Medici Family

The Medici family was one of the many feudal families living in the countryside north of Florence. They used to own fields and properties, earning good profits from the land, but after the year 1000, as long as wool trading and banking in the city became more profitable, they decide to become citified. The Medicis moved then into the walls of Florence and become successful traders and manufacturers, occasionally chosen for the politic careers in the organs of the Republic.

The great wealth arrived by the end of 14th century, when the Banco dei Medici was founded, a real bank successfully lending money to merchants and kings around Europe. Giovanni di Bicci (1360-1429) and his son Cosimo (1389-1464) became so rich that the rival families started to worry about. The powerful Albizzi family was able, in fact, to exile Cosimo from Florence, accusing him to be a manipulator of the political scene though corruption. But Cosimo was actually a wise and magnanimous man, who was used to help and to astonish the common people, including the construction of spectacular new buildings. As a matter of fact a rebellion rose, and Cosimo was called back to Florence with full honours, while his rivals were expelled instead.

So the great season of Cosimo's sons and grandsons was just starting, as they will rule the city for years (even if not directly, but helping trusted friends careers) and will promote an extraordinary embellishment of the city, and a vibrant cultural scene as well. Florence became the irradiating heart of a new style and a new way of thinking: the Renaissance.

Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492) was even wiser than his grandfather Cosimo, when he needed to dealing with the enemies: after the international conspiracy which got his brother killed and him saved him for a miracle (the Pazzi family conspiracy, 1478), he answered to his powerful enemies (the king of Naples, the pope Della Rovere and Federico da Montefeltro, lord of Urbino) sending to their hometowns the best artists he could find in Florence, as peace ambassadors, making original and magnificent works of art, including the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Lorenzo was such loved, that after he died one of his son was nominated cardinal and then pope, with the name of Leo X (1475-1521). The papacies of Leo and of his cousin Clemens VII (1478-1534) were among the most splendid golden age for arts, protecting artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo.

It was right in those times that a female nephew of Pope Clemens, Caterina de' Medici (1519-1589), was betrothed to a son of the King of France, Enrico, who later became, unexpectedly, king as well, so Caterina was queen. She was feared and severe, but also a carrier of culture and novelty in France.

Meanwhile in Florence the Medicis were not as loved as in the past. Alessandro (1510-1537) was declared the first Duke of the city by his uncle the pope, but he was a hated tyrant, killed shortly after by his cousin Lorenzino (later called "Lorenzaccio", the "bad-Lorenzo"). Only some years later the Medici family could get the power over Florence again, thanks to a successful war leaded by Cosimo I (1519-1574, not to confuse with Cosimo "the Elder), who was later appointed as "Grand duke", the first Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The age of Cosimo was again an era of great artistic splendor (Pontormo, Bronzino and Cellini among the artists who worked for him), but also and age of brutal repression of dissent and of wars (conquering Pisa again and subjugating Siena). His sons Francesco (1541-1587) and Ferdinando (1549-1609) continued his policy, strong but also munificent, pacifying Tuscany definitely.

17th and 18th centuries were relatively quiet, with Florence and Tuscany gradually set aside from the main international political tracks of Europe. Progression of science was important thou, with the great Galileo Galilei, protected by the Medicis even when the pope attacked him.

During the 18th century the Grand Duke Cosimo III (1642-1723) suddenly found himself without further heirs: among his three sons Ferdinando (1633-1713) died too young, Anna Maria Luisa was sterile, and Gian Gastone was almost admittedly homosexual. As Cosimo III died, and so Gian Gastone (1671-1737), the Medici family died out too.

But the dynasty ended with a great present to Florence: Anna Maria Luisa, the last one of his family, donated to the city all the goods and all the collections made up by her family in the last 4 centuries. So all the priceless paintings, sculptures, books, gems, precious stones, drawings, rarities and curiosities were indissolubly linked to the city, forbidding the sale and dispersion anywhere else. If nowadays the museums of Florence are among the richest in the world, we all must thank the generosity and the foresight of Anna Maria Luisa, the last and dignified descendant of a family which brought so much prestige to Florence, to Italy and to Europe.