The Black Prince of Florence: Alessandro de' Medici Biography
Catherine Fletcher's comprehensive biography chronicles the life of Alessandro de' Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo II de' Medici and a dark-skinned maid. Born into the most powerful dynasty of the Italian Renaissance, Alessandro was groomed for leadership from birth. In 1532, at nineteen years old, he became Duke of Florence with backing from both the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope, navigating a treacherous landscape of family rivals and oligarchs.
This is the first complete account of Alessandro's life, offering a real-world parallel to Machiavelli's Prince. His six-year reign was marked by political intrigue, opulence, and constant power struggles. In 1537, he was murdered during a late-night tryst orchestrated by a scheming cousin. Fletcher reveals how Alessandro was "assassinated twice: first with a sword, then with a pen," as his enemies rewrote his legacy to justify his death as tyrannicide.
Historical Significance and Racial Identity
Alessandro's story extends beyond Renaissance politics into centuries of debate about racial identity. Following his death, enemies emphasized his racial origin to portray him as a savage ruler, justifying his assassination. Later scholars, including Arturo Alfonso Schomburg in 1931, recognized him as potentially the first ruler of color in the Western world. Schomburg's article in The Crisis magazine, then edited by W.E.B. Du Bois, called Alessandro the "Negro Medici."
What This Biography Covers
Fletcher unravels centuries-old mysteries and exposes historical forgeries while bringing to life the epic personalities of the era—artists, popes, queens, and commoners alike. The narrative reveals how Alessandro's racial identity has been interpreted and reinterpreted over centuries, demonstrating that such identity often remains in the eye of the beholder. The book examines his sexual conquests, political maneuvering, and the constant struggle to maintain power in one of history's most colorful periods.
