Abstract

This paper aims to show the skillful interweaving of reality and fiction put in place by Machiavelli in "The Life of Castruccio Castracani of Lucca" (1520) in order to convey in plastic form the model of politician he had elaborated in his theoretical works: "The Prince" (1513/1514), the "Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livy" (1515-1519) and "The Art of War" (1519/1520). After placing "The Life of Castruccio" in the context of Machiavellian production (§ 2) and having briefly reconstructed his argumentative strategy (§ 3), the final paragraph (§ 4) will focus on its central theme: the unequal and inescapable conflict between Virtue and Fortune.