Marcello Simonetta's The Montefeltro Conspiracy revolves around the so-called Pazzi conspiracy of 1478; an attempt on the lives of Lorenzo de' Medici ("the Magnificent") and his brother Giuliano. Simonetta uses newly decoded documents to show the conspiracy was not driven by the Pazzi clan, but by the ambitious Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro. Given this newfound evidence, the author reconstructs the reasons behind the conspiracy and its effects on Renaissance Italy, which includes a new understanding of some of the greatest works of art.
While Simonetta's discovery is compelling and has important implications for our understanding of these Renaissance figures, the historical narrative is lacking. There is tremendous potential here, including Simonetta's personal connection to one of the players in the story. However, rather than filling out the narrative with historical details to enrich one's grasp of the times, his approach is spartan and rigid. I can't help think what an amazing story this would have been in another writer's hands.
Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 28th, 2008.
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