# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

report this ad

The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
Because of all this peace artist like Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael got to create magnificent works of art .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

report this ad

The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather’s ideas about keeping peace and balance in Italy This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy.[12] The Medici through their ideas did a lot to bring peace and safety too most of Italy, and this was important.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

report this ad

The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
"They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other’s ."

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What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

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The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

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How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

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What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

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''Florence was known as the center of the Renaissance, attracting thinkers and artists alike to the city through the reputation of its benevolent rulers, and producing thinkers and artists from schools sponsored by the Medici and others.''

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Here you find information and history about the Medici family, the world famous Italian noble family that had a great power in Florence, Italy from the 15th to the 18th century.

Who were the Medici?

The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, was the Italian family that ruled Florence, and later Tuscany, during most of the period from 1434 to 1737, except for two brief intervals (from 1494 to 1512, and from 1527 to 1530).

They first attained wealth and political power in Florence through their success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de' Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's support of the arts and humanities transformed Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, a cultural flowering rivaled only by that of ancient Greece.

The Medici produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI), and their genes have been passed through many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries and beginning the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

The origins and the history of the Medici dynasty

The earliest records we have of the Medici family tell us that they came from the Mugello valley and arrived in Florence around 1200.

The earliest origins of this family are difficult to track because the Medici later tried to ennoble their lineage by inventing legends and stories.

The founder of the family would be Medico di Potrone, who lived around the year 1000 and was a doctor by profession. Medici is the Italian word for doctors. As often happened, the Medici went into Florence in search of fortune, and we must say that they found it! Almost immediately they were enrolled in the guild of doctors and apothecaries.

Historical chronicles recount that they went to live at the Old Market (in the area close to Piazza della Repubblica) and easily mingled with the underworld there. As many as five death sentences were reported out of respect of the Medici family! In a deed dated 1201, a man named Giambuono is considered to be the historical founder of the family. At the end of thirteenth century, two members of the family (Scolaio and Gano) were part of the Guelph party, the same family as Dante Alighieri.

In 1348, the year of the terrible Black Death, one of the Medici was Gonfaloniere di Giustizia, one of the citizens selected who formed the government, or Signoria. The Signoria, comprised of nobles, important burghers, and intellectuals, was the oligarchic institution that ran the Florentine republic.

Giovanni di Bicci

Members of the Medici family were the protagonists of Florentine life long before their dynasty passed into history. Giovanni di Bicci (1360-1429) is the first member of the family who created a dense network of merchants around him and his family.

The Medici family became a wealthy family of bankers, and Giovanni was one of the richest Florentines in the early fifteenth century.
With a ready source of capital, the Medici were able to turn to such new lines of commerce as trading spices, jewelry, silk, and fruit. In addition, their ever-increasing financial power opened up new opportunities in civic government. Giovanni's two sons, Cosimo (1389-1464) who acquired the appellation of "the Elder," and Lorenzo (1394-1440), founded the famous bloodlines of the Medici family.

Cosimo the Elder

With Cosimo the Elder, the Medici became the bankers of the Vatican and as such became famous throughout Europe. Wealth and prestige are the commandments of this family: Cosimo was famous not only for his skills as a businessman but also for his patronage and artistic taste. And so were all his successors.

Along with the success of the Medici was also a growing opposition from other Florentine families and factions. Some families who supported the Medici were Tornabuoni, Salviati, Cavalcanti, Bardi. Some opponents were Albizi, Guicciardini, and Corsi. Today, we find all of these family names represented by the names of streets in Florence.

As a result of these power struggles, some of the Medici were subjected to exile, but after a short time Cosimo and his brother Lorenzo returned to Florence. We must pause to speak of Cosimo the Elder ( Cosimo il Vecchio): He built the great wealth of the family, but his fame is also linked to his wisdom.

He was a great man without wanting to appear so. He built a palace (located in via Larga) for himself but wanted it to look like the home of a merchant. He enriched Florence with works of art and also donated to libraries and churches. When Cosimo died in 1464, the Florentines gave him honors fit for a king, and he was thereafter called pater patriae. The prestige of the Medici soon extended beyond the confines of Florence, and some members of the family were elected pope, such as Leo X and Clement VII.

Lorenzo the Magnificent

The story reminds us of Lorenzo the Magnificent (Lorenzo il Magnifico, 1449-1492) as the greatest of the Medici. He was a poet, humanist, skilled politician, writer, and patron of the arts.

At the time of Lorenzo, the Medici overcame the opposition of the monk Savonarola and the famous Pazzi conspiracy (1478) during which Lorenzo was wounded, and his brother Giuliano lost his life. Growing internal opposition forced the Medici to leave Florence after the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The new Republic, however, lasted only a few decades, and the Medici family came back, thanks to help from the king of France. After these events, a period of misfortune followed for the Medici, as they became more involved in European affairs and were forced into exile several times.

Cosimo I

The fate of the family changed, thanks to Cosimo I (1519-1574), who descended from Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent but not directly. He was the son of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, a mercenary captain. Despite his quite humble origin, though, Cosimo managed to reign over Florence and married a princess. He was vigorous and astute, often used force against his opponents, and always wanted to celebrate his power. We know him as Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Under his government, Florence was united as never before.

Cosimo married Eleonora of Toledo―who came from one of the most noble Spanish families―and together they decided to live in the Palazzo Vecchio, which was also a symbol of power in the city when Florence was a republic. The grand project of Cosimo was to unify all of Tuscany, and to that end he undertook wars with Pisa, Lucca, and Siena. He managed them all, and his victories are celebrated in the frescoes of the Hall of the Five Hundred, including the magnificent Battle of Marciano.

Francesco I

There were many sons of Grand Duke Cosimo, but three of them, along with their mother Eleanor, died of malarial fever during a family trip in Maremma, where Cosimo had ordered the reclamation of the marshes. Grief stricken, Cosimo decided to retire from politics and left his son Francesco I in command. During this period, the Pitti Palace had become their residence, and the city was enriched by buildings and streets worthy of the best European capitals. Cosimo died in 1574, and with his disappearance begins the decline of the dynasty. Francesco I liked chemistry and science rather than politics, but he knew he could not show his weakness and was sometimes ruthless.

Ferdinando I

Ferdinando I, brother of Francesco, was his successor. The fate of the family seemed to recover, thanks to European alliances. In the meantime, two women of the family became queens of France: Caterina and Maria. Caterina, however, was a strong adversary of Cosimo I. Ferdinando married Christina of Lorraine and had numerous descendants.

Ferdinando II

The successor to the throne― Ferdinando II ―was too young to reign, so his mother and grandmother reigned for him and―just to summarize―caused a lot of trouble! He died without heirs. Some members of the Medici family tried to keep up the family name, but it was near the end of the dynasty, and the city of Florence was in the midst of disputes and barters of the ruling houses all over Europe.

Anna Maria Luisa, the last descendant

The last great act of the Medici for their city was made ​​by the last descendant Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici. She made ​​an agreement with the Lorraine family―the new sovereigns of Florence―and forced them to leave intact the heritage of the Medici family, which had to be kept in Florence. Thanks to that arrangement, Florence now hosts the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace museums, and many other world-famous museums. It was the last precious gift from the Medici family to their beloved Florence.

If you want to learn more about the Medici Family, we recommend an interesting book, The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall.

What is the Medici family best known for?

The Medici are best known for being patron of the arts. Their financial support of the arts and humanities helped to make Renaissance-era Florence a thriving cultural center.

