"Of those things for which men, and especially princes, are praised or blamed"
The 2,300 square metres of the Italy Guest of Honour Pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair, designed by Studio Boeri, pulse like a beating heart within a corolla of rooms, drawing in visitors with an invitation to explore our cultural heritage. The heart of the pavilion is a square inspired by medieval villages, branching out into various exhibition spaces. Here, the roots of knowledge engage in dialogue with their future.
The exhibition dedicated to Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, a posthumous masterpiece that continues to provoke debate over the management of power, leadership and the nature of political reasoning, of its autonomy and necessity, holds great value. It explores "those things for which men, and especially princes, are praised and blamed".
Eternity and relevance
The interplay with factual reality, whether approached with naivety or cynicism, along with ethical considerations and the roles of virtue and fortune, are themes that continue to warrant critical examination even after more than five centuries. Transcending the negative connotations of ‘Machiavellism,’ the exhibition seeks to highlight the revolutionary nature of Machiavelli's thought, a perspective that continues to resonate with the contemporary world.
The Prince, originally titled De Principatibus, was written in 1513, during the period when Machiavelli was in exile from Florence following the return of the Medici. The work, dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici, Duke of Urbino, is a treatise in twenty-six chapters exploring valuable precepts for a prince for the purposes of fortifying his principality. Published in 1532, five years after the author's death, The Prince has exerted, and continues to exert, significant influence across more than five centuries and various historical contexts. Despite its varying fortunes - whether censured or celebrated according to the spirit of the times - it has had a profound global impact, aided by its widespread circulation.
The Prince has conquered the world
Alongside The Divine Comedy and Pinocchio, The Prince is one of the most widely translated works in Italian literature. Beyond its intrinsic literary value, it has been, and continues to be, highly regarded by philosophers, political scientists, historians and anyone interested in exploring the complexities of human action, with all its nuances and contradictions. Since 1969, the year commemorating the fifth centenary of Machiavelli's birth, all his works have been translated into major modern languages, including European languages, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean, reaching a global audience of hundreds of millions.
Its enduring success among both admirers and critics is reflected in the myriad of products inspired by his persona, a diverse range of merchandise, and an array of objects that have survived through the ages. His surname has evolved beyond its original meaning to become a widely recognised term; "Machiavellian," which can imply either brilliance or cunning and never fails to fascinate.
From exquisite editions to a diverse range of merchandise, the thousand faces of The Prince
This is why the exhibition dedicated to The Prince will take visitors on a journey through its diverse meanings and the ebb and flow of history, filled with surprises and curiosities. A valuable 16th-century portrait of Machiavelli, attributed to Pedro de Rubiales, will be displayed alongside his likeness featured on a 1935 Egyptian cigarette packet. An exceptionally rare manuscript of The Prince from Perugia's Augusta Library will be showcased next to an anonymous 1640 clandestine edition, together with prized 20th-century French and English editions.
Machiavelli also features on coins and banknotes, in games and video games and on the covers of notebooks and CD cases. This seamless blend of past, present and future perfectly captures the spirit of Italy as Guest of Honour in Frankfurt: memories as the catalyst for the future. With the occasional quirky misprint, such as the Angolan stamp from 2000 bearing an incorrect publication date for The Prince, these examples vividly illustrate the widespread admiration and dissemination of Machiavelli's work. It is one of many such instances from around the globe, spanning over five centuries of history.