Dear citizens of Florence, the entire city is observing a period
  of mourning, for the great merchant Michelangelo de Inverno who has passed from
  this life into the next. In the year 1513, at noon in front of the Duomo Santa
  Maria del Fiore on June 15th, the great merchant was stabbed 7 times, by an
  unknown assassin in full view of the crowd of 100 citizens entering for mass.
At this time the assassin remains at large, with few reliable descriptions
despite the numerous witnesses, the one fact everyone is certain of, is that
this man was dressed as a citizen from Roma. The kind Medici family has offered
to bury Michelangelo in their own private crypt in the Medici Chapel at San
Lorenzo. Inverno, a long time business associate and friend of the family since
1495 during the early stages of the expulsion of the Medici, he had supplied
them with arms and armor for their army to fight the usurper, Savonarola’s
soldiers. For his support of the family during that trying time, and his
continued partnership of his mercantile shops and their banking houses, they
have decided to honor their good relations with Inverno, and because they also
have lost a family member at Duomo Santa Maria, they will be burying him in the
private Medici family crypt. With the absence of Michelangelo de Inverno, his
son Giovanni Inverno will take up the command of the shops when he becomes of
age. At this moment there is a dispute among the Inverno family for control of
the vast merchant stalls in Venice, the Florentine blacksmith forges, and the
fleet of trade ships coming and going from the Ottomans at Istanbul. Victoria
Inverno is fighting desperately for control of the empire but is encountering
fierce resistance from Michelangelo’s cousins. While all members swear that they
will bow down and succeed control of the expansive trade empire and control of
the mercenary forces, they continue to fight about who is the most eligible to
run the empire for the 6 years until Giovanni becomes 18. This dispute is
leaving many northern cities with a shortage of finely processed wool, causing
prices there to rise to all-time highs. Many armies are finding their hired
mercenaries uneasy because of the lack of valid contracting with Michelangelo’s
passing and the dis-organization of the records among the disputing family.
Relatedly, the private police force employed by Inverno to protect the general
area around his shops, and his associates’ shops to, encourage business by
protecting the customer’s money, is unsure whether or not they will receive
payment this month or from whom, causing many to abandon their posts. Crimes,
specifically theft and mugging in the merchant districts of Florence and Venice
have experienced a steep rise since Michelangelo’s passing. His death leaves the
streets unsafe at night and the leaders of both cities have issued a mandatory
curfew for all citizens in and around the merchant districts. The shops, once
the pride of Invero’s business, that he renovated using his own money, are
reporting expense maintenance of all degrees in both cities with the damages
adding to over 40,000 gold florins total. Also, many of the shops around
Inverno’s stalls are petitioning for money from the leaders to supply the
expense coverage needed to maintain their shop improvements. Inverno bought
these improvements to make the street more attractive and further encourage
trade, he previously maintained the improvements, which were gifts from Inverno
in the first place. With the murder of Michelangelo de Inverno, a trade empire
is left withering on the vine cutting a major mercantile artery in Florence,
Venice, Istabul, and among numerous northern European cities. Both Florence and
Venice are left in need of a larger more organized police force to fill the void
of that Inverno’s occupied, to make the streets safe for trade again. They also
are trying to fund the many shops so that they maintain their4 visual
attractiveness and because of this trade. Many mercenaries in armies all over
Europe are left confused and leaderless, as well as without the supplies of
grain they relied upon from Inverno. Citizens all over Italy who relied upon
Inverno for support and patronage find themselves alone and afraid for the
future under the control of Inverno’s so far incapable family dynamic. The
artistic stalls that once lined the market district are on the verge of collapse
due to lack of funding that Inverno once supplied. The Medici bank will be
closed at noon tomorrow for the funerary services with a small period of one day
for mourning. Truly with the amount of peace and beauty Inverno brought to the
cities as well as the amount of money he created throughout the markets have
caused citizens all over Europe to mourn the passing of a Titan.                                       

