Francesco Guicciardini (1487-1540) was an Italian statesman and writer. During his lifetime he created 221 maxims which ranged from living a better life to military matters. Here are ten of our favourites, along with some paintings from the period.
The Ricordi by Francesco Guicciardini has been translated several times – these were taken from Francesco Guicciardini: Selected Writings, by Margaret Grayson (Oxford University Press, 1965). You can also read an 1890 edition – Counsels and Reflections of Francesco Guicciardini, translated by Ninian Hill Thomson, which is available through Archive.org
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