Download S - cloudfront.net

Medici Article
S.S. 7.44- Cite evidence in writing explaining the importance of Florence, Italy and the Medici Family in
the early stages of the Renaissance and the growth of independent trading cities, such as Venice, and their
importance in the spread of Renaissance ideas.
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.
The house of Medici rose to prominence around 1291, when a Medici served in the signoria,
Florence's city council. The family's fortunes swelled with the success of their bank starting in the
1390s, when Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici moved some of the family's banking operations from
Rome to Florence. His son, Cosimo the Elder (1389–1464), turned the bank into a fast-growing
business that operated throughout Europe. The bank handled financial affairs for the papacy*,
which gave the Medici great power. They could sometimes arrange for their supporters to receive
positions within the church.
Medici Rulers. During the 1430s the Medici, headed by Cosimo the Elder, took over the
leadership of Florence. Although Cosimo rarely held important political posts, he placed power in
the hands of special councils packed with Medici supporters. Another of Cosimo's tactics was to
pay some of the city's military captains from his own pocket, making them loyal to him
personally. In addition to building up a core of followers through the use of wealth and favors,
Cosimo and the leaders of the other Medici households gained support from the general public by
spending large sums on charity and public works, such as the repair of churches.
In 1469 Cosimo's grandson Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449–1492) became head of the family
and, for all practical purposes, ruler of Florence. He managed to hold onto power despite a
rebellion by prominent Florentines and a war with the pope. A few years after his death, however,
the French invaded Italy. When Lorenzo's son Piero gave in to French demands, the Florentines
rebelled and exiled the most prominent members of the Medici family. This led to the collapse of
the Medici bank in 1494.
Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici (1475–1521, later Pope LEO X) arranged for his exiled relatives to
return to Florence in 1512, and the family set about regaining power. Another rebellion against
the Medici in 1527 led to a second period of exile from Florence, but in the 1530s the leading
citizens of Florence, weary of decades of civil strife, coups, and exile, accepted Medici rule in
return for stability. Cosimo I de' Medici (1519–1574), descendant of a secondary branch of the
family, rose to power in 1537. He proved to be one of the strongest and most independent rulers
in Florence's history. He acquired new territories—including the city of SIENA—and the title of
grand duke of Tuscany, which his descendants held until 1737. The reign of Cosimo I placed the
Medici on a level with many of the other ruling families of Europe.
Medici Influence. Several strategies helped the Medici gain and hold power. One was the shrewd
use of marriage. At first, members of the family arranged marriages for their children to seal
economic and political alliances with other Florentine families. Lorenzo widened the family's
horizons, marrying into the Roman nobility, and from then on the Medici gained status through
marriages with noble families throughout Europe. Medici sons and daughters married into royal
houses in the Holy Roman Empire*, France, and Spain.
The Medici also used the Roman Catholic Church to further their ambitions. Lorenzo maneuvered
for years to have his son Giovanni appointed a cardinal. As Pope Leo X, Giovanni labored to
make the Medici the rulers of Florence. So did his cousin Giulio (1478–1534), who became Pope
Clement VII. Their pursuit of policies that advanced the Medici drew their attention from vital
matters such as the Protestant Reformation*. Pope Leo XI also a Medici, was less influential.
The Medici were major patrons of Renaissance intellectuals and artists. Cosimo I did much to
make Florence a center of art and culture, providing financial support for painters and
encouraging scholarship. Several later Medici, including Cosimo II, showed strong interest in
mathematics, literature, and science. The Medici collected books, founded libraries, and
supported the studies of humanist* scholars and philosophers. The Medici's greatest cultural
contribution, however, was commissioning works by many of the major artistic figures of the
Renaissance, including Filippo BRUNELLESCHI, MICHELANGELO, Benvenuto CELLINI,
and Sandro BOTTICELLI. Through the exercise of their wealth and their taste, the Medici helped
shape the art and cultural life of an era.
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
"Medici, House of." Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. Paul F. Grendler. Vol. 3.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. 60-62. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Oct.
2015.