Florence was known as the center of the Renaissance, attracting thinkers and artists alike to the city through the reputation of its benevolent rulers, and producing thinkers and artists from schools sponsored by the Medici and others. The city welcomed the ideals and philosophies of distant lands, absorbing them into the writing and art that it produced.

While the Medici used their talents to gain power and prestige for themselves, they also used their influence to improve the quality of life of those in their charge to sponsor cultural endeavors and to keep Florence free from foreign domination.

Why were the Medici important to the Renaissance?

The biggest accomplishments of the Medici lay in the sponsorship of art and architecture. They were responsible for the majority of Florentine art during their reign.

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, the first patron of the arts in the family, helped Masaccio and commissioned Brunelleschi for the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence in 1419.

Cosimo the Elder commissioned Filippo Brunelleschi for the building of the of Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. He also demonstrated tremendous support for education, establishing the Platonic Academy for the study of ancient works. It is estimated that before his death in 1464, Cosimo spent approximately 600,000 gold florins supporting architecture, scholarly learning, and other arts. Cosimo the Elder's notable artistic associates were Donatello and Fra Angelico.
The most significant addition to the list over the years wasMichelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), who produced works for a number members of the Medici, beginning with Lorenzo the Magnificent, inviting him to study the family collection of antique sculpture and whom the Medici commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence.

Lorenzo also served as patron to Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) for seven years. Lorenzo was indeed an artist in his own right, and was an author of poetry and song. His support of the arts and letters is considered a high point in Medici patronage.

Later, in Rome, the Medici Popes continued in the family tradition of patronizing artists in Rome. Pope Leo X would chiefly commission works from Raffaello.

Pope Clement VII commissioned Michelangelo to paint the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel. Eleanor of Toledo, princess of Spain and wife of Cosimo I the Great, purchased the Pitti Palace from Buonaccorso Pitti in 1550. Cosimo in turn patronized Vasari, who erected the Uffizi Gallery in 1560 and founded the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in 1563.

Marie de' Medici, widow of Henry IV of France and mother of Louis XIII, is the subject of a commissioned cycle of paintings known as the Marie de' Medici cycle, painted for the Luxembourg Palace by court painter Peter Paul Rubens in 1622-23.

The family is well recognized for having been the patrons of the famous Galileo Galilei, who tutored multiple generations of Medici children.

In addition to commissioning art and architecture, the Medici were prolific collectors, and today their acquisitions form the core of the museum in Florence. In architecture, the Medici are responsible for some notable features of Florence, including the Uffizi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, the Belvedere, the Medici Chapel, and the Palazzo Medici.

The Medici's coat of arm

The coat of arms of the Medici family has undergone several changes, and there are many different versions: the most famous is the one with six red balls on a gold background.

Theories about the origins of this blazon have multiplied over time, and some are quite funny. Some say that the six balls were medicinal pills and alluded to the meaning of the family name; others said that they were the symbol of bitter oranges to indicate trade with the East.

The Medici themselves invented a not credible legend to ennoble the story of their origins: the red balls were signs of blows inflicted on the shield of the progenitor Averardo by a giant who lived in Mugello.

We know that many Florentine families had balls of different colors and numbers in their coats of arms. Maybe they were derived simply from the studs on the shield that were colored for becoming decorative.

The most likely hypothesis says that the Medici had some red bisanti on the crest (the bisanti are metal discs whose name derives from the Byzantine coins), and that this design is derived from the symbol of the guild of moneychangers and bankers, which features gold bisanti on a red background.

We cannot count later versions of the Medici coat of arms as well as the different branches of the family. One successful version is decorated with a blue ball from the lilies of France, thanks to the concession of the king of France.

As if that were not enough, the number of balls contained in the coat of arms is not always the same throughout history. Originally there were eleven and then nine. Cosimo the Elder reduced the number to eight. It was Lorenzo the Magnificent who made the last change: just six balls.

"Medici: Masters of Florence," the TV drama about Italy's Medici family

"Medici: Masters of Florence" is an eight-part drama series chronicling the rise of the Italian Renaissance political dynasty known as the Medici family.

It was produced by Matilde and Luca Bernabei's Lux Vide, and Frank Spotnitz's Big Light Productions. Richard Madden played enterprising son Cosimo de' Medici, while Dustin Hoffman played a pivotal role as family patriarch Giovanni de' Medici. The story focuses on the family's ascent from simple merchants to power brokers who sparked an economic and cultural revolution. Along the way, the family also accrues a long list of powerful enemies.

"The legacy of the Medici family is so profound that its impact on the Renaissance is immeasurable. The foundations they laid in business and culture reach into the modern world today, which gives our story great breadth and depth," said Matilde and Luca Bernabei, Lux Vide's Chairman and CEO, respectively. " After seven centuries, their story remains a compelling one, full of intrigue, power, art, and faith. The historic and artistic heritage they left us still lives on, and we hope that it will inspire a new Renaissance in Italy, Europe, and throughout the world. Because of the project's cultural importance, we wanted to bring the best talents to the series; excellent writer/executive producer Frank Spotnitz, and the incomparable actors Dustin Hoffman and Richard Madden."

RAI Tv, the Italian national TV network, aired episodes 1 and 2 on Tuesday, October 18, 2016. According to the Italian ratings compiler Auditel, it attracted a record 7.6 million viewers. Rai TV will air 2 episodes each Tuesday, and with season 1 comprising 8 episodes, it will take 4 weeks to be broadcast. The series has been sold to many European channels, while sales in the USA have been delegated to WME. However, there is presently no word on when it will be aired in other countries. The episodes are 60 minutes long. The theme was the song Renaissance played by the English singer Skin.

Season 1 focuses on the rise of the Medici, with the protagonists being Giovanni (1360-1429, Dustin Hoffman) and his son Cosimo (1389-1464, Richard Madden). Season 2, which has been commissioned for the end of 2016, will focus on the life of Lorenzo, grandson of Cosimo.

Filming spanned 18 weeks between Rome and Florence, where producers had the opportunity to shoot in historical sites such as Palazzo Vecchio, Bargello Palace, the church of San Lorenzo, and inside the Duomo. Other shoots occurred in Pienza, Montepulciano, Pistoia, Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico d'Orcia, and the UNESCO site of Val d'Orcia.

The historical drama was made in English because of the international sales potential with its outstanding international cast. Rai 1 announced on October 28, 2016, that it is now possible to watch Medici Masters of Florence in the English language on his online platform Raiplay. Previously, this was only possible by choosing the language option during the live show and only with a terrestrial or satellite decoder.

Pictures: Palazzo Vecchio by Shirley de Jong CC BY-NC 2.0 ; Cosimo the Elder by Robert Scarth CC BY-SA 2.0 ; Lorenzo de'Medici by Jim Forest CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ; Medici coat of arms by Michael Colburn CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ; Bronze of Cosimo de Medici, Piazza della Signoria CC BY-ND 2.0
This post was originally published in September 3, 2013, and has been updated and enriched on November 14, 2016.
Florence Inferno

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Medici Family: History - Florence Inferno

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Here you find information and history about the Medici family, the world famous Italian noble family that had a great power in Florence, Italy from the 15th to the 18th century.

