During the difficult moments of his confinement in San Casciano, accused of conspiracy against the Medici, Machiavelli composed this treatise of political doctrine with the aim of both achieving the favor of those who had deprived him of his freedom and recovering his former job as chancellor. to be useful to Florence. In "The Prince" he collected his reflections, personal experiences and historical examples intended to lay the power of the future ruler on solid foundations, a prince who would carry out the dream of Julius II: the liberation of Italy from the "barbarians." And he dedicated it to Lorenzo de' Medici. Its reputation as a perverse book, as a manual for despots, and the still controversial interpretation of the true purpose and meaning of its words explain the fascination that this work continues to cause centuries after its publication.