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One of the most fascinating of these edifices is the Renaissance Villa Petraia in Castello, just outside the city, that can be visited for free. Florentine merchants (traders) traded with Lombard traders from the north of Italy. They bought English wool and Chinese silk to be woven into the most magnificent cloth in Europe at the riverside factories of Florence.
Anna Maria Luisa, the last descendant
Behind the Medici dynasty in Florence - DW (English)
Behind the Medici dynasty in Florence.
Posted: Fri, 12 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Signoria, comprised of nobles, important burghers, and intellectuals, was the oligarchic institution that ran the Florentine republic. Finally in science, the Medici are remembered for the patronage of Galileo, who tutored multiple generations of the Medici children – for whom he named the four largest moons of Jupiter. Giovanni di Bicci, the first Medici arts patron, encouraged Masaccio and commissioned Brunelleschi for the reconstruction of the Basilica di San Lorenzo in 1419.
What is the Medici family best known for?
Cosimo in turn patronized Vasari, who erected the Uffizi Gallery in 1560 and founded the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in 1563. He was vigorous and astute, often used force against his opponents, and always wanted to celebrate his power. Despite his quite humble origin, though, Cosimo managed to reign over Florence and married a princess. 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. 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.
Rarely Seen Portrait of Renaissance Queen Catherine de' Medici to Go on View - Smithsonian Magazine
Rarely Seen Portrait of Renaissance Queen Catherine de' Medici to Go on View.
Posted: Thu, 13 May 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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Work on the church carried on until the 17th century with the lavishly decorated Princes Chapel completely decked out in marble. You can see him right in the centre of the coffered ceiling, proudly dominating the space. If you visit Palazzo Vecchio you’ll see the apartments that once were inhabited by his family.
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. 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. The founder of the family would be Medico di Potrone, who lived around the year 1000 and was a doctor by profession. The earliest records we have of the Medici family tell us that they came from the Mugello valley and arrived in Florence around 1200.
Palazzo Pitti
While I'm not trying to offer a detailed history of the House of the Medici, I think knowing some of the basics will help anyone visiting Florence. I've planned to offer this outline of the history of the family as a first general introduction to the main members of the family and their mark on the city, hoping your visit to Florence is a bit more interesting as a result. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team.
Kensington Palace: Untold Lives
His support of the arts and letters is considered a high point in Medici patronage. 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 differences between these three collateral lines are essentially due to circumstances, for there was in all the Medici an extraordinary persistence of hereditary traits. In the first place, not being soldiers, they were constantly confronting their adversaries with bribes of gold rather than with battalions of armed men. In addition, the early Medici resolutely courted favour with the middle and poorer classes in the city, and this determination to be popolani (“plebeian”) endured a long time after them. Finally, all were consumed by a passion for arts and letters and for building.
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. 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). With the Medici Bank, the family introduced a number of banking innovations which are still in use today – the idea of a holding company, double-entry bookkeeping and lines of credit. The dynasty began when Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (1360–1429) emigrated to Florence to found the Medici Bank in 1397, which would become Europe’s largest and most respected bank. By the first half of the 15th century, the family had risen to become the most important house in Florence and Tuscany – a position they would hold for three centuries.
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Perhaps God wills that this war, which began in the blood of my brother and of myself, should be ended by any means. My desire is that by my life or my death, my misfortune or my prosperity, I may contribute to the welfare of our city... I go full of hope, praying to God to give me grace to perform what every citizen should at all times be ready to perform for his country.
This guided tour travels from the buildings that symbolize the Medici power to their private residences, which still house wonderful Renaissance paintings, frescoes and statues, evidence of their strong sensitivity to culture and art. The Biblioteca Laurenziana was the fist public library in Europe first housed in the palazzo in via Larga, then moved to the building next to the San Lorenzo church. This too was designed by Michelangelo, and is an extraordinary example of the architect’s ability. On the subject of Medici palaces, we can’t not mention the place where most of the members of the Medici family are buried.
The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries. Piero, oldest of the children of Lorenzo the Magnificent, fathered one son, also named Lorenzo (1492–1519), who in turn had a daughter, Catherine (1519–89), who became queen of France as wife of Henry II; three of her four sons became kings of France. Giovanni, second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, became Pope Leo X. In commemoration of the deaths of Giuliano and Lorenzo, the two who had died relatively young, the family commissioned Michelangelo to complete the famous Medici Tombs in Florence. The few years of this period are often considered to be the apogee of the Medici age.
In 1433, the Albizzi managed to have Cosimo exiled.[15] The next year, however, a pro-Medici Signoria (civic government) led by Tommaso Soderini, Oddo Altoviti and Lucca Pitti was elected and Cosimo returned. The Medici became the city's leading family, a position they would hold for the next three centuries. Cosimo and Lorenzo rarely held official posts but were the unquestioned leaders. The Medici family dominated the Italian city of Florence throughout the Renaissance and beyond, from 1434 to 1737. The Medici headed Europe's largest bank, became Florence's richest family, and controlled Florentine politics. Three Medici men became popes, and many Medici children married into the Catholic royal houses of Europe.
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