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the medici made a library (go to site to see more)

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On the first floor of the Brunelleschi cloister is the entrance to the Laurentian Library which houses what must be considered the most important and prestigious collection of antique books in Italy. It comprises the most lasting cultural inheritance which the Medici family has passed down to the attention, care and admiration of posterity. The collection had its genesis in the humanistic interests of Cosimo the Elder and his attendance of the Academy of Roberto de' Rossi. There followed his friendship with Niccoló Niccoli with whom he shared a passion for collecting ancient manuscripts of the works of classical authors. With Niccoli's guidance Cosimo acquired a great number of these. At the former's death, in 1437, Cosimo inherited most of Niccoli's library and donated a great many of these manuscripts to the monastery of San Marco.

He also founded the library at the "Badia Fiesolana". He was assisted in his acquisitions for this collection by Vespasiano da Bisticci who provided copysts with classical texts for subsequent diffusion. The original nucleus of volumes was then added to by Cosimo's son Piero. Subsequentely Lorenzo completed the collection with the acquisition of, above all, Greek texts.

The library followed the ups and downs of the Medici family. In 1494, following the sentence of exile imposed of Piero the Unfortunate and the banishment from Florence of the whole of the Medici family, the library was confiscated by the republican government and absorbed in toto into the library of the San Marco monastery. In 1508 it was recDowned by Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici (the second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, he became Pope Leo X) who transferred it to Rome. His successor Clement VII (Giulio de' Medici, son of Giuliano di Piero) brought the collection back to Florence in 1523 and immediately commissioned Michelangelo to design a library to house it.

This was to be another very important project for Michelangelo, because he made preparatory drawings for it and concerned himself with its construction for ten years before his definitive departure for Rome in 1534. However, he did not relinquish control of the project, monitoring the phases of building as the work was continued by his followers Giorgio Vasari and Bartolommeo Ammannati, who also completed Michelangelo's New Sacristy and who were assiduous in following the master's plan.

The decoration of the library went hand in hand with its actual construction (the ceiling dates to 1549-1550, the flooring from 1549-1554, the windows from 1558-1568) thus making the library one of the most unified works of the High Renaissance (or should we say of Mannerism) to be found in Florence. The vast reading-room is preceded by the dramatic entrance vestibule (called the "ricetto") planned in elevation by Michelangelo and built in that characteristic Florentine two-one combination of grey sand-stone elements on white plaster. Here Michelangelo's energetic and powerfully modelled architectural vocabulary (free from the constraints of the Brunelleschian style imposed on him, to a certain extent, in the New Sacristy) emerges in the tabernacle niches, the paired columns, the portal, all imbued with a feeling of solid strength. This dynamism, concentrated on the walls of the vestibule, downflows in the fantastical staircase (built by Ammannati in 1559, following a clay model prepared by Michelangelo). It consists of three flights of steps; the outer ones are quadrangular shaped, the central ones convex, and the bottom three steps are completely elliptical. The staircase is, then, an explosion of originality which fits perfectly with the fanciful character of the Mannerist style of architecture. The vertical tensions of the vestibule seem to quieten down in the long hall of the big reading-room. Here the guiding principle of the design is the maximum use made of the lateral sources of light.

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On the first floor of the Brunelleschi cloister is the entrance to the Laurentian Library which houses what must be considered the most important and prestigious collection of antique books in Italy. It comprises the most lasting cultural inheritance which the Medici family has passed down to the attention, care and admiration of posterity.

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"manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential.[15] The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola."

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What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

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The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
"Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

report this ad

The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
"Cosimo de’ Medici, byname Cosimo the Elder, Italian Cosimo il Vecchio, Latin byname Pater Patriae (Father of his Country), (born Sept. 27, 1389, Florence—died Aug. 1, 1464, Careggi, near Florence), founder of one of the main lines of the Medici family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1537. The son of Giovanni di Bicci (1360–1429), Cosimo was initiated into affairs of high finance in the corridors of the Council of Constance, where he represented the Medici bank. He went on from there to manage the papacy’s finances and in 1462 filled his coffers to overflowing by obtaining from Pius II …(100 of 1039 words)"

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Cosimo de' Medici | ruler of Florence [1389-1464]

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Cosimo de' Medici: Cosimo de' Medici, founder of one of the main lines of the Medici family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1537. The son of Giovanni di Bicci (1360-1429), Cosimo was initiated into affairs of high finance in the corridors of the Council of Constance, where he represented the Medici bank.

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Family tree
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Medici-family

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"The Medici story began around the 12th century, when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important houses in Florence. Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de’ Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was forced into exile."

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The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe's scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.

Birth of the Medici Family

The Medici story began around the 12th century when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence.

Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was banished from the city in 1382 due to his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of the family, descended from Salvestro's distant cousin Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, would begin the great Medici dynasty. Giovanni's elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. During Cosimo's time, as well as that of his sons and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Renaissance flourished, and Florence became the cultural center of Europe.

Did you know? When Cosimo I moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi, he also established a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a poet himself, and supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo's premature death at the age of 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he soon infuriated the public by accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France. After only two years in power, he was forced out of the city in 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Piero's younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The next few years marked the high point of Medici influence in Europe, as Leo X followed in his father's humanistic footsteps and devoted himself to artistic patronage.

Catherine de Medici

Piero's son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well.

By the early 1520s, few descendants of Cosimo the Elder remained. Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement VII, and the short and brutal rule of Alessandro (reputed to be Giulio's own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination in 1537.

A New Medici Branch Comes to Power

At this point, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder's brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward to launch a new Medici dynasty. Lorenzo's great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. As Cosimo I, he established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo's elder son Francis succeeded his father, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis' younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, restored Tuscany to stability and prosperity. He also founded the Villa Medici at Rome and brought many priceless works of art to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici line renounced the older generation's republican sympathies and established more authoritarian rule, a change that produced stability in Florence and Tuscany, but led to the region's decline as a cultural hub.

After Ferdinand's son Cosimo II (who supported the work of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered under ineffectual Medici rule.

When the last Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, the family dynasty died with him. By agreement of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, whose marriage to Hapsburg heiress (and mother of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Project. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins and History. The Medici Family.

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Medici Family: Cosimo, Lorenzo & Catherine - HISTORY

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The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.

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The Medicis helped build the Dome of Florence

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"By 1402, the Medici Bank had opened a branch bank in Venice, which was also an important outlet of investment opportunities. In the same year, the bank employed a total of 17 people at its headquarters in Florence; five were clerks."

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The wool and cloth industries were the export mainspring of the Florentine economy in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1402, the Medici Bank loaned 3,000 florins (nearly one-third of its original capital) to finance a Medici family partnership to produce woolen cloth. In 1408, a second and more successful shop for producing woolen cloth was started.

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Because of Cosimo's management the bank became the biggest banking house of the era.

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The wool and cloth industries were the export mainspring of the Florentine economy in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1402, the Medici Bank loaned 3,000 florins (nearly one-third of its original capital) to finance a Medici family partnership to produce woolen cloth. In 1408, a second and more successful shop for producing woolen cloth was started.

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"In 1435, the bank opened its first branch beyond the Alps, in Geneva. The Medici opened another woolen-cloth manufacturing shop, and in 1438, they acquired a silk shop."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The wool and cloth industries were the export mainspring of the Florentine economy in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1402, the Medici Bank loaned 3,000 florins (nearly one-third of its original capital) to finance a Medici family partnership to produce woolen cloth. In 1408, a second and more successful shop for producing woolen cloth was started.

