RenEU - The Tabernacle of the Stinche - Machiavelli as Prisoner

The Tabernacle of the Stinche - Machiavelli as Prisoner

The Tabernacle of the Stinche

The Visit to the prisoners frescoed by Giovanni Mannozzi on the Tabernacle of the Stinche

The Tabernacle of the Stinche

A few hundred meters from the Bargello, on the corner between Via Ghibellina and Via Isola delle Stinche, is the Tabernacle of the Stinche, so-called because, being situated in the vicinity of the ancient Stinche Prison, it was one of the stages where prisoners on their way to the execution place paused to receive the comforts of religion. In 1616 Giovanni Mannozzi, known also as Giovanni da San Giovanni, frescoed on it a Visit to the prisoners, representing the bars of a jail with Jesus Christ in glory blessing the alms distributed by a senator. Machiavelli, after the sack of Prato and the ensuing downfall of the republican regime and return of the Medici, was imprisoned just here, in the Isola delle Stinche prison, being accused - in all probability, unjustly - of having conspired against the recently returned lords of Florence. The Stinche Prison was built in the late 13th-early 14th century as an enormous rectangular block, with the cells and rooms inside it enclosed by a wall. In 1838 the area occupied by the Isola delle Stinche was converted into a riding school, while in the early 20th century part of it was rebuilt as the Teatro Pagliano (today's Teatro Verdi).

A few hundred meters from the Tabernacle of the Stinche stands the Murate, representing one of the most interesting urban renewal projects of recent years. Originally, in the 15th-16th century, the building complex was a Monastery, but after its suppression in the early 19th century it was remodelled and used as a prison. The Murate, like the Stinche before it, had become the prison par excellence of Florence. It is now sadly remembered for having served during World War II as the main detention center for prisoners who, like Machiavelli centuries before, were incarcerated for political reasons.

In August of 1512 the Spanish troops of the Holy League, the alliance formed by Pope Julius II, entered Prato, ruthlessly pillaging and looting the city. On that occasion the Florentine militia organized by Machiavelli proved totally inadequate. Subsequent to this disastrous episode, the Gonfalonier for life Pier Soderini, with whom Machiavelli closely collaborated, was forced to abdicate and flee from Florence, where the Medici returned. Shortly thereafter, on November 7 of that same year, a resolution passed by the Signoria "dismissed, deprived, and totally relieved" Machiavelli of his roles as Second Chancellor and Secretary. This was undoubtedly the bitterest, most tragic event in the life of Machiavelli, who described his existence in later years as post res perditas. But his misfortunes were not over, since a few days later he was sentenced to pay a large fine - the money was provided by some of his friends - and to a year in exile. And some time later, in the following February, a conspiracy against the Medici - in realty rather faint-hearted - was discovered, headed by Agostino Capponi and Pietro Paolo Boscoli. One of the two had lost a note listing twenty or so names of 'suspected' persons; when interrogated, all of them soon confessed. Among those names was that of Niccolò Machiavelli - but there were only two other names of persons close to Machiavelli. It is unsurprising that the conspirators wished to involve Machiavelli, one of the persons most closely linked to the previous Gonfalonier - he was ironically called the "mannerino" (minion) of Pier Soderini - but he was probably totally unaware of the plot. Machiavelli was arrested and brought to the Stinche Prison where he was tortured with six whiplashes, but without breaking down. Fortunately, his detention was not long, since in the following March an amnesty was proclaimed to celebrate the election to the Papal seat of Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici under the name of Leo X.