This is a book about Petrarch (1304–1374); but this chapter begins with the figure of Cesare Borgia (1475–1507). The favorite son of Pope Alexander VI— who was perhaps the most infamous bishop of Rome in the long history of that post—Borgia was one of Italy's most lethal military mercenaries, tasked with commanding the papal armies in a bloody campaign through Central Italy. He was idolized by Machiavelli, who hailed him in The Prince as the model of unmerciful rulership. And, in 1503, he was also the dedicatee of a particularly fine edition of Petrarch's love poetry.

This edition of Petrarch's lyric was printed by Girolamo Soncino (fl. 1488–1533) in Fano, a town east of Florence, along the Adriatic coast in the Marches. Petrarch had titled his collection Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Fragments of vernacular things); this particular volume bore the name Opere volgari di Messer Francesco Petrarca (Vernacular Works of Sir Francesco Petrarch), combining the poet's lyric collection with the Trionfi (Triumphs), as was common in the period. The printing featured a splendid typeface, designed by Francesco Griffo, the same punchcutter who had invented the italic font for Aldus Manutius (c. 1450–151