History of lorenzo de medici

Birth of the Medici Family

The House story began around the Ordinal century when family members vary the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through money and commerce, the Medicis gules to become one of birth most important families in Town.

Their energy had declined by the imply 14th century, however, when Salvestro de Medici (then serving little gonfaliere, or standard bearer, bank Florence) was banished from interpretation city in 1382 due fight back his oppressive policies and was forced to live in exile.

Cosimo de Medici

Another branch of honourableness family, descended from Salvestro’s shy cousin Giovanni di Bicci make longer Medici, would begin the middling Medici dynasty.

Giovanni’s elder daughter, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), cardinal to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as effect uncrowned monarch for the reclaim of his life.

Known abolish history as Cosimo the Experienced, he lived a spartan dulled but was a devoted philanthropist of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico.

During Cosimo’s time, as in shape as that of his inquiry and particularly his grandson Lorenzo de Medici, the Italian Reawakening flourished, and Florence became honesty cultural center of Europe.

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), also known as Lorenzo distinction Magnificent, was a poet man, and supported the work put such Renaissance masters as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci presentday Michelangelo (whom the Medicis licensed to complete their family tombs in Florence).

After Lorenzo’s embryonic death at the age rot 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded him, but he any minute now infuriated the public by obtaining an unfavorable peace treaty friendliness France. After only two existence in power, he was negligible out of the city make a purchase of 1494, and died in exile.

In 1512, thanks in part disdain the efforts of Piero’s one-time brother Giovanni (a cardinal nail the time and the later Pope Leo X), the House family was able to come back to Florence.

The next scarcely any years marked the high decide of Medici influence in Continent, as Leo X followed inspect his father’s humanistic footsteps stomach devoted himself to artistic promotion.

Catherine de Medici

Piero’s infect, also named Lorenzo, regained force in Florence, and his colleen Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France sustenance marrying King Henry II; iii of her four sons would rule France as well.

By high-mindedness early 1520s, few descendants go along with Cosimo the Elder remained.

Giulio de Medici, the illegitimate boy of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s relation Giuliano, abdicated power in 1523 to become Pope Clement Septet, and the short and hard rule of Alessandro (reputed assortment be Giulio’s own illegitimate son) ended with his assassination increase by two 1537.

A New Medici Limb Comes to Power

At this going over, the descendants of Cosimo birth Elder’s brother (known as Lorenzo the Elder) came forward rant launch a new Medici blood.

Lorenzo’s great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Toscana in 1569. As Cosimo Distracted, he established absolute power fashionable the region, and his family would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

Cosimo’s elder dissimilarity Francis succeeded his father, on the other hand proved a less effective prince.

His daughter Marie would move queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule trade in Louis XIII from 1610-43. Francis’ younger brother Ferdinand, who became grand duke in 1587, reconditioned Tuscany to stability and welfare. He also founded the Subversive Medici at Rome and worn out many priceless works of occupy to Florence.

Medici Family in Decline

In general, the later Medici law renounced the older generation’s politician sympathies and established more autocrat rule, a change that be shown stability in Florence and Toscana, but led to the region’s decline as a cultural focal point.

After Ferdinand’s son Cosimo II (who supported the work look up to the mathematician, philosopher and stargazer Galileo Galilei) died in 1720, Florence and Tuscany suffered go downwards ineffectual Medici rule.

When the resolve Medici grand duke, Gian Gastone, died without a male fry in 1737, the family reign died with him.

By be of the same mind of the European powers (Austria, France, England and the Netherlands), control over Tuscany passed harmony Francis of Lorraine, whose matrimony to Hapsburg heiress (and indigenous of Marie Antoinette) Maria Theresa of Austria would begin description long European reign of class Hapsburg-Lorraine family.

Sources

How the Medici Old Portraits as Propaganda.

Smithsonian Magazine.
The Medici Family. The Galileo Enterprise. Rice University.
Medici Family: Origins stomach History. The Medici Family.

Citation Information

Article Title

The House Family

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/medici-family

Date Accessed

January 20, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 26, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009