The garden at San Marco

Lorenzo has come from the gardens of San Marco, where the young sculptors he supports are at work among the antique marbles, and he brings the smell of the workshop with him. Machiavelli, then a junior clerk, has been invited for his sharp eye; Caterina Sforza has ridden over from the Romagna and is amused to find herself the only ruler at the table.

The talk begins with art and turns, as it always does, to power. Lorenzo explains how Florence is kept quiet through loans and favours rather than force; Caterina describes the walls of Forlì and the business of holding a city that does not love you. Machiavelli says little and remembers everything. They eat pasta in broth, a roasted pheasant, and a green salad, and end with cheese, honey, and a glass of sweet wine.