Francesco: Francesco Vettori. Florentine patrician and lawyer. Friend, colleague, and correspondent of Niccolò Machiavelli.
Giangalli: Member of Piero de’ Medici’s brigata, later a courier for Torr’ e Tasso. Friend of Nico’s. Fictional character.
Gus: Agostino Vespucci, colleague, friend, and publisher of Niccolò Machiavelli. Friend also of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Cousin of Amerigo Vespucci.
Cecco: Francesco Guicciardini. Diplomat, politician, historian. Friend and correspondent of Niccolò Machiavelli.
Rosaline: Friend of Prima and Nico. Fictional character.
Curly: Refugee, spy, prostitute. Though there was a Florentine courtesan known as ‘La Riccia’ with whom Machiavelli was anonymously charged with “committing the unmentionable vice,” this is otherwise a fictional character.
Claudio: Employee at the Signoria. Fictional character.
Donato the Ciarlatano: Composite for the street hucksters –ciarlatani – common in Florence. Fictional character.
The Medici
Lorenzo: Lorenzo “The Magnificent” de’ Medici – Unofficial ‘prince’ of Florence. Grandson of Cosimo de’ Medici; son of Piero “The Gouty” de’ Medici. Father of Piero “The Unfortunate” de’ Medici.
Giuliano: Giuliano de’ Medici. Younger brother of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Assassinated in the Pazzi Conspiracy on 26 April 1478.
Piero: Piero de’ Medici. Son of Lorenzo de’ Medici. The unofficial ‘prince’ of Florence after his father’s death. Known to history as ‘Il Fatuo,’ which some translate as ‘the Unfortunate,’ others as ‘the Fatuous.’ I like to think of him as ‘the Dumbass.’
Leo: Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici. Son of Lorenzo de’ Medici; named a cardinal in 1492. Elected pope (Leo X) in 1513.
Giuliano: The other Giuliano de’ Medici, youngest child of Lorenzo the Magnificent, named for his assassinated uncle. He was the original dedicatee of ‘The Prince.’
Lena: Maddalena de’ Medici. Daughter of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Later married to Franceschetto Cybo, son of Pope Innocent VIII.
Lady Rucellai: Nannina de’ Medici Rucellai. Sister of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Wife of Florentine oligarch, patron, and politician Bernardo Rucellai.
Bibbiena: Piero da Bibbiena, private secretary to Lorenzo de’ Medici and, after Lorenezo’s death, to Piero de’ Medici.
Tornabuoni: Composite of several members of the Florentine Tornabuoni family. Girolamo Tornabuoni, Piero’s cousin and advisor, was killed in the uprising of November 1494.
Orsini: Composite of several members of the Roman Orsini family. Paolo, bastard son of Piero’s Roman in-laws, was a condottiero and primary military advisor to Piero. Strangled by Cesare Borgia in 1503. Giuliano, Paolo Orsini’s brother and also a condottiero, was taken hostage by the French during the sack of Rapallo.
Alfonsina: Alfonsina Orsini de’ Medici: Piero’s Roman wife, cousin of Orsini.
Other Florentines
Chancellor Scala: Bartolomeo Scala. Politician, historian, scholar. Chancellor of Florence. Father of Alessandra Scala.
The Frate: Girolamo Savonarola. Dominican friar, Prior of the Convent of San Marco. Later, Chancellor of the Florentine republic.
The Bishop: Francesco Soderini. Bishop of Volterra, later Cardinal Soderini. A mentor and patron of the young Niccolò Machiavelli. Youngest of the Soderini brothers.
The Judge: Paolantonio Soderini. Jurist. Eldest of the Soderini brothers.
The Capo: Piero Soderini. Politician, later Gonfaloniere-for-life of the Florentine Republic.
The Encyclopedia: A fictional composite character. Poliziano and Pico della Mirandola are the main references for politically-connected scholars in Florence associated with “neo-Platonism.”
Lady Niccolini: “Gina” – Ginerva de Benci Niccolini. Patron of Florentine arts. Subject of a portrait by Leonardo da Vinci.
Sandro: Sandro Botticelli. Painter.
Fra Angelico: Dominican friar, painter
Leonardo: Leonardo da Vinci. Painter, genius.
Big Mike: Michelangelo Buonarroti. Painter, sculptor.
Lascaris: Janus Lascaris. Greek scholar in Florence. Patronized by Lorenzo de’ Medici.
Lady Fedele: Cassandra Fedele. Venetian scholar. Correspondent of Alessandra Scala.
Father Bechi: Ricciardo Bechi. Priest. Apostolic Nuncio (diplomatic representative of the church) of Florence in Rome
Iacomino: Commissioner Antonio Giacomini Thebalduti. Condottiero.