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Not only did they help create artworks but also elaborate celebrations and festivals

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Spent money on lavish palaces, expensive furniture, and beautiful artworks that were both modern and ancient

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Banker of Florence and special advisor in government which made him stay in power

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When Giovanni was in the SIgnory he helped the rich even though it harmed the poor

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The bank gave tons of people that were unfortunate and also gave to churches and hospitals

Pg 7 of Rena

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Had sixteen branches which made them very wealthy

pg 7 in Rena

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The Medicis were able to stay in power  by being part if a council called the Signory

pg 7 of Rena

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Cosimo the Elder was nominated In 1434 as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who controlled the city, he soon came to dominate it.[2]

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"In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

report this ad

The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
The Ms came from a tiny village near the north of Florence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

report this ad

The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
The Ms made Italy a more steady and pleasant area

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

report this ad

The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

# data[].attributes.body
A lot of the polices that the Medicis passed were polices that lead to peace and control in Italy and Florence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century. The family, especially in the fifteenth century made a decisive contribution to the Renaissance in Italy. This contribution was through their patronage of the arts in their native Florence and their policies that favored peace and stability in Italy and shaped the Renaissance.

The de Medicis made a real and telling contribution to the arts, politics, and stability of Italy and encouraged the cultural flourishing that became known as the Renaissance.

De Medici-Background

The Medici family originally originate in a small village to the north of Florence. In the thirteenth century, the first Medici arrived in Florence. The family soon prospered in their new home. The early De Medici's made their money in the wool trade. They used the profits that they made in the wool trade to diversify their business interests. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429), increased the wealth of the family and established the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. The Medici became involved in politics, and they were often involved with the popular party in Florence. In general, the Medici liked to influence politics from behind the scene and used their wealth and connections to achieve their goals. In 1434 Cosimo the Elder was elected as one of the leaders of the Florentine Republic, and although he was only one of several magistrates who ruled the city, he came to dominate it.

Cosimo was a very effective leader and was a skilled negotiator, and he brought stability to the city and made it even wealthier. Before Cosimo, the city had been regularly disturbed and unsettled by political factions and influential families. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero who had little of the abilities of his father. He died while still quite young and was succeeded by his son Lorenzo, who is known to history as Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was an excellent ruler and brought peace and prosperity to Florence and its hinterland.

However, the De Medici business fortunes began to falter, and this ultimately weakened their hold on Florence. Lorenzo and the Medici survived a plot to kill them and seize power in 1474. After Lorenzo died, his son became head of Florence but he was incompetent, and he provoked a popular uprising against the family, and this led to their expulsion from Florence from 1494-1512. The Family was restored to Florence in 1512, and they eventually became the Dukes of Florence. However, the glory days were gone, the later de Medici was not as powerful or as rich as their predecessors, and Florence became a political and cultural backwater.

de Medici and Florence

In the 15th century when the de Medici was at the height of their powers, they dominated Florence. However, they were eager to appear as first among equals, they went to great lengths to allow the other noble and wealthy families to secure many of the offices in the City-Republic's government. This reconciled many of them to the domination of their Republic by one family. The de Medici were fabulously wealthy at least until the 1480s, and their wealth was able to smooth out any difficulties that they had experienced and the City of Florence experienced a period of peace and stability because of the de Medici's wealth. This period of tranquility was unique in the city's history that well-known for its political turbulence. The de Medici brought stability to the city and this allowed trade to flourish and also the arts. The stability that the de Medici provided allowed Florence to become a cultural center.

The city's artists and writers took advantage of the peace and stability to develop new styles of art in security. Then the de Medici were quite tolerant for the times. They were mostly secular in outlook and their power meant that the city's artists and writers did not have to fear from the Inquisition or clerical interference. The Medici, especially Lorenzo the Magnificent was broad-minded. Indeed, Lorenzo was himself a distinguished poet, and this led to an atmosphere where new ideas and practices were encouraged and even promoted in Florence.

The de Medic had long been associated with the Humanists. Lorenzo the Magnificent was himself taught by a well-known Humanist and was sympathetic to the aims of the movement. For this reason, humanism and its ideas on human reason and capabilities flourished in the city. Indeed, many humanists such as De Valla were able to secure employment in the de Medici administration and added to the cultural life of the city.

De Medici and the Peace of Italy

In the fifteenth century conditions in Italy became more peaceful. In previous centuries war was endemic in the Peninsula. There were conflicts between the city-states and often civil conflicts within them. These indeed led to the rise of many tyrants all over Italy especially, in the 14th century. The De Medici did not like to engage in war and did not want to expand Florentine territory. They favored peace and believed that war was bad for trade. In this, they had a decidedly modern outlook. Cosimo the Elder worked tirelessly for peace in the North of Italy. He sought to establish a balance of power in the region between the main powers and the exclusion of foreign powers such as the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. Cosimo helped to negotiate an end to a series of wars in Lombardy and helped the main players in Italy, Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence to reach an agreement to respect each other's territorial integrity.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, followed his grandfather's policies about maintaining a balance of power in Italy. This led Lorenzo and other Northern Italian leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Lodi that brought peace and stability to the North and Central Italy. The de Medici through their policies did much to bring peace and security too much of Italy, and this was crucial for the Renaissance It is not a coincidence that the cultural zenith of the Italian Renaissance occurred when Florence was stable. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael produced their most celebrated works when Northern Italy was experiencing an unprecedented peaceful period in the fifteen century. In this way, the de Medici helped to create an ideal environment for the great artists of the era to grow and create peerless works of art.

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The De Medici and the revival of Greek Learning

The Renaissance was inspired by the Classical World of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, until the fifteenth century, the Italian humanists only knew of Ancient Greece and the great works of Plato and the other great Greeks through the Romans. Cosimo the Elder helped to introduce Ancient Greek manuscripts and culture into Italy. Cosimo the Elder sought to end the schism in the Christian Church. He helped to negotiate the union of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church that was formalized at the Council of Florence in 1439. This Union ultimately failed, but it was to have a profound impact on the development of the Renaissance.

The Byzantine Emperor visited Florence in 1493 to ratify the Union, and he was attended by several hundred followers among them the great Neoplatonist philosopher George Gemistos Plethon. Cosimo had failed to achieve a lasting union between the eastern and the western Church. However, he inspired renewed interest in the works of the Greeks as he patronized several Greek scholars from Byzantium and appeared to have secured some manuscripts that were previously unknown in Florence. In the Byzantine Empire, there were many great works from the Greek past that were unknown in Italy. The city of Florence soon became the center for the study of Ancient Greek culture and Neoplatonism, became very influential. The increasing interest in Greek culture was to direct the Renaissance in new directions and inspired a new generation of writers and philosophers such as Pico Della Mirandola.

De Medici as Patrons

All of the de Medici had an interest in the arts in the fifteenth century and art was used to legitimize the family's rule of Florence. The works commissioned by the family often sought to raise the status of the family in the city. They used art to fortify their position in Florentine Society. However, the family was also genuinely fond of art, architecture, and literature. Cosimo was very knowledgeable about architecture and Lorenzo the Magnificent was a connoisseur of paintings and sculptures.

The Medici's used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance. Cosimo the Elder was the patron of the great architect Bruneschelli, and it was under De Medici orders that he built the great Medici Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo. It was Cosimo who ordered the building of the great De Medici Palace with its magnificent paintings by Uccello. It was Cosimo who also commissioned Donatello's, Bronze of David, one of the most influential pieces of sculpture in the period.

Lorenzo was equally lavish in his patronage of artists and the commissioning of great works of art. He is widely seen as perhaps the greatest patron of the arts in Renaissance Italy, but this view has been challenged in recent decades. He also commissioned works from great artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, and Verrocchio. Moreover, Lorenzo established a sculpture garden at San Marco, where he encouraged the young Michelangelo to study works from the Classical Period. Michelangelo produced his first significant works under the patronage of Lorenzo. Michelangelo formed part of Lorenzo's household, and he treated artists as the equals of humanist scholars and poets.

