# XI: Concerning Ecclesiastical Principalities explained — The Prince

> Chapter companion for The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli.

## What happens

Machiavelli discusses ecclesiastical principalities, which are sustained by religious institutions rather than military or political skill. He explains how the Church grew in temporal power from a weak state under previous popes to a formidable force under Alexander VI and Julius II, culminating in a powerful pontificate under Leo X.

## Themes in this chapter

### Acquisition and Maintenance of Power

Ecclesiastical principalities are acquired by capacity or fortune but held through religious institutions, showing a unique path to power.

### The Role of Fortune and Virtù

Popes like Alexander VI and Julius II used fortune and personal skill to expand the Church's temporal power.

### The Importance of Public Perception

The Church's power is upheld by religious authority, making subjects loyal without direct rule.

## Character check-ins

### Pope Alexander VI

Showed how a pope with money and arms could prevail; aggrandized the Church through the Duke Valentino and the entry of the French.

### Pope Julius II

Found the Church strong, reduced the Roman barons, accumulated money, and drove the French out of Italy, strengthening the Church.

### Cesare Borgia

Instrumental in Alexander VI's plans; his actions contributed to the Church's greatness despite the duke's ruin.

### Lorenzo de' Medici

Referenced as Pope Leo X, who inherited a powerful pontificate and is hoped to make it greater through his virtues.

### Charles VIII

His passage into Italy is noted as a turning point before which Italy was under the dominion of several powers.

## Key lines

> These princes alone have states and do not defend them; and they have subjects and do not rule them; and the states, although unguarded, are not taken from them, and the subjects, although not ruled, do not care, and they have neither the desire nor the ability to alienate themselves.

Ecclesiastical rulers possess territories they don't need to defend and subjects they don't need to govern, yet neither is lost because religious devotion keeps everything secure.

_Highlights the unique stability of ecclesiastical principalities._

> Alexander the Sixth arose afterwards, who of all the pontiffs that have ever been showed how a pope with both money and arms was able to prevail; and through the instrumentality of the Duke Valentino, and by reason of the entry of the French, he brought about all those things which I have discussed above in the actions of the duke.

Pope Alexander VI demonstrated that a pope could succeed by combining wealth and military force, using Cesare Borgia and the French invasion to achieve his goals.

_Illustrates the use of fortune and virtù in expanding Church power._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_prince_se/chapters/xi-concerning-ecclesiastical-principalities
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_prince_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_prince_se/chapters