Tomb of Machiavelli
In Santa Croce, ten paces from Michelangelo's, and twenty paces from Galileo's. Lousy photo - they don't allow flash.
As Maggie's Farm readers know, Nick Machiavelli (1469-1527), the father of modern political science, was no dark, cynical, sinister thinker, just a hard-headed realist about human nature and�the handling of political power. Practical, and a good writer, too.
A few�of my favorite sound bites:
"Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society."
"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
"The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous."�
"The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos, crazy for love."