Lorenzo's treatment of articles was unprecedented in Republican Florence, where painters and sculptors had only been ranked as mere tradesmen or common craftsmen.' This treatment raised the status of the artists in the eyes of Florentine society and this was to produce an environment where they had more freedom of expression, and this enabled them to produce many great artworks. Lorenzo not only patronized these great artists but they also patronized many humanists and writers and they all helped to make Florence a leading intellectual center. Ironically, it has been suggested that the de Medici's lavish expenditure on the arts and buildings led to their financial difficulties from the 1480s onwards, which contributed to their 'expulsion from the city in 1494.

Conclusion

The de Medici during their rule of Florence in the fifteen century did much to influence the Renaissance and to enable the great artists, humanists, and writers, to produce their works that have been so influential down the centuries. The family brought stability and peace to the city of Florence. This was crucial in the cultural flourishing in the city in the fifteenth century. The de Medici largely peaceful rule did much to promote the Renaissance in the city. They also in their relations with the other city-states did much to bring peace to North Italy. Then the de Medici was very instrumental in the growing interest in Greek culture and history.

Cosimo de Medici and his policies promoted, unintentionally, the study of the works of the Greeks. This was to move the Renaissance in new directions, especially under the influence of Neoplatonism. Then there was the patronage of the de Medici; the family directly helped many great artists to produce many new and great works of art. Lorenzo the Magnificent especially helped to raise the status of the artists in Florentine society. By the time of their expulsion in 1494, the family had made a significant contribution to the development of the Renaissance, which has been crucial in the evolution of the modern world.

References

Contributors

Updated January 13, 2019

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How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?

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What were the contributions of the de Medici family to the Renaissance in Italy during the fifteenth century? The de Medicis were the effective rulers of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, and they later became the ruling house of Florence in the 16th and 17th century.

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Most of the art and architecture that was produced in the start of the Rena and in Florence was because of the Medicis

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History >>Renaissance for Kids

The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism.

Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino

Rulers of Florence

The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy. Giovanni de Medici first brought the family to prominence in Florence by starting the Medici bank. He also was the leader of the Florence merchants. His son, Cosimo de Medici became the Gran maestro (leader) of the Florence city-state in 1434. The Medici family ruled Florence for the next 200 years until 1737.

Leaders of the Renaissance

The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money.

A significant amount of the art and architecture that was produced in Florence at the beginning of the Renaissance was due to the Medici. Early on they supported the painter Masaccio and helped pay the architect Brunelleschi to rebuild the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Other famous artists that the Medici supported include Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Medici didn't just support the arts and architecture. They also supported science. They supported the famous scientist Galileo Galilei in his scientific efforts. Galileo also worked as a tutor for the Medici children.

Bankers

The Medici owed much of their wealth and power to the Medici Bank. It made them one of the richest families in all of Europe. It was the largest bank in Europe at its peak and was very well respected. The bank made notable improvements in accounting procedures including the development of the double-entry bookkeeping system.

Important Members

Giovanni de Medici (1360 - 1429): Giovanni was the founder of the Medici Bank which would make the family wealthy and allow them to support the arts.

Cosimo de Medici (1389 - 1464): Cosimo began the Medici dynasty as the first Medici to become leader of the city of Florence. He supported the famous sculptor Donatello and the architect Brunelleschi.

Lorenzo de Medici (1449 - 1492): Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence through much of the peak of the Italian Renaissance. He supported such artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli.

Pope Leo X (1475 - 1521): The first of four Medici to become Pope, Leo commissioned many works from the artist Raphael.

Catherine de Medici (1529 - 1589): Catherine married King Henry II of France and became Queen of France in 1547. She later served as regent for her son King Charles IX and played a major role in the reign of her third son Henry III. Catherine supported the arts and brought ballet to the French court.

Catherine de Medici by Francois Clouet

Marie de Medici (1575 - 1642): Marie became Queen of France when she married King Henry IV of France. She also acted as regent for her young son Louis XIII of France before he became king. Her court painter was the famous Peter Paul Rubens.

Interesting Facts about the Medici Family

Although the names were later changed, Galileo initially named four of the moons of Jupiter he discovered after children of the Medici family.

The Medici Family produced four popes in total including Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI.

The Medici Family is sometimes called the Godfathers of the Renaissance.

In 1478 Giuliano Medici was assassinated by the Pazzi family in front of 10,000 people at the Easter church service.

Ferdinando de Medici was a patron of music. He helped to fund the invention of the piano.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Learn more about the Renaissance:

Works Cited

History >>Renaissance for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
History >>Renaissance for Kids The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino Rulers of Florence The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers.

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The Medici bank made prominent advances in accounting procedures. For example, development of the double-entry bookkeeping system.

# data[].attributes.body
The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Those businesses were very profitable and soon the family became very wealthy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History >>Renaissance for Kids

The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism.

Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino

Rulers of Florence

The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy. Giovanni de Medici first brought the family to prominence in Florence by starting the Medici bank. He also was the leader of the Florence merchants. His son, Cosimo de Medici became the Gran maestro (leader) of the Florence city-state in 1434. The Medici family ruled Florence for the next 200 years until 1737.

Leaders of the Renaissance

The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money.

A significant amount of the art and architecture that was produced in Florence at the beginning of the Renaissance was due to the Medici. Early on they supported the painter Masaccio and helped pay the architect Brunelleschi to rebuild the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Other famous artists that the Medici supported include Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Medici didn't just support the arts and architecture. They also supported science. They supported the famous scientist Galileo Galilei in his scientific efforts. Galileo also worked as a tutor for the Medici children.

Bankers

The Medici owed much of their wealth and power to the Medici Bank. It made them one of the richest families in all of Europe. It was the largest bank in Europe at its peak and was very well respected. The bank made notable improvements in accounting procedures including the development of the double-entry bookkeeping system.

Important Members

Giovanni de Medici (1360 - 1429): Giovanni was the founder of the Medici Bank which would make the family wealthy and allow them to support the arts.

Cosimo de Medici (1389 - 1464): Cosimo began the Medici dynasty as the first Medici to become leader of the city of Florence. He supported the famous sculptor Donatello and the architect Brunelleschi.

Lorenzo de Medici (1449 - 1492): Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence through much of the peak of the Italian Renaissance. He supported such artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli.

Pope Leo X (1475 - 1521): The first of four Medici to become Pope, Leo commissioned many works from the artist Raphael.

Catherine de Medici (1529 - 1589): Catherine married King Henry II of France and became Queen of France in 1547. She later served as regent for her son King Charles IX and played a major role in the reign of her third son Henry III. Catherine supported the arts and brought ballet to the French court.

Catherine de Medici by Francois Clouet

Marie de Medici (1575 - 1642): Marie became Queen of France when she married King Henry IV of France. She also acted as regent for her young son Louis XIII of France before he became king. Her court painter was the famous Peter Paul Rubens.

Interesting Facts about the Medici Family

Although the names were later changed, Galileo initially named four of the moons of Jupiter he discovered after children of the Medici family.

The Medici Family produced four popes in total including Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI.

The Medici Family is sometimes called the Godfathers of the Renaissance.

In 1478 Giuliano Medici was assassinated by the Pazzi family in front of 10,000 people at the Easter church service.

