Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) was a true ‘Renaissance Man’: a philosopher, astrologer, theologian, physician, translator, advisor to princes, inspiration to artists, founder of the Platonic Academy in Florence—and originator of the concept of ‘Platonic love’. He was also the bestselling author of books on diet, meditation, and how to live a healthy life in old age. This lecture will introduce Ficino’s spectacular career, looking at both his massive importance in his own time and his continuing relevance today

Ross King is the award-winning author of numerous books on Italian and French art and history, including Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling. His biography Machiavelli: Philosopher of Power has been called a “convincing portrait of one of the most misunderstood thinkers of all time.” His most recent book, published in April 2021, is The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance.