In the tradition of big-picture histories, The Day The Renaissance Was Saved shows how a single moment triggered the birth of the Renaissance. When the armies of Florence, Venice, and the Papal States clashed with the forces of the Republic of Milan on June 29, 1440, it was more than just another skirmish between the ever-fractious Italian city-states: the outcome of the battle would bring the Medicis to power in Florence and lead to the Renaissance.
Author Biography
"Count Niccol Capponi is a historian (Ph.D, University of Padua) and the author of books on Renaissance Italy, the Spanish Civil War, and the Samurai. The Capponis have been one of Florence's most prominent families since the 13th century, making their fortune in silk, wool, and banking. Fittingly, when not writing books, he teaches political science and history in Florence to American students. He lives in a palazzo that served as Hannibal Lector's lair in "Hannibal" and played a bit part in the movie as a historian. He's appeared on numerous TV documentaries, among them the History Channel's "The Medici Murder" and Bill Moyer's "The Power of the Past" on PBS. Plus, he's irreverent about his family's illustrious past. From an interview- "My father says I should stop debunking family myths because they're good for selling wine! But as a historian, I can't help it." AndrU Naffis Sahely is a poet, critic, and translator from French and Italian."
