DAVINCI - BATTLE OF ANGHIARI

Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 1503–1505

- The Battle of Anghiari is a lost painting referred to as, 'The Lost Leonardo.'
- The oil painting showcases the Italian 15th-century Florence victory over Milan which took place on June 29, 1440.
- Over 60 years after the battle, in 1503, Florence’s Gonfaloniere of Justice, Piero Soderini, commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to decorate the walls of the newly-built Hall of the Five Hundred (Salone di Cinquecento) in the town hall, the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio.

Florentine victories

- The mural was to be a large-scale painting, measuring 54' by 21' residing on a 174' long wall.
- It depicted the beginning, middle, and end of the battle.
- Leonardo worked on the project from 1503 to 1506.
- He spent more than a year working on the rough drafts and then painted a section of the wall called the 'fight for the standard.'
- It portrayed a group of four horsemen who are wrestling for the Milanese banner, two infantrymen locked in combat, and a third soldier on the ground, beneath a horse’s hooves.

Man down

- The painting was to include a facing fresco by Michelangelo depicting the Battle of Cascina which was fought on July 28, 1364, between the troops of Florence and Pisa, resulting in victory of Florence.
- Michelangelo never completed the painting, but did produce a complete cartoon of the composition.
- The two battles were notable medieval Florentine victories.

 

First you must represent the smoke of artillery mingling in the air with the dust tossed up by the movement of horses and the combatants. The finest part of the dust rises highest; hence that part will be least visible and will look almost the same colour as the air… At the top, where the smoke is more separate from the dust, the smoke will assume a bluish tinge. Make the little clouds of dust distant from each other in proportion to the strides made by the galloping horses, and the clouds which are furthest removed from the horses should be least visible; make them high and spreading and thin, and the nearer ones will be more conspicuous and smaller and denser. (Leonardo da Vinci)

Fallen warrior

- Leonardo's experimental techniques and use of oil paints led to the painting's destruction.
- He used an oil painting technique similar to encaustic painting, lighting bonfires to dry the fresco, but the paint was unstable and the heat greatly damaged the finished results.

Leonardo decided to paint the fresco using the encaustic painting technique which is also known as hot wax painting. This technique uses heated beeswax to which coloured pigments are added. Unfortunately, the procedure didn’t have the expected result: the heat couldn’t be spread out evenly over the fresco and, probably because of its large dimensions, the artwork was irreparably damaged. (thistuscanlife.com)

War horses

- Some believe that the mural is still hidden beneath later frescoes in the Hall of Five Hundred in the Palazzo Vecchio.
- The known portion of the painting depicted a battle over a standard between knights on opposing sides.
- The central scene depicted three men riding raging war horses engaged in a battle.

 

The leaders of Florence city wished to celebrate their 1440 victory over Milan, one of the greatest triumphs on their battlefield, with an art mural of Leonardo. As their intent remained to exalt the glory of the soldiers and warriors, Leonardo, who also had a closer experience of war as he was a military engineer, aimed to create something complex but profound. (Mahima Sharma)

Softer, more luminous technique

- Leonardo experimented with oil paints to achieve a softer, more luminous look than traditional fresco techniques.
- He also designed an innovative scissor-type moveable scaffolding to reach the upper portion of the painting.
- Leonardo performed a trial run on the project and applied the paints to a wood panel and allowed it to dry, however, the results on the wall were disastrous and he abandoned the mural.

 

An ambitious painting, Leonardo used a type of plaster that he read about in a book by Pliny, with the unfortunate result that the work he had barely begun was irreparably ruined. Problems started as soon as Leonardo placed his brush to the wall at 9 am. The weather turned bad, the sky opened and it rained then on until nightfall. The sudden humidity liquefied the paste holding the cartoon in position; as Leonardo lifted his hand to start work the cartoon slid to the floor and tore. (leonardodavinci.net)

 

Wrestle

- However, while some claim Leonardo never painted the battle scene on the wall, there are others who feel that Leonardo did paint the mural and they witnessed the results, although admittedly incomplete.
- Paolo Giovio saw the remains of the painting on the Palazzo Vecchio walls and left a vivid description of it in his biography of Leonardo’s life, written between 1523 and 1527.
- There are at least 3 other testimonies to Giovio.

