ABSTRACT
In his famous history of the wars of Italy Francesco Guicciardini wrote that Gianpaolo Baglioni was “more driven by destiny than by reason.” The remark could apply almost equally well to all of the other princes of the Renaissance who were involved, whether they wished to be or not, in all the terrible wars which ravaged Italy from Lake Como to the Bay of Naples. Machiavelli knew Gianpaolo personally and, as a good Florentine patriot, disliked and distrusted him as an enemy of Florence. Guicciardini, another Florentine, referred to Gianpaolo’s “infamous disloyalty.” Gianpaolo was a professional soldier not only because it was the tradition of his family but also because he enjoyed the trade of fighting. He had only two goals in life: to practice his profession and to maintain his domination over Perugia. Gianpaolo heard of Pope Alexander’s death, he left Florence to march on Perugia.
