When you are in Florence, the Medici family is everywhere you look. Their family emblem crowns hundreds of buildings;their palaces, gardens, family churches, chapels even crypts are museums. Many of the masterpieces of the Renaissance exist because of their patronage. The name "Medici" is a song that Florence sings, and knowing a bit about them is useful for the traveler.
But it can be confusing trying to sort out just who's who in the family
that virtually ruled Florence, and much of Italy, for nearly 400 years.
The Medici dynasty also included three popes and many cardinals. Plus,
through strategic intermarriage, Medicis were part of the royal
families of France and England.
The first thing to know is that the Medici wealth--at various times they were the wealthiest family in Europe--came from banking. In a time of political instability, the reliability of Medici banking institutions was legendary. They lent money to kings for their wars, to nobles for their debts, to merchants for their inventories. Their accountants developed the modern double-entry bookkeeping system for tracking credits and debits. The florin, the coin they minted, was accepted as currency everywhere.
The second thing to keep in mind about the Medicis is that, although they pretty much ran things in Florence, no Medici held an official position until 1537 when Alessandro was made the first Duke of Florence. The early Medicis like Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent held power in that nothing happened in the city or its territories without their approval. These men "ruled" by virtue of their wealth and influence, through their lavish spending on public buildings, public festivals, charity, and, of course, through their patronage of the greatest artists of the day.
The third thing to know is that two different branches of the family were in power at different times. Giovanni de Bicci di Medici was the patriarch of the family in the early 1400's, and it was he who created the Medici bank. The senior branch of the family is descended from his oldest son, Cosimo the Elder, and includes the illustrious Lorenzo the Magnificent.
The junior branch came to power when Alessandro the first Duke of Florence was assassinated by his male lover (who was also his cousin) in 1537. This branch was descended from old Giovanni's younger son, confusingly known as Lorenzo the Elder (he was, of course, Lorenzo the Magnificent's elder relative). It was this Lorenzo's great-great grandson, Cosimo I who began a dynasty that included both Catherine and Marie de Medici.
I told you it was confusing! The history of the Medicis is a fascinating one, full of intrigue, plots, rebellions, jealousies, and triumphs. There are many books you can read, and my favorite is Christopher Hibbert's The House of Medici. (see link on the left).
But, perhaps even more enjoyable is the PBS program called The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance. This is a four-hour series that is well-worth your time. It's widely available in libraries and video outlets like Netflix.
Here's a link to the PBS website for the program that includes all kinds of fun features including an interactive tour of Florence and a Renaissance art gallery: The Medici.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Meanwhile, I am still hoping my luggage makes it home from Italy--it's full of books and gifts, as well as nearly all my underwear.
