In the early 1500s , the Genoese launched an attack on the fort of Serravalle . It was a merciless battle , which ended in victory for the Monegasques , who were under the command of Lucien Grimaldi . The victory allowed Lucien to immediately recover Roquebrune and Menton , with the support of French troops . Despite the positive outcome , the siege had left Monaco in great financial difficulty . So , the settlement of an old debt contracted back in 1424 was called in from the Republic of Florence . Unfortunately , Florence refused to pay . Faced with Florence ’ s refusal , Monaco had a Tuscan Galleass ( a military ship ) called the ‘ Saint Christopher ’ arrested off Cap Martin in April 1511 . The law at the time allowed a creditor to seize property at sea belonging to the debtor . To deescalate any potential conflict , Lucien quickly entered into negotiations with the Republic of Florence .
MACHIAVELLI STAYS WITH LORD LUCIEN GRIMALDI IN HIS CASTLE IN MENTON
Lucien sent his most skillful diplomat to Florence for numerous discussions with the secretary of the second chancery of the Republic of Florence , none other than Niccolò Machiavelli . Together , they began laying the foundations for a draft agreement . To conclude the new ‘ treaty of alliance and navigation ’ the Republic of Florence then sent Machiavelli to Monaco . Lucien Grimaldi welcomed Niccolò Machiavelli to his castle in Menton and together they completed the treaty . A Times magazine article published in 1962 cites Machiavelli ’ s trip to Monaco , where he watched the agile Grimaldi ruler in action , as a source of inspiration for his book ‘ The Prince ’. Could this controversial book really
have been inspired by Lucien Grimaldi , Lord of Monaco ?
Not long after returning from Monaco with the new treaty , Machiavelli was tortured and exiled from Florence . In 1513 , just two years after his trip to Monaco , he wrote a short 70 page book which would later send shockwaves through political and philosophical spheres for the next five centuries . But the author never lived long enough to see his work published .
Few books have attracted so much debate and discussion as The Prince . Whether Lucien inspired Machiavelli ’ s much-disputed magnum opus is something we will never know . But we can garner a few similarities between the text and the life of Lucien Grimaldi .
LUCIEN ’ S MURDEROUS RISE TO POWER AND MACHIAVELLI ’ S “ NEW PRINCE ”
Instead of discussing a traditional ruler like a hereditary prince , Machiavelli ’ s book concentrates on the possibility of a “ new prince ”. In order to retain power , Machiavelli says that a hereditary prince must carefully balance the interests of different institutions so as not to disrupt what the people are accustomed to . But a new prince has the more difficult task of first stabilizing his newfound power . Illustrating the murder of Jean II by his brother Lucien
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The cover of Machiavelli ’ s most famous book
Lucien Grimaldi , Lord of Monaco in 1505 – 1523
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