Piero Soderini

Piero Soderini was a Florentine statesman and favourite of Piero de' Medici before his exile from the city during the Bonfire of the Vanities. Following the death of Savonarola, Soderini became gonfaloniere of the city from 1502 until his own explusion from the city in 1512.

During his time as gonfaloniere, he introduced the idea of armed city militia, instead of relying upon mercenaries, and recruited Niccolò Machiavelli, secretly a member of the Assassin Order, to lead them.