El idealismo político de Martín Carvallo de Villas Boas

Martín Carvallo de Villas Boas is a Portuguese author who, as Bartolomé Felipe and Pedro Barbosa Homem, writes in Spanish a treatise on Reason of State during the Union between the Portuguese and the Spanish crown. His work Espejo de príncipes (Mirror of princes) is one of the most extraordinary pieces of this genre which, for different reasons, has been neglected by scholars. In this article, I will examine one of the key doctrines of this treatise: the virtues he recommends the prince to have. By doing so, I will show if Carvallo de Villas Boas is closer to a realistic or idealistic understanding of politics.