Rulers and Reigns in Machiavelli's Europe
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| Year | Seq | Place | Person | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1422 | 0 | France | Charles VII | Charles VII was known as Charles the Well-Served (or the Victorious). He was well served by Jeanne d'Arc who inspired the victory that lifted the seige of Orléans and won the battle of Battle of Patay (1429), which allowed Charles to be crowned at Rimes. Patay was the turning point of the 100 Years war, which concluded in 1453 with the Battle of Castillon at which Charles forces under Jean Bureau defeated John Talbot. |
| 1431 | 0 | Papacy | Eugenius IV | Succeeded Martin V, who was the first pope after the Great Schism of the Papacy (1378 - 1417). |
| 1434 | 0 | Florence | Cosimo | Cosimo takes power after ousting the old ruling oligarchi headed by the Albizzi family. Cosimo parlayed his family's banking empire into political power becoming a political boss in Florence, a political system that Niccolò Machiavelli called a Cival Principality. |
| 1435 | 0 | Naples | Alfonso I of Naples | |
| 1440 | 0 | Empire | Frederick III | |
| 1447 | 0 | Papacy | Nicholas V | |
| 1447 | 0 | Milan | Ambrosian Republic | |
| 1450 | 0 | Milan | Francesco I Sforza | Francesco I Sforza overthroughs the Ambrosian Republic in Milan. Recieved support from Cosimo de Mecici. Marks major realignment of power coalitions among the big 5. Was Florence and Venice vs. Milan and Naples. Now Florence and Milan vs. Venice and Naples, Pope is still the balancer. |
| 1455 | 0 | Papacy | Calixtus III | Formerly, Alfonso de Borgia, Calixus was the first Borgia pope. |
| 1457 | 0 | Papacy | Pius II | Enea Silvio Piccolomini |
| 1458 | 0 | Naples | Ferdinand I of Naples | Also know as Ferdinand of Arogon, but not to be confused with Ferdinand the Catholic of Arogon, who was king of what was becoming Spain. |
| 1461 | 0 | France | Louis XI (the Spider) | |
| 1464 | 0 | Florence | Piero (the Gouty) | Piero succeeds to the position of first citizen on the death of Cosimo but lacks official status. Members of Cosimo's ruling coalition challenge Piero, but Piero takes firm measures and consolidates power of the Medici regime. |
| 1464 | 1 | Papacy | Paul II | Formerly, Pietro Barbo |
| 1466 | 0 | Milan | Galeazzo III Maria Sforza | |
| 1469 | 0 | Florence | Lorenzo (the Magnificant) | Takes control easily and without challenge on Piero's death. However, the Medici Bank declines. Survives an assasscination attempt by members of the Pazzi family but emerges from the incident stronger and achieves near total control of the government. Machiavelli born in Florance. |
| 1471 | 0 | Papacy | Sixtus IV | Formerly, Francesco della Rovere. Sixtus practiced nepotism on a grand scale and built the Sistine Chapel. |
| 1476 | 0 | Milan | Gian Galeazzo II Sforza | |
| 1479 | 0 | Spain | Ferdinand V of Aragon (The Catholic) and Isabella of Castile. | Aragon and Casstile united by death of John II of Aragon and succession of son Ferdinand II of Aragon, who had already been married to Isabella of Castile. |
| 1483 | 0 | France | Charles VIII (Father of his People) | |
| 1484 | 0 | Papacy | Innocent VIII | |
| 1486 | 0 | Empire | Maximilian I | |
| 1492 | 0 | Florence | Piero (the Fatuous) | Piero, Lorenzo's first son succeeded to his father's position as head of the regime. Piero's diplomatic blunders durnig the first French invasion casused a revolution during which the Medici were driven out of Florence and the Bank collapsed. |
| 1492 | 1 | Papacy | Alexander VI | Alexandar VI was Rodrigo Borgia, the father of Cesare Borgia. Cesare is Machiavelli's leading example of a Prince who founds an entirely new state from scratch, but does so, not by his own power, but by the means of a more powerful ruler, in this case his father, the pope. |
