History
Historian Claims Renaissance Florence Rioted to Demand More Nepotism From Pope
Dwarkesh Patel Podcast
Ada Palmer – Machiavelli is the most misunderstood thinker of all time
What was said
"When Alessandro Farnese was elected Pope Paul III in the middle of the 1500s, he didn't corruptly make one of his kinsmen commander of the papal armies. He instead appointed a really competent experienced general instead of his own not very competent illegitimate son. And there were riots in Rome. Your Holiness, the people demand more nepotism."
Palmer describes how 16th-century Romans rioted when Pope Paul III appointed a competent general instead of his illegitimate son to command papal armies. The populace demanded nepotism because only a pope's son could be trusted not to turn the army against Rome. This reveals how patronage networks were considered essential for political stability, not corruption.
Verification status
Attributed speaker claim
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
Source and context
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- Programme
- Dwarkesh Patel Podcast
- Episode
- Ada Palmer – Machiavelli is the most misunderstood thinker of all time
- Clip time
- 36:38
- Original source
- Watch the source segment →
From this episode
Dwarkesh Patel Podcast