Download Cosimo I De medici Epitome of the Renaissance

Giacomo Toscano
Cosimo‘s Early Life

I was born in 1519, right at the
high Renaissance. Just as an
added bonus, I was also born in
Florence, the city of the
Renaissance. I did not really
involve myself in the humanist
ideals until I turned 17. In fact, I
was partly chosen for the reason
that I could be easily
manipulated. The event that
changed my life happed. I must
let you know that I was not ready
for it. I was chosen as the duke
of Florence and the ruler of the
Medici family because the
previous ruler Alessandro was
murdered.
Cosimo Becomes Duke

I am different from all my predecessors, in
the way that I was not born directly into the
important part of the Medici family. I am
originally of the Mugello family, but my
father was a Medici, and I was the only heir
to the position of duke, even though I was
Alessandro’s fourth cousin. I was from a
farm house, to endless riches. The only
thing I was used was used to ruling were
the sheep in my farm, but now, I became
nothing but the most important person in
Florence.
Cosimo Fears Death But Nothing
Can Stop Him

I knew that my life was not safe, so I took
many steps to make it so. Firstly, I had roughly
300 bodyguards, which impressed my visitors.
I had a private passage built all through
Florence, so that I did not have to go into the
open to move around the city. I also walked
around with knives down my boots, along with
armor under my clothing. Nonetheless, this did
not stop me from being the amazing patron
that I am. I had the Uffizi constructed, and fully
painted on the inside by Vasari, and I opened
a school for art, so that young talented artists
could come and learn.
Cosimo Makes Political Move

I was aware of the constant dark plans to
break the Medici by murdering me, so in 1539
only two years after I came to be the duke, I
married the Spanish noblewoman Eleonora de
Toledo, which gave me the approval of Spain,
and an alliance with them too. In the year of
15, I moved into the Palazzo Vecchio with my
family. My wife was disappointed, and believed
that this residence was too modest for her
dignity. Thus she purchased the Palazzo Pitti
with her own private money, claiming that she
could not raise her children of royal blood, in
such a humble place.
Cosimo: A Man of Honour

When
Michelangelo
died, the
government of
Florence
secretly decided
to sneak his
body from
Rome back to
home. There
they organized
a humongous
funeral for him.
Cosimo And The Inquisition

When Vasari wrote a book dedicated to me, he came
up with the name of what had been a movement of
artists, patrons, and politicians. He called it what we
all know to be the Renaissance. As expected, this
movement caused turmoil between them and the
most powerful force of the world. The Catholic
Church. Here is where the idea of the inquisition
came to be. They came to you and told you that they
believed you were guilty, and that you please
confess. It was not much like a case at court. They
came to me in 1559, and a deal was made, where I
organized a public book burning. I was in desperate
need of to be formally recognized by the church.
Accordingly, I was crowned Cosimo I, Grand Duke of
Tuscany in 1569 by the Pope himself.
Cosimo Is Victorious

My family had gone from the Papacy to
amazing lengths and heights. They had
patronized famous artists including
Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli
and other people like Galileo Galilei, and
Fillipo Brunelleschi. My family had been
the greatest patrons of all time, and I was
the leading one of them. The Renaissance
was not all and only for men with talent, but
was a way to give people the capacity of
doing the best with what they had. Cosimo
I de Medici fit in those shoes perfectly.
Bibliography

The Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance.
Dir. Justin Hardy. Perf. Pip Torens. PBS
Home Video, 2003. DVD.

Wikipedia.org. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
Web. 4 Mar. 2010.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosimo_I_de%
27_Medici,_Grand_Duke_of_Tuscany>.
Appendix (in order of appearence)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cosimo_
Grand_Duke.jpg
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cosimo_
Medici_Statue_Florence.jpg
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cosimo_
I_de_MediciSculptSFFAM75.2.16_img0
626.JPG

Cosimo Gives His Thanks

Thanks