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Primary sourceLetter10 December 1513

Letter to Francesco Vettori

Niccolò Machiavelli · 10 December 1513

A 1513 letter in which Machiavelli, in exile, describes his evenings reading the ancients and first mentions the work that became The Prince.

A personal letter in Machiavelli's own hand, revealing his state of mind and the origins of The Prince.

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About this source

What it is

This is a letter written by Niccolò Machiavelli to his friend Francesco Vettori, a Florentine ambassador, dated 10 December 1513.

Why it matters

The letter gives a rare personal glimpse of Machiavelli during his political exile, describing how he spent his evenings in imagined conversation with ancient writers. It is historically important because it contains the first known mention of the work that would become The Prince, letting historians trace the book's origins directly to Machiavelli's own words.

Look closer

  • What does Machiavelli's description of his daily life tell you about his state of mind in exile?
  • Why might a private letter to a friend be a more revealing source than a published book?
  • What does this letter add to our understanding of how The Prince came to be written?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Niccolo Machiavelli on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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