| 1494 | 0 | Florence | Republic | Florence founds a republic modeled on that of Venice. Piero Soiderini is named "Standard-bearer of Justice" for life, a position analogous to the Doge of Venice. Machiavelli's career flourishes during this period. The Republic remained an ally of France. |
| 1494 | 1 | Naples | Alfonso II of Naples | |
| 1494 | 2 | Milan | Ludovico Sforza | |
| 1495 | 0 | Naples | Ferdinand II of Naples | |
| 1496 | 0 | Naples | Frederick IV of Naples | |
| 1498 | 0 | Milan | Louis XII of France | Machiavelli becomes Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence. |
| 1500 | 0 | Milan | Ludovico Sforza | |
| 1500 | 1 | Milan | Louis XII of France | |
| 1503 | 0 | Papacy | Pius III | Pius, Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, would have been more favorable to Cesare Borgia than was his successor. |
| 1503 | 1 | Papacy | Pope Julius II | Julius was Giuliano della Rovere, known as the warrior pope. He was a lifelong enemy of the Borgia. Julius was Pope during the last year that Niccolò held office 1513 |
| 1504 | 0 | Spain | Joanna I (the mad) rules in Castile | |
| 1506 | 0 | Naples | Ferdinand III of Naples | |
| 1506 | 1 | Spain | Philip I (the hansome) rules in Castile | |
| 1512 | 0 | Florence | Giovanni (later Pope Leo X) | Troops of the Spanish/Papal alliance ousted the French, defeated Florence, and restored the Medici regime in Florence. The anti-French alliance installed Giovanni de Midici, Lorenz the Magnificant's second son and a Cardinal as head of the government in Florence. Giovanni was Lorenzo The Magnificant's second son. When Spain and Pope defeat the republic, the alliance install Medici to Florence. Niccolò Machiavelli was thrown out of office and briefly imprisoned. |
| 1512 | 1 | Milan | Massimiliano Sforza | Machiavelli driven from office. Massimiliano is Lodovico Sforza's son. |
| 1513 | 0 | Papacy | Leo X | Leo, Giovanni de’ Medici, was the pope who held office when Niccolò wrote The Prince |
| 1513 | 1 | Florence | Giuliano (Duke of Nemours) | After Giovanni became Pope Leo X, he installed Giuliano as his puppet ruler in Florence. Machiavelli dedicates The Prince to Giuliano but after Giuliano's death changed the dedication to Lorenzo II (Duke of Urbino). |
| 1513 | 2 | Florence | Lorenzo II (Duke of Urbino) | After Giuliano's sudden death, Leo X installed Lorenzo as his puppet ruler in Florence. Lorenzo II was the son of Piero the Fatuous and the Grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificant. |
| 0 | Milan | Francis I of France | ||
| 1515 | 1 | France | Francis I | |
| 1516 | 0 | Naples | Charles I | |
| 1516 | 1 | Spain | Joanna I (the mad) rules in Araton | |
| 1516 | 2 | Spain | Charles I (later to become Holy Roman Emperor) | |
| 1519 | 0 | Papacy | Giulio (later Pope Clement VII) | On the death of Lorenzo II, Giovanni (Pope Leo X) appointed Giulio as puttet ruler of Florence. Giulio was the bastard son of Lorenzo the Magnificant's brother Giuliano, who was assicinated in the Pazzi conspiracy. |
| 1519 | 1 | Empire | Charles V (Empire) = Charles I (Spain) | Charles I of Spain is elected Holy Roman Emperor |
| 1521 | 0 | Milan | Francesco II Sforza | Son of Lodovico, and brother of Massimiliano |
| 1522 | 0 | Papacy | Adrian VI | |
| 1523 | 0 | Papacy | Clement VII | Giulio de’ Medici |
| 1523 | 1 | Florence | Ippolito and Alessandro | Ippolito (1511-1535) was the illigitemate son of Giuliano (Duke of Nemours). Alessandro (1511-1537) was the illegetimate son of Lorenzo (Duke of Urbino). Both Ippolito and Alessandro we also appointees of the Pope and together are often referred to as the Medici bastards. |
| 1524 | 0 | Milan | Francis I of France | |
| 1525 | 0 | Milan | Francesco II Sforza | |
| 1527 | 0 | Milan | Republic | Sack of Rome - Niccolò Machiavelli died |