Interesting choice of words. I myself would not describe The Prince as "a satire about cynicism in the Italian renaissance". It could certainly be described as cynical, but that's not what the question says; and I would not describe it as a satire.
So what is The Prince?
Wikipedia describes it as 'a political treatise ... one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the "effectual" truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal.'
Wikipedia also notes that the word 'Machiavellian' came to be used as a pejorative. Dictionary.com defines it as "being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analyzed in Machiavelli's The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described". A further definition reads "characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, expediency, or dishonesty".
Machiavelli: The Prince Explained in 3 Minutes, on YouTube, gives a brilliant summary.
Oh, and one more thing: it's not about the Italian renaissance either.
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