Ferdinando de Medici was a patron of music. He helped to fund the invention of the piano.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Learn more about the Renaissance:

Works Cited

History >>Renaissance for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
History >>Renaissance for Kids The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino Rulers of Florence The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers.

# data[].attributes.body
"Giovanni de Medici (1360 - 1429): Giovanni was the founder of the Medici Bank which would make the family wealthy and allow them to support the arts.

Cosimo de Medici (1389 - 1464): Cosimo began the Medici dynasty as the first Medici to become the leader of the city of Florence. He supported the famous sculptor Donatello and the architect Brunelleschi.

Lorenzo de Medici (1449 - 1492): Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence through much of the peak of the Italian Renaissance. He supported such artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli.

Pope Leo X (1475 - 1521): The first of four Medici to become Pope, Leo commissioned many works from the artist Raphael.

Catherine de Medici (1529 - 1589): Catherine married King Henry II of France and became Queen of France in 1547. She later served as regent for her son King Charles IX and played a major role in the reign of her third son Henry III. Catherine supported the arts and brought ballet to the French court.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History >>Renaissance for Kids

The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism.

Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino

Rulers of Florence

The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy. Giovanni de Medici first brought the family to prominence in Florence by starting the Medici bank. He also was the leader of the Florence merchants. His son, Cosimo de Medici became the Gran maestro (leader) of the Florence city-state in 1434. The Medici family ruled Florence for the next 200 years until 1737.

Leaders of the Renaissance

The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money.

A significant amount of the art and architecture that was produced in Florence at the beginning of the Renaissance was due to the Medici. Early on they supported the painter Masaccio and helped pay the architect Brunelleschi to rebuild the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Other famous artists that the Medici supported include Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Medici didn't just support the arts and architecture. They also supported science. They supported the famous scientist Galileo Galilei in his scientific efforts. Galileo also worked as a tutor for the Medici children.

Bankers

The Medici owed much of their wealth and power to the Medici Bank. It made them one of the richest families in all of Europe. It was the largest bank in Europe at its peak and was very well respected. The bank made notable improvements in accounting procedures including the development of the double-entry bookkeeping system.

Important Members

Giovanni de Medici (1360 - 1429): Giovanni was the founder of the Medici Bank which would make the family wealthy and allow them to support the arts.

Cosimo de Medici (1389 - 1464): Cosimo began the Medici dynasty as the first Medici to become leader of the city of Florence. He supported the famous sculptor Donatello and the architect Brunelleschi.

Lorenzo de Medici (1449 - 1492): Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence through much of the peak of the Italian Renaissance. He supported such artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli.

Pope Leo X (1475 - 1521): The first of four Medici to become Pope, Leo commissioned many works from the artist Raphael.

Catherine de Medici (1529 - 1589): Catherine married King Henry II of France and became Queen of France in 1547. She later served as regent for her son King Charles IX and played a major role in the reign of her third son Henry III. Catherine supported the arts and brought ballet to the French court.

Catherine de Medici by Francois Clouet

Marie de Medici (1575 - 1642): Marie became Queen of France when she married King Henry IV of France. She also acted as regent for her young son Louis XIII of France before he became king. Her court painter was the famous Peter Paul Rubens.

Interesting Facts about the Medici Family

Although the names were later changed, Galileo initially named four of the moons of Jupiter he discovered after children of the Medici family.

The Medici Family produced four popes in total including Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI.

The Medici Family is sometimes called the Godfathers of the Renaissance.

In 1478 Giuliano Medici was assassinated by the Pazzi family in front of 10,000 people at the Easter church service.

Ferdinando de Medici was a patron of music. He helped to fund the invention of the piano.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Learn more about the Renaissance:

Works Cited

History >>Renaissance for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
History >>Renaissance for Kids The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino Rulers of Florence The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers.

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"Medici didn't just support the arts and architecture. They also supported science. They supported the famous scientist Galileo Galilei in his scientific efforts. Galileo also worked as a tutor for the Medici children. "

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History >>Renaissance for Kids

The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism.

Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino

Rulers of Florence

The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy. Giovanni de Medici first brought the family to prominence in Florence by starting the Medici bank. He also was the leader of the Florence merchants. His son, Cosimo de Medici became the Gran maestro (leader) of the Florence city-state in 1434. The Medici family ruled Florence for the next 200 years until 1737.

Leaders of the Renaissance

The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money.

A significant amount of the art and architecture that was produced in Florence at the beginning of the Renaissance was due to the Medici. Early on they supported the painter Masaccio and helped pay the architect Brunelleschi to rebuild the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Other famous artists that the Medici supported include Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Medici didn't just support the arts and architecture. They also supported science. They supported the famous scientist Galileo Galilei in his scientific efforts. Galileo also worked as a tutor for the Medici children.

Bankers

The Medici owed much of their wealth and power to the Medici Bank. It made them one of the richest families in all of Europe. It was the largest bank in Europe at its peak and was very well respected. The bank made notable improvements in accounting procedures including the development of the double-entry bookkeeping system.

Important Members

Giovanni de Medici (1360 - 1429): Giovanni was the founder of the Medici Bank which would make the family wealthy and allow them to support the arts.

Cosimo de Medici (1389 - 1464): Cosimo began the Medici dynasty as the first Medici to become leader of the city of Florence. He supported the famous sculptor Donatello and the architect Brunelleschi.

Lorenzo de Medici (1449 - 1492): Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence through much of the peak of the Italian Renaissance. He supported such artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli.

Pope Leo X (1475 - 1521): The first of four Medici to become Pope, Leo commissioned many works from the artist Raphael.

Catherine de Medici (1529 - 1589): Catherine married King Henry II of France and became Queen of France in 1547. She later served as regent for her son King Charles IX and played a major role in the reign of her third son Henry III. Catherine supported the arts and brought ballet to the French court.

Catherine de Medici by Francois Clouet

Marie de Medici (1575 - 1642): Marie became Queen of France when she married King Henry IV of France. She also acted as regent for her young son Louis XIII of France before he became king. Her court painter was the famous Peter Paul Rubens.

Interesting Facts about the Medici Family

Although the names were later changed, Galileo initially named four of the moons of Jupiter he discovered after children of the Medici family.

The Medici Family produced four popes in total including Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI.

The Medici Family is sometimes called the Godfathers of the Renaissance.

In 1478 Giuliano Medici was assassinated by the Pazzi family in front of 10,000 people at the Easter church service.

Ferdinando de Medici was a patron of music. He helped to fund the invention of the piano.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Learn more about the Renaissance:

Works Cited

History >>Renaissance for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
History >>Renaissance for Kids The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino Rulers of Florence The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers.

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They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. This had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money. It also made Florence a way more colorful and amazing place

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History >>Renaissance for Kids

The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism.

Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino

Rulers of Florence

The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy. Giovanni de Medici first brought the family to prominence in Florence by starting the Medici bank. He also was the leader of the Florence merchants. His son, Cosimo de Medici became the Gran maestro (leader) of the Florence city-state in 1434. The Medici family ruled Florence for the next 200 years until 1737.

Leaders of the Renaissance

The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money.

A significant amount of the art and architecture that was produced in Florence at the beginning of the Renaissance was due to the Medici. Early on they supported the painter Masaccio and helped pay the architect Brunelleschi to rebuild the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Other famous artists that the Medici supported include Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Medici didn't just support the arts and architecture. They also supported science. They supported the famous scientist Galileo Galilei in his scientific efforts. Galileo also worked as a tutor for the Medici children.

