The Day the Renaissance Was Saved: The Battle of Anghiari and Da Vinci's Lost Masterpiece

Italian Renaissance scholar Capponi (An Unlikely Prince) juxtaposes the high-stakes events surrounding the critical 15th-century Battle of Anghiari, fought between Florence and Milan, with gentle depictions of the famous painter who was later paid to immortalize the battle. Creatively linking politics, art, and the way victors in the former shaped the creators of the latter, Capponi provides an intense but relatable look at key Italian families in the era's unforgiving struggles between the influence of city-states and papal power. Amid the generations of allies and antagonists, Capponi includes a generous look at his own family, citing one ancestor (Machiavelli) regarding the loyalty of another (Neri Capponi) as well as sharing insight into his own extensive family lore. There are so many figures central to the story, including the immediately recognizable and rising Cosimo de' Medici, that readers would benefit from a list of names and affiliations. The narrative itself flows smoothly in Naffis-Sahely's English translation, allowing Capponi's smart imagery to shine through as he illuminates Florence's successful struggle for survival. (Nov.)