Build the figure of the 'valido': the 'Ritratto' of Virgilio Malvezzi
Abstract
The publication, in 1635, of Il ritratto del privato politico cristiano by Virgilio Malvezzi, soon translated throughout Europe, constitutes an important reflection on the change that took place in the structure of politics with the affirmation of the valimiento system. The essay reconstructs the intellectual parable that will lead the Bolognese marquis to elaborate the essay, trying to highlight the specific contribution of Malvezzi to the understanding of the figure of the minister-favorite. The previous works are examined (Discorsi sopra Cornelio Tacito, 1622; Romulo, 1629; Tarquinio il Superbo, 1632; Davide perseguitato, 1634) and their strong realistic charge that tries to overcome the abstract precepts of the specula principis to probe –through the story of the lives of rulers– the limits of their action. It is this path, marked by the dialectic with the tacitism and the neo-stoic perspective, that allows Malvezzi to reason very perceptively on the figure of the Count-Duke. The text is not an abstract delineation of Olivares’ virtues but an unscrupulous reflection on the meaning of prudence and the domination of passions in a context dominated by the struggle for power.
Downloads
Article download
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Cuadernos de Historia Moderna is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