Bankers

The Medici owed much of their wealth and power to the Medici Bank. It made them one of the richest families in all of Europe. It was the largest bank in Europe at its peak and was very well respected. The bank made notable improvements in accounting procedures including the development of the double-entry bookkeeping system.

Important Members

Giovanni de Medici (1360 - 1429): Giovanni was the founder of the Medici Bank which would make the family wealthy and allow them to support the arts.

Cosimo de Medici (1389 - 1464): Cosimo began the Medici dynasty as the first Medici to become leader of the city of Florence. He supported the famous sculptor Donatello and the architect Brunelleschi.

Lorenzo de Medici (1449 - 1492): Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence through much of the peak of the Italian Renaissance. He supported such artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli.

Pope Leo X (1475 - 1521): The first of four Medici to become Pope, Leo commissioned many works from the artist Raphael.

Catherine de Medici (1529 - 1589): Catherine married King Henry II of France and became Queen of France in 1547. She later served as regent for her son King Charles IX and played a major role in the reign of her third son Henry III. Catherine supported the arts and brought ballet to the French court.

Catherine de Medici by Francois Clouet

Marie de Medici (1575 - 1642): Marie became Queen of France when she married King Henry IV of France. She also acted as regent for her young son Louis XIII of France before he became king. Her court painter was the famous Peter Paul Rubens.

Interesting Facts about the Medici Family

Although the names were later changed, Galileo initially named four of the moons of Jupiter he discovered after children of the Medici family.

The Medici Family produced four popes in total including Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI.

The Medici Family is sometimes called the Godfathers of the Renaissance.

In 1478 Giuliano Medici was assassinated by the Pazzi family in front of 10,000 people at the Easter church service.

Ferdinando de Medici was a patron of music. He helped to fund the invention of the piano.

Activities

Take a ten questionquiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Learn more about the Renaissance:

Works Cited

History >>Renaissance for Kids

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History >>Renaissance for Kids The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. Cosimo de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino Rulers of Florence The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers.

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"Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe's scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.

Birth of the Medici Family

The Medici story began around the 12th century when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence.

Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was banished from the city in 1382 due to his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of the family, descended from Salvestro's distant cousin Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, would begin the great Medici dynasty. Giovanni's elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. During Cosimo's time, as well as that of his sons and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Renaissance flourished, and Florence became the cultural center of Europe.

Did you know? When Cosimo I moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi, he also established a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a poet himself, and supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo's premature death at the age of 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he soon infuriated the public by accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France. After only two years in power, he was forced out of the city in 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Piero's younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The next few years marked the high point of Medici influence in Europe, as Leo X followed in his father's humanistic footsteps and devoted himself to artistic patronage.

Catherine de Medici

Piero's son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well.

By the early 1520s, few descendants of Cosimo the Elder remained. Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement VII, and the short and brutal rule of Alessandro (reputed to be Giulio's own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination in 1537.

A New Medici Branch Comes to Power

At this point, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder's brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward to launch a new Medici dynasty. Lorenzo's great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. As Cosimo I, he established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo's elder son Francis succeeded his father, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis' younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, restored Tuscany to stability and prosperity. He also founded the Villa Medici at Rome and brought many priceless works of art to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici line renounced the older generation's republican sympathies and established more authoritarian rule, a change that produced stability in Florence and Tuscany, but led to the region's decline as a cultural hub.

After Ferdinand's son Cosimo II (who supported the work of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered under ineffectual Medici rule.

When the last Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, the family dynasty died with him. By agreement of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, whose marriage to Hapsburg heiress (and mother of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Project. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins and History. The Medici Family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Medici Family: Cosimo, Lorenzo & Catherine - HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.

# data[].attributes.body
I the time of Cosimo, as well his sons and particularly his grandson, Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492), Renaissance culture blossomed, and Florence became the center of culture in Europe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe's scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.

Birth of the Medici Family

The Medici story began around the 12th century when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence.

Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was banished from the city in 1382 due to his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of the family, descended from Salvestro's distant cousin Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, would begin the great Medici dynasty. Giovanni's elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. During Cosimo's time, as well as that of his sons and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Renaissance flourished, and Florence became the cultural center of Europe.

Did you know? When Cosimo I moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi, he also established a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a poet himself, and supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo's premature death at the age of 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he soon infuriated the public by accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France. After only two years in power, he was forced out of the city in 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Piero's younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The next few years marked the high point of Medici influence in Europe, as Leo X followed in his father's humanistic footsteps and devoted himself to artistic patronage.

Catherine de Medici

Piero's son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well.

By the early 1520s, few descendants of Cosimo the Elder remained. Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement VII, and the short and brutal rule of Alessandro (reputed to be Giulio's own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination in 1537.

A New Medici Branch Comes to Power

At this point, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder's brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward to launch a new Medici dynasty. Lorenzo's great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. As Cosimo I, he established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo's elder son Francis succeeded his father, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis' younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, restored Tuscany to stability and prosperity. He also founded the Villa Medici at Rome and brought many priceless works of art to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici line renounced the older generation's republican sympathies and established more authoritarian rule, a change that produced stability in Florence and Tuscany, but led to the region's decline as a cultural hub.

After Ferdinand's son Cosimo II (who supported the work of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered under ineffectual Medici rule.

When the last Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, the family dynasty died with him. By agreement of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, whose marriage to Hapsburg heiress (and mother of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Project. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins and History. The Medici Family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Medici Family: Cosimo, Lorenzo & Catherine - HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.

# data[].attributes.body
Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. He had absolute control in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe's scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.

Birth of the Medici Family

The Medici story began around the 12th century when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence.

Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was banished from the city in 1382 due to his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of the family, descended from Salvestro's distant cousin Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, would begin the great Medici dynasty. Giovanni's elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. During Cosimo's time, as well as that of his sons and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Renaissance flourished, and Florence became the cultural center of Europe.

Did you know? When Cosimo I moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi, he also established a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a poet himself, and supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo's premature death at the age of 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he soon infuriated the public by accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France. After only two years in power, he was forced out of the city in 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Piero's younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The next few years marked the high point of Medici influence in Europe, as Leo X followed in his father's humanistic footsteps and devoted himself to artistic patronage.

Catherine de Medici

Piero's son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well.

By the early 1520s, few descendants of Cosimo the Elder remained. Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement VII, and the short and brutal rule of Alessandro (reputed to be Giulio's own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination in 1537.

A New Medici Branch Comes to Power

At this point, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder's brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward to launch a new Medici dynasty. Lorenzo's great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. As Cosimo I, he established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo's elder son Francis succeeded his father, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis' younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, restored Tuscany to stability and prosperity. He also founded the Villa Medici at Rome and brought many priceless works of art to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici line renounced the older generation's republican sympathies and established more authoritarian rule, a change that produced stability in Florence and Tuscany, but led to the region's decline as a cultural hub.

After Ferdinand's son Cosimo II (who supported the work of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered under ineffectual Medici rule.

When the last Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, the family dynasty died with him. By agreement of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, whose marriage to Hapsburg heiress (and mother of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Project. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins and History. The Medici Family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Medici Family: Cosimo, Lorenzo & Catherine - HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.

# data[].attributes.body
When Cosimo I (1519-1574) moved the Florentine administrative offices into the Uffizi, he also made a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many of amazing Renaissance-era treasures gathered by the Medicis since the era of Cosimo the Elder.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe's scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.

Birth of the Medici Family

The Medici story began around the 12th century when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence.

Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was banished from the city in 1382 due to his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of the family, descended from Salvestro's distant cousin Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, would begin the great Medici dynasty. Giovanni's elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. During Cosimo's time, as well as that of his sons and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Renaissance flourished, and Florence became the cultural center of Europe.

Did you know? When Cosimo I moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi, he also established a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a poet himself, and supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo's premature death at the age of 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he soon infuriated the public by accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France. After only two years in power, he was forced out of the city in 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Piero's younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The next few years marked the high point of Medici influence in Europe, as Leo X followed in his father's humanistic footsteps and devoted himself to artistic patronage.

Catherine de Medici

Piero's son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well.

By the early 1520s, few descendants of Cosimo the Elder remained. Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement VII, and the short and brutal rule of Alessandro (reputed to be Giulio's own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination in 1537.

A New Medici Branch Comes to Power

At this point, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder's brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward to launch a new Medici dynasty. Lorenzo's great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. As Cosimo I, he established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo's elder son Francis succeeded his father, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis' younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, restored Tuscany to stability and prosperity. He also founded the Villa Medici at Rome and brought many priceless works of art to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici line renounced the older generation's republican sympathies and established more authoritarian rule, a change that produced stability in Florence and Tuscany, but led to the region's decline as a cultural hub.

After Ferdinand's son Cosimo II (who supported the work of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered under ineffectual Medici rule.

When the last Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, the family dynasty died with him. By agreement of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, whose marriage to Hapsburg heiress (and mother of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Project. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins and History. The Medici Family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Medici Family: Cosimo, Lorenzo & Catherine - HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.

# data[].attributes.body
"Giovanni’s elder son, Cosimo (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe's scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.

Birth of the Medici Family

The Medici story began around the 12th century when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence.

Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was banished from the city in 1382 due to his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of the family, descended from Salvestro's distant cousin Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, would begin the great Medici dynasty. Giovanni's elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. During Cosimo's time, as well as that of his sons and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Renaissance flourished, and Florence became the cultural center of Europe.

Did you know? When Cosimo I moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi, he also established a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a poet himself, and supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo's premature death at the age of 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he soon infuriated the public by accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France. After only two years in power, he was forced out of the city in 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Piero's younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The next few years marked the high point of Medici influence in Europe, as Leo X followed in his father's humanistic footsteps and devoted himself to artistic patronage.

Catherine de Medici

Piero's son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well.

By the early 1520s, few descendants of Cosimo the Elder remained. Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement VII, and the short and brutal rule of Alessandro (reputed to be Giulio's own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination in 1537.

A New Medici Branch Comes to Power

At this point, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder's brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward to launch a new Medici dynasty. Lorenzo's great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. As Cosimo I, he established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo's elder son Francis succeeded his father, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis' younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, restored Tuscany to stability and prosperity. He also founded the Villa Medici at Rome and brought many priceless works of art to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici line renounced the older generation's republican sympathies and established more authoritarian rule, a change that produced stability in Florence and Tuscany, but led to the region's decline as a cultural hub.

After Ferdinand's son Cosimo II (who supported the work of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered under ineffectual Medici rule.

When the last Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, the family dynasty died with him. By agreement of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, whose marriage to Hapsburg heiress (and mother of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Project. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins and History. The Medici Family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Medici Family: Cosimo, Lorenzo & Catherine - HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.

# data[].attributes.body
Got wealthy and power by being great at business and banking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence, Italy, in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family's patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe's scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.

Birth of the Medici Family

The Medici story began around the 12th century when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence.

Their influence had declined by the late 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving as gonfaliere, or standard bearer, of Florence) was banished from the city in 1382 due to his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of the family, descended from Salvestro's distant cousin Giovanni di Bicci de Medici, would begin the great Medici dynasty. Giovanni's elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life.

Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. During Cosimo's time, as well as that of his sons and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Renaissance flourished, and Florence became the cultural center of Europe.

Did you know? When Cosimo I moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi, he also established a small museum. The building is now the site of Florence's famed Uffizi Gallery, home to many great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a poet himself, and supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo (whom the Medicis commissioned to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo's premature death at the age of 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he soon infuriated the public by accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France. After only two years in power, he was forced out of the city in 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Piero's younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The next few years marked the high point of Medici influence in Europe, as Leo X followed in his father's humanistic footsteps and devoted himself to artistic patronage.

Catherine de Medici

Piero's son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well.

By the early 1520s, few descendants of Cosimo the Elder remained. Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement VII, and the short and brutal rule of Alessandro (reputed to be Giulio's own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination in 1537.

A New Medici Branch Comes to Power

At this point, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder's brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward to launch a new Medici dynasty. Lorenzo's great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. As Cosimo I, he established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo's elder son Francis succeeded his father, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis' younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, restored Tuscany to stability and prosperity. He also founded the Villa Medici at Rome and brought many priceless works of art to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici line renounced the older generation's republican sympathies and established more authoritarian rule, a change that produced stability in Florence and Tuscany, but led to the region's decline as a cultural hub.

After Ferdinand's son Cosimo II (who supported the work of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered under ineffectual Medici rule.

When the last Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male heir in 1737, the family dynasty died with him. By agreement of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, whose marriage to Hapsburg heiress (and mother of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Project. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins and History. The Medici Family.

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Medici Family: Cosimo, Lorenzo & Catherine - HISTORY

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The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.

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Cosimo de’ Medici, created the family's foundation in politics

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Medici family | Definition, History, Tree, & Facts

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Medici family: Medici family, Italian bourgeois family that ruled Florence and, later, Tuscany, during most of the period from 1434 to 1737, except for two brief intervals. It provided the church with four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married into the royal families of Europe.

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" Cosimo (1389–1464) and Lorenzo (1394–1440), both of whom acquired the appellation of “the Elder,” founded the famous lines of the Medici family."

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Medici family | Definition, History, Tree, & Facts

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Medici family: Medici family, Italian bourgeois family that ruled Florence and, later, Tuscany, during most of the period from 1434 to 1737, except for two brief intervals. It provided the church with four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married into the royal families of Europe.

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"His son Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (1360–1429), considered the first of the great Medici,"

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Medici family | Definition, History, Tree, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Medici family: Medici family, Italian bourgeois family that ruled Florence and, later, Tuscany, during most of the period from 1434 to 1737, except for two brief intervals. It provided the church with four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married into the royal families of Europe.

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They ruled Florence and later Tuscany around 1434 to 1737,

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Medici family | Definition, History, Tree, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Medici family: Medici family, Italian bourgeois family that ruled Florence and, later, Tuscany, during most of the period from 1434 to 1737, except for two brief intervals. It provided the church with four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married into the royal families of Europe.

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How did they influence Europe in the Ren/ political power

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How did they influence Europe in the Ren/ political power

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How did they get into politics/ The bank of Medici

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How did they get into politics/ The bank of Medici

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"At the time, Rome was a source of funds, but Florence offered more investment opportunities. The Medici set up a system of branch banks, any one of which could be declared independent by rearranging accounts. Such arrangements protected the parent bank from the bankruptcy of individual branches caused by localized economic difficulties.

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The wool and cloth industries were the export mainspring of the Florentine economy in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1402, the Medici Bank loaned 3,000 florins (nearly one-third of its original capital) to finance a Medici family partnership to produce woolen cloth. In 1408, a second and more successful shop for producing woolen cloth was started.

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Because of all the charity and great things he did for Florence people loved the medics