07: The Medici and Florence

1. economics

2. politics

3. Patronage and support

  • intellectual
  • visual arts (painting, sculpture, architecture, related decorative arts).

Portrait medal of Cosimo, (anon), after 1465

Local issues: War and finances; faction

Regional: growing role of papacy

Medici as political actors: a reconciliation of oppositions

Medici money: banking
Origins: Mugello, in Florence by 1216
14th c in great council
two important branches of family: Vieri, sons of Averardo “Bicci”

Giovanni di Bicci   (1360–1429)

  • cloth firms
  • banker to antipope John XXIII 1413-15
  • public office: 1402 Signoria, 1421 gonfaloniere of justice, diplomatic missions

son, Cosimo (1389–1464)

  • educated by humanists
  • marries Contessina dei Bardi

Politics: Cosimo’s rise, consolidation of power

Early 15th c: wars, threats to Medici bank (taxation, ability to carry on business)

(image: Gozzoli, Procession of the Magi, ca. 1459, detail)

response: “parte”

  • Soliciting votes
  • Advocate new scrutinies: add supporters, dilute others
  • Help others gain administrative posts

Giovanni dies 1429: son Cosimo in charge of both bank, politics

Rinaldo degli Albizzi: old money: the opoosing faction

Sept 1433 arrest, detention of Cosimo, Oct. Exile 10 years

Albizzi forces suffer

Aug 1434, a signoria includes Medici.support

parlamento called, nullify exile, recall Cosimo. Back October 1434

“party leader”  control of appointments

Borsa      Scrutiny    acoppiatori
Public excuse: crises, war

Cosimo’s unofficial role:
a. informal caucuses at Palazzo Medici
b  advice via international business contacts
c.  indirect control of appointments
d. doing well for supporters
e. city does well overall
f. foreign powers: stable figure
1464 death of Cosimo:

son Piero aged 46 (1416-1469)

Mino da Fiesole, bust of Piero de’ Medici, 1453

Benozzo Gozzoli, portrait of Piero, detail from Procession of the Magi, 1458-9

            Banking: continues firm
married Lucrezia Tornabuoni
domestic trouble: desire for open selections for office
Luca Pitti—convinced to change position
Others exiled
Law: selection by lot for Signoria suspended for 20 years.

Lorenzo (1449–1492)

Portrait bust of Lorenzo de’ Medici, first quarter of 16th c, style of Verrocchio

             humanist education.
Married Clarice Orsini (Rome)
Early diplomatic experience
not much interest in banking
Political
accoppiatori elected annually by  predecessors, signoria
Pazzi conspiracy  1478
Sixtus IV: quarrel over Imola.
Volterra revolt:  1472 alum mine
Giuliano killed, Lorenzo wounded
Sixtus: war with support from Naples. Lorenzo to Naples, 1479
Balìa:   new “council of 70”

Piero di Lorenzo

  • runs city 1492-94 (1471-1503)\

1494-1512: Medici exiled from Florence

Support for scholarship:  Cosimo

      1. Library
2.   humanists in arts faculty at studio
3. Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499)

  • 1462: Cosimo giveshouse at Careggi: translate Plato, other  Platonic works
  • 1463   Hermetic corpus
  • 1468 finished translation of Plato ( pub 1484)

Ficino,Letters, ded. to Giuliano de’ Medici Vat. Lat 1789 Presentation copy for Cardinal Francesco della Rovere, (later Sixtus IV), Probably copied by Bastiano Salvini, Illuminated by Francesco Rosselli, Florence, 1475/76

Visual arts: Cosimo

 Architecture:
One of judges for competitions:

  • Baptistery doors (Ghiberti)
  • lantern design for cathedral, 1436

S. Lorenzo: Brunelleschi, plus Donatello for sculpture
tomb for John XXIII (Baptistery) Donatello, Michelozzo
Palazzi for bank branches. Ex Milan
Michelozzo: Medici palace begun 1444
S. Marco rebuilding, smaller commissions at Ss Annunciata, S Croce
Painting and other arts
Donatello