Introduction

My exhibit will focus on The Prince, also known as Il Principe in Latin. The Prince is a controversial book on political theory written by Niccolò Machiavelli. It deviated heavily from the conventional idea of politics and morality, criticized Christianity and the Papacy, and relegated religion as simple tool for social control. The book was published in 1532, 5 years after Machiavelli’s death. It remained in circulation during the reign of the Medici Pope, Clement VII. But in 1559, it was placed in the Index Librorum Prohibitum by Pope Paul IV. This exhibit will highlight some of the controversial topics within the book and will also briefly tackle on the people who laid the foundations for Anti-Machiavellian dissent during the Counter-Reformation. The Prince is studied today in history and politics classes, yet its reputation remains the same despite that it is no longer banned in the West