MACHIAVELLI: A Man Misunderstood by Michael White

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11! August "#$ restore the Medici to %lorence&
'n !( August )oderini called an e*traordinary +eeting o, the -reat Council to propose
that he step do.n and the city allo. the Medcic /.ho .ere .aiting i+patiently behind the
)panis line a ,e. +iles a.ay0 to return as pri1ate citi2ens& 3he ,irst proposal .as
re4ected but the second passed& Within hours no.s o, these decisions reach 5raco6 and
so6 needing no ,urther +oti1e6 Cardona7s ,orces attac8ed&
3o e1eryone7s surprise this ,irst attac8 .as resisted success,ully and the )panish .ere
,orced to regroup& %or a brie, +o+ent so+e belie1ed there could be chance o, sal1ation
,or the 9epublic& %lorentine intelligence had disco1ered that the )panish ar+y gathered
be,ore the .alls o, 5rato .as e*hausted and its supply lines .ere o1erstretched& Its ,irst
attac8 on the garrison had been a hal,$heared atte+pt6 and .ith his ar+y in such a sorry
state Cardona .ould ha1e +uch pre,erred to co+e to a negotiated settle+ent .ith
)oderini than to ha1e brought things to a ,ight& :ut the resistence o, the +ilitia at 5rato6
together .ith the con,idence boost he had gained ,ro+ the support o, the -reat Council6
ga1e )oderini a rene.ed sense o, hope and a gri+6 +isguided deter+ination&
Meeting une*pected resistance ,ro+ the %lorentine +ilitia6 Cardona too8 the bold and
uncon1entional step o, letting the %lorentines 8no. that his +en .ere star1ing and that
on their behal, he .as .illing to negotiate a peace,ul settle+tn in e*change ,or bread&
;re4ected<
It .as a decision that cost the li1es o, +ore than ,our thousand +en6 .o+en and
children it ended )oderini7s rule and it thre. %lorence into utter chaos& 'n "# August the
)panish ar+y6 hal, cra2ed .ith hunger6 ar+ed to the teeth and outnu+bering a peasant
ar+y ,i1e to oen6 stor+ed the ,ortress at 5rato6 slaughtering e1ery li1ing thing in its .ay&
3he soldiers raped and +urdered hundreds o, .o+en .ho .ere holed up behind the
inner de,ences and then they ra2ed the ,ortress& Machia1elli reported:
=3he )panish6 ha1e bro8en through so+e o, the .alls6 began to ,orce the de,enders
bac8 and to terri,y the+& )o that6 a,ter slight resistance6 they all ,led and the )paniards
too8 possession o, the city ;5rato<6 put it to the sac86 and +assacred the city7s
population in a pitiable spectacle o, cala+ity $ better than ,our thousand died> the
re+ainder .ere captured and6 through 1arious +eans6 .ere obliged to pay ranso+& ?or
did they spare the 1irgins cloistered in holy sites6 .hich .ere ,illed .ith acts o, rape and
pillage&=
5age !@ )ac8 o, 9o+e
1!@
Luigi -uicciardini /brother o, %rancesco -uicciardini0 .as an eye.itness to e1ents and
reported:
=Many .ere suspended ,or hours by the ar+s> +any .ere cruelly bound by the pri1ate
parts> +any .ere suspended by the ,eet high abo1e the road6 or o1er .ater6 .hile their
tor+entors treatened to cut the cord& )o+e .ere hal, buried in the cellars6 others nailed
up in cas8s6 .hile +any .ere 1illainously beaten and .ounded> not ,e. .ere cut all o1er
their persons by red hot irons& )o+e .ere tortured by e*tre+e thirst6 others by
insupportable noise and +any .ere cruelly tortured by ha1ing their o.n good teeth
dra.n& 'thers again .ere ,orced to eat their o.n ears6 or nose or their roasted
testicles&=