Francesco Guicciardini Quotes
Francesco Guicciardini was an Italian Renaissance historian, statesman, and political philosopher and one of the founding figures of modern historiography. After a long diplomatic and administrative career in the service of successive Medici popes and of the Florentine Republic, he wrote his monumental History of Italy, a sober and disenchanted record of the Italian wars from 1494 to 1534. The quotes below are attributed to Francesco Guicciardini, organized by topic.
Browse Francesco Guicciardini by topic
Francesco Guicciardini on Happiness
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Attributed to Francesco Guicciardini:
“Whoever is content with little is rich; whoever is not, is poor though he have all.”
Francesco Guicciardini on Knowledge
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“L'imitazione del male supera sempre l'esempio; comme per il contrario, l'imitazione del bene è sempre inferiore.”
He who imitates what is evil always goes beyond the example that is set; on the contrary, he who imitates what is good always falls short. -
“Gli ambasciadori sono l'occhio e l'orecchio degli stati.”
Ambassadors are the eye and ear of states. -
“Ambassadors are the eye and ear of states.”
Gli ambasciadori sono l'occhio e l'orecchio degli stati. -
“Non è male alcuno nelle cose umane che non abbia congiunto seco qualche bene.”
There is no evil in human affairs that has not some good mingled with it. -
“Ha sempre dimostrato l'esperienza, e lo dimostra la ragione, che mai succedono bene le cose che dipendono da molti.”
Experience has always shown, and reason also, that affairs which depend on many seldom succeed. -
“Con disavvantaggio grande si fa la guerra con chi non ha che perdere.”
We fight to great disadvantage when we fight with those who have nothing to lose. -
“We fight to great disadvantage when we fight with those who have nothing to lose.”
Con disavvantaggio grande si fa la guerra con chi non ha che perdere.
Francesco Guicciardini on Mind
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“Experience has always shown, and reason also, that affairs which depend on many seldom succeed.”
Ha sempre dimostrato l'esperienza, e lo dimostra la ragione, che mai succedono bene le cose che dipendono da molti.
Francesco Guicciardini on Politics
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Attributed to Francesco Guicciardini:
“The world is so made that those who do not push are pushed.”
Francesco Guicciardini on Truth
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Attributed to Francesco Guicciardini:
“There is no rule that does not have its exception.”
Francesco Guicciardini on Virtue
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Attributed to Francesco Guicciardini:
“Let no one trust so much in another's natural goodness as not to fortify himself with reason and prudence.”
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Attributed to Francesco Guicciardini:
“Discretion in speaking is rarer than wisdom in thinking.”
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“He who imitates what is evil always goes beyond the example that is set; on the contrary, he who imitates what is good always falls short.”
L'imitazione del male supera sempre l'esempio; comme per il contrario, l'imitazione del bene è sempre inferiore. -
“There is no evil in human affairs that has not some good mingled with it.”
Non è male alcuno nelle cose umane che non abbia congiunto seco qualche bene.