With all of my new found wealth from my budding trade business in the
Ottoman Empire, I have patronized an artist. An establish sculptor named
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, who most just call Donatello.
He is a truly gifted sculptor, with statues so life like you would swear that
they blink. I have asked him to build a grand monument to my deceased father,
who started the family on the road to success, brandishing a sword over his head
and standing proud for all to see. My father will never know death, and the city
of Florence will know how grand our family truly is! The statue is being handled
by the most competent sculptor in all of Italy. I have seen some of his earlier
monuments and was quite impressed, the statue of St. George looks as if he will
step down off the pedestal at any minute. I want the people of Florence too look
upon my family with wonder, fear, and respect. This statue will make all of
these things come true, with Donatello as my tool we can make a monument to last
for all time! I must speak with him shortly to see how it is going, I must tell
Donatello that money is no object; I want this to look as grand and impressive
as possible I will let nothing stand in the way, for how can you put a price on
the awe held over the populace? I have already purchased a spot to place it near
our palazzo on the Arno. With any luck the testimony to one of the most powerful
merchants in Florence and Venice will soon be at hand. My buildings and
renovations are already bringing in the social power that comes from excessive
patronage; however it will be nothing in comparison to what my social status
will do when all of the citizens gaze upon my family’s ancestral glory. It will
also make those who mean to cross us think twice, for how would they cause
trouble to a beloved and feared merchant family without my network of subjects
coming to my aid. The murderous scum who killed my father will be forever
looking over his shoulder with this statue standing in Florence. Donatello has
already given the name for this statue, the ‘Angelus Custos’ or the ‘Guardian
Angel’ oh, how I wish my father is looking down upon my growing success with
pride, now in some way I will know he is. However I must guard myself for delays
and setbacks, Donatello said that he was out of marble blocks the size I
required, I have been working on getting him one but I cannot find a single
artist who has one not already reserved. I refuse to let my father look like
some sort of medieval tapestry, devoid of all life and vibrancy that once filled
him, I must find a suitable chunk of marble! For too long my family has been
forced to endure the criminally uninspired works brought before us by artist
still clinging to the classical styles. No more, I will not let the first
suitable artist skilled in the ancient ways slip through my fingers over
disputes for a chunk of rock. I will have my statue, even if it means buying
every other patrons carved work and having Donatello reshape it into my father,
my Angelus Custos. Progress has benn slow to say the least, but I am confident
Donatello will find a way to use his knowledge from the ancient world to
suppress the other patrons’ works and make mine the most beautiful for years to
come.         

What important elements of the Renaissance are demonstrated by Machiavelli’s “The Prince”?

            In the Prince, Machiavelli demonstrates the renaissance characteristic of humanism, as clearly stated by Machiavelli by saying that princes have control over their actions, not God. It also shows secularism because if you were not focused on this world, you wouldn’t care if you spent all of your wealth on the public and you would only slightly care if something happened to your hold over the state if your focus was preparing for the world to come. Most importantly is the characteristic of individualism, where the princes, believes it is all because of him that the state is coming together or falling apart. All of this put together creates a feeling of skepticism in the fact that renaissance princes would question the control of a medieval God over the entire world.    

What makes “The Prince” historically significant?

            The Prince is historically significant because it tells a leader what he must do and how he must act to both lead a strong state and what the leader must do to control the people without having them rebel against him. It gives a code of conduct to cover up a leader’s short comings as well as how to spend money to improve the state and still maintain at least neutrality from the people. Machiavelli shows why being to kind and generous is dangerous, in some cases more dangerous than being cruel to the people. It shows how to keep hold of a state from invaders, and deals with the difficulty most leaders face when their people are safe but their possessions are being burned outside their protective walls.

   To what extent to you agree or disagree with Machiavelli’s advice for princes?

            Machiavelli, that brilliant mastermind, he wrote the standard for any leader in any time. Without Machiavelli where would leaders turn to for orders? This is an incredible tool, if I follow this to a certain extent, I may be able to lead the people I patronize and become the greatest merchant of all time. He makes sense when you think about it plainly, don’t recklessly spend the tax money, never endanger your state through a vice, and only give the people what they need when you think they need it. For a merchant of my size and prospective size, I need to know how to control the people while keeping my patrons, workers, and customers content and shops in good appearance. Using the Prince I can manage this while hiding my darkest secrets from the public eye and appearing to have virtues. I will look like a stand up character, while not having to be one. I can hold the respect and contentment of the people while making money. What is not to love about Machiavelli’s road for success and wealth?