Machiavelli and Castiglione, the Principe and the Libro del Cortegiano: the two authors and the two works, situated against different historical backgrounds, are the result of biographical and cultural experiences that are not comparable, an they therefore express a vision of mankind, of the world and of power, that are, at least on the surface, diametrically opposed. However, here is room for attempting a useful comparison of the two texts: the Principe, in fact, does not speak expressly of the court, as the theatre of political and diplomatic action where those who detain power play out their roles. Neither does the work of Machiavelli mention explicitly the social or professional category of the courtier, which is instead the principle topic of Castiglione’s text. Nonetheless, also in the Principe it is recognised that who has to take care of the conservation of the state, administrating it, needs to have qualified staff at his service: he needs ministers and secretaries, secret advisers and faithful executors of the prince’s wishes.
Machiavelli died in Florence in June 1527, and his work was printed and published for the first time in 1532. Castiglione died in Toledo in 1529, just a few months after the first edition of The Cortegiano. Therefore it is certain that neither author had the possibility of seeing the printed version of the others work of art. But, while it seems unlikely that Machiavelli had read The Cortegiano, or parts of it, in manuscript form, the opposite cannot be precluded. It seems, in fact, possible that Castiglione had read a manuscript of the Principe, the circulation of which has been documented as early as 1517, thanks to a copy made available to him by one of his friends who was in direct contact, if not with Machiavelli himself, with the Florentine environment (for example, with Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena, Giuliano de’ Medici, or even Leone X and the Cradinal Giulio de’ Medici, later Pope Clemente VII). If this hypothesis is correct, the Principe must be included among the sources of The Cortegiano, as a fundamental stimulus for Castiglione in his thoughts on the figure of the prince and his relationship with his advisers.
An impossible dialogue?