In the Florentine Seigniory Council Hall remains a battle and victory over the Pisans, magnificent but unfortunately unfinished due to a defect in the plaster that rejected with singular persistence the colors dissolved in walnut oil. But the disappointment for the unexpected damage seems to have extraordinarily increased the charm of the unfinished work. (freemindpublications.com)

War horse kick

- Evidence uncovered during research conducted in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio in 2011 supports the theory that a lost painting existed on the east wall, behind Giorgio Vasari’s mural, 'The Battle of Marciano.'
- But that has also recently been contested, with some claiming that DaVinci never even started the mural.
- Regardless, to date, it hasn't been found.

Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Study of warrior's head 1503–1505

Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Study of two warrior's heads 1503–1505

Leonardo leaves for Milan

Giorgio Vasari - Battle of Marciano

Vasari's frescoes in the Hall of Five Cents of Palazzo Vecchio had no other purpose but to affirm the greatness of Duke Cosimo I, and for this reason, the inscription “Cerca Trova” can only be seen in this context as an element of political propaganda, without hidden mystery. (visit-florence-italy.com)

 

The Florentine Battle of Anghiari

Military victory

- During the Middle Ages, due to its strategic position, Anghiari played an important role that would set its name in history when it was the location for the famous Battle of Anghiari.
- The battle was a military victory for the Republic of Florence over the Milanese army and took place on June 29, 1440, in the valley below the hilltop town of Anghiari, in the province of Arezzo.

It is also remarkable for the fact that though the battle lasted all day, involving several thousand troops, it was said that only one soldier was killed. According to Niccolò Machiavelli, after four hours of skirmishing, the single death occurred "when a soldier fell off his horse." (Wikipedia)

Tuscan life

- Anghiari is located on a hilltop between the Arno and Tiber Rivers.
- The battle itself was in the Tiber valley below the town and was a victory for the Florentine Republic and its unofficial leader Cosimo the Elder.

World view

- Florence itself was a city-state which operated as an independent political entity with its own government, national defense, and in many cases, currency.
- It was originally a military camp and was established by Julius Caesar and by the 13th-century, transformed into a hub of creativity, intellect and architectual splendor.

Fierce

- Florentine troops, supported by the Papal State and Venice, fought against the Milanese army which had recently conquered San Sepolcro, a neighboring town, and wanted to expand the possessions of  Milan in Tuscany.

Yaldabaoth riding the horse

- On one side was the larger force of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan (Duchy of Milan), and on the other the army of the Italian League, led by the Florentine Republic which was unofficially headed by Cosimo the Elder.

Defeated

- The two armies led respectively by Michelotto Attendolo and Giampaolo Orsini and by the famous Niccolò Piccinino, faced each other in the valley below Anghiari, known today as the 'the valley of the battle.'
- The Army of Milan, led by Piccinino was outnumbered and was quickly defeated.
- The Florentines' victory established their dominance over central Italy.

Horse bit

- The result of this battle changed the balance of power in Valtiberina and, as Niccolò Machiavelli pointed out, in Tuscany and Italy for the years to come.
- The Duchy (Duke) of Milan abandoned the area after his defeat and the Florentines were able to take advantage and fortify their dominion in the area.

Cosimo de' Medici the Elder

The Trillionaire Family That Owned Europe

- The Medici family was so rich they would make today's billionaires seem like they're living in poverty.
- Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (1389-1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance.
- His power derived from his wealth as a banker and intermarriage with other rich and powerful families.

Godfathers of the Renaissance

- The Medici didn't start out as the most powerful family in Italy, other families were just as rich, and just as ambitious.
- But no one knew more about getting ahead and staying ahead.
- They clawed their way to the top, sometimes through bribery, corruption and violence and those who stood in their way could end up humiliated, or dead.
- The Medici exploited a network of 'friends of friends' who would do anything to stay close to the family.

For the Medici, this network of amici degli amici - the magic words in Renaissance Italy - was the key to fame, fortune and survival. The power of the Medici stretched all the way to Rome, where even the papacy was something to be bought and sold. They were the Godfathers of the Renaissance. (pbs.org)

Nobility foot on gas

- The Medici