The Medici Family Research Paper

Throughout the 15th and 16th century Florence was ruled almost completely by a powerful family known as the Medici that was the first family to gain control not through war, marriage or inheritance but commerce. Beginning with Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (1360-1429) in the 1300’s we see the first growth of the families wealth, Giovanni invests large amounts of his money made through the foundation of the Medici bank into political interests that begins the Medici’s rise to power. From this time on there is a succession of leaders from the family the most notable being Cosimo (1389-1464) who with the help of his father Giovanni began their ever growing political strength while maintaining their status as private citizens. Cosimo is succeeded by his son Piero the gouty (1416-1469) and him by Lorenzo the magnificent (1449-1492). Unlike

many prominent leaders of this time the Medici managed to maintain their control of Florence by using their extreme wealth and influence to promote education as well as arts such as painting and sculpting, they built libraries and won the love and support of the people.

The power of this family was not only related to the political side but also to their ties with the catholic church through the Giovanni (1475-1521) who becomes pope Leo X and Giulio (1453-1534) who becomes pope Clement VII, it is through this relation that the family is able to regain power in Florence in 1516.

Cosimo de’ Medici also known as Cosimo the elder and Pater Patriae (father of the nation) learned his banking prowess and ethical conduct from his father Giovanni. From an early age his father taught Cosimo and his brothers how to manage banking in a way to stay in a positive view in the public eye, it is believed he told them to “be creditors rather than debtors” (Previte Orton, C. W. 1947. Pg. 77). Giovanni unlike his son was unambitious in politics and focused more on conducting fair business which drew support from the lesser men to whom they had done good turns. This pre-existing

reputation of the family immediately set the stage for success for Cosimo and despite his brief exile in 1433 by Rinaldo degli Albizzi, by 1433 the exile had been revoked as the result of a severe effect on the economy by removing the Medici, and so the medicean supremacy began. (Previte Orton, C. W. 1947. Pg. 78)(Cavendish, R. The Death of Cosimo Medici. 2014). From 1434 until 1464 Cosimo was able to consolidate most of the power in Florence for him and his family, he controlled most of the public offices through money and influence and became lord of Florence. What cemented the Medici’s stranglehold over Florence was that they were held in such high regard by the public, this was a result of significant contribution made by Cosimo to Florentine society. He generously supported the arts and commissioned many renowned architects to build great cathedrals, such as the Duomo and the Medici palace, and had the best artists of the time decorate them. He also founded 3 libraries, the most prominent being the Laurentian library, and supported the practice of the peaceful arts and was a keen student of a defining feature of the renaissance, Humanism. As well as shaping the influence of art in the renaissance period Cosimo reformed the taxation system from a fixed income tax to a graduate one which once more increased his popularity amongst the lower classes. ("Cosimo de' Medici." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004)
Piero the Gouty, son of Cosimo, assumed his father’s role in 1464 his reign was significantly shorter than that of his father’s due to his incompetence and lasted on 5 years until 1469. He did little to increase or maintain Medici power and as a result of this the influence declined slightly. Piero married Lucrezia Tornabuoni a woman of noble heritage who gave birth to the heir Lorenzo Medici Piero’s eventual successor when he died from his gout and lung disease in 1469. Lucrezia was also gifted in the art of finance and very charitable which kept the support for Medici controlled government. Lorenzo de’ Medici also known as Lorenzo “the magnificent” took up his father’s position after his death, he was a very talented leader but during his life he neglected the families financial commitments and the Medici’s were forced to leave Florence.