A successful merchant, experienced politician, subtle ambassador and notorious gambler, Bonaccorso Pitti (1354-1432) has fascinated a host of Renaissance scholars from Jacob Burckhardt (who labelled him “a Florentine Casanova”) to the present. Understandably, to do justice to such a many-sided and complex personality as Bonaccorso one should read his work in full. And yet, the complete text of these famous “Memoirs” is very hard to find today. In hopes of making this merchant’s diary and his author’s eventful life better known to a wider readership, ISI Florence Director Stefano U. Baldassarri did not hesitate to accept the invitation from Firenze University Press to provide a 20-page preface to the new unabridged edition of Bonaccorso’s masterpiece by Veronica Vestri. To purchase the book contact [email protected]