Angelo Poliziano’s Political Orations: The Humanist in Government

This article investigates Poliziano’s political role in support of Piero de’ Medici’s government in Florence (1492-1494), by examining his completely overlooked political orations, in particular the diplomatic works written for the death of the king of Naples, Ferdinando of Aragon, and the succession of Alfonso II in 1494. The analysis of these political texts, examined from a literary, historical, and political perspective, reveals the authoritative contribution made by the most distinguished representative of Florentine humanism, through his multifaceted literary activity, to the Medici politics, in the intricate historical context of the months that preceded the French invasion in Italy.