the de medici family

By Gary Lirungan

Cosimo de Medici 1389-1464

Also known as Cosimo the Elder

Leading citizen and patron of the arts

Head of the bank that was the foundation of the Medici wealth

Florentines saw him as a statesman who had protected the city’s peace and independence

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=onta38245 ; Gale Document Number: GALE|CX3409200293

Gary Lirungan

De Medici Success Part of Florence’s ruling class since 1291

Became very rich after Giovanni di Bicci founded the Florentine branch of the bank

The Medici bank handled much of the business of the papal court by the time Cosimo and his brother took over in 1420

Under Cosimo’s control the family bank grew and prospered and in the 1450s, it had branches or partners throughout Europe.


Gary Lirungan

Cosimo the Elder’s Political Influence

With his cousin, led the Medici to become’s Florence’s leading political party

Faced opposition as he gained power and was exiled from Florence in 1433

Returned to Florence and was acknowledged as its leading citizen

Negotiated Peace of Lodi in 1454 to end half a century of warfare among several Italian States


Gary Lirungan

Importance of the de Medici Family

Controlled the destiny of the Italian city of Florence from the fifteenth century to the early 1700s

Financially supported artwork

Funded many of the buildings, statues, and paintings that made Florence a center of art during the Renaissance

http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/culture-recreation/why-was-medici-family-important-renaissanceGaryLirungan

Involvement in the Church

Three Medici men became Popes

Many Medici children married into the royal Catholic houses of Europe

The Medici could sometimes arrange positions within the church for their supporters


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Lorenzo the Magnificent 1449-1492

Cosimo the Elder’s grandson

In 1469, became head of the family as well as ruler of Florence

Held on to power despite a rebellion and war with the Pope

The French invaded Italy a few years after he died and his son gave in to the French, resulting to the fall of the Medici bank in 1494

Medici, Lorenzo de' 1449–1492 Florentine Statesman and AuthorGary Lirungan

Cardinal Giovanni de’ Medici

1475-1521

Became Pope LEO X

Labored to make the Medici the rulers of Florence just like his cousin, Giulio (1478-1534), who became Pope Clement VII.


Gary Lirungan

Cosimo I de’ Medici 1519-1574

Rose to power in 1537

Proved to be one of the strongest and most independent ruler in Florence’s history

Acquired new territories and the title of grand duke of Tuscany

The Medici were placed in a level with many other ruling families of Europe because of the reign of Cosimo I


Gary Lirungan

De Medici Arranged Marriages

Used marriage to gain and hold power

Members of the family wed people to get political and economic alliances with other Florentine families

The Medici family gained status through marriages with noble families throughout Europe after Lorenzo married into the Roman nobility

Medici children married into royal houses in the Holy Roman Empire, France, and Spain


Gary Lirungan

Art Contributions of the de Medcici Family

Cosimo I did much to make Florence a center of art and culture

The Medici collected books, founded libraries, and supported the studies of humanist scholars and philosophers

Greatest contribution was commissioning works by many big artistic figures of the Renaissance

The Medici helped shape the art and cultural life of an era


Gary Lirungan

Catherine De Medici Born in Italy on April 13, 1519

Father was Lorenzo de Medicimo

Mother was Madeleine de la Tour d’ Auvergne

Married to Henri II; King of Florence

Had ten children

Died on January 5, 1589

Catherine De Medici, The Power Behind the French ThroneGary Lirungan

Ferdinando I de' Medici 1549-1609

Reigned as Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609

He is celebrated as the benign leader who reestablished Tuscan independence and bolstered artistic production

In 1589, he married Christina of Lorraine, granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici, queen of France

Ferdinando I de’ Medici Gary Lirungan

Isabella de Medici Daughter of Duke Cosimo I

Lover of parties

Had many affairs

When her father died, her brother, being outraged with her affairs, cut off her inheritance and gave permission to Isabella’s husband to murder her

Murder of a Medici PrincessGary Lirungan

Work Cited Hale, J R. The Medici Family. 1977. London. Web. Web. 6 Dec. 2009.

<http://physics.ship.edu/~mrc/pfs/110/inside_out/vu1/Galileo/People/medici.html>. Jordan, Tina. "Murder of a Medici Princess." Entertainment Weekly 11 Apr. 2008: 75. Student

Resource Center - Gold. Web. 5 Dec. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=onta38245>.

Law, John E. "Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici." History Today

59.2 (2009): 64. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=onta38245>.

"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. 5 Dec. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=onta38245>.

Saari, Peggy. "Culture And Recreation - Why Was The Medici Family Important To The Renaissance?." History Fact Finder. Ed. Julie L. Carnagie. UXL-GALE, 2001. eNotes.com. 2006. 6 Dec, 2009 http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/culture-recreation/why-was-medici-family-important-renaissance

Somervill, barbara A. Catherine De Medici, The Power Behind the French Throne. Minneapolis, MN : Compass Point Books, 2006. N. pag. Print.

Young, Carolin C. "Ferdinando I de' Medici: Florence celebrates the artistic patronage of Ferdinando I de' Medici four hundred years after his death with the aim of at last finishing his never-completed Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of the Princes)." The Magazine Antiques Sept. 2009: 28. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 5 Dec. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=onta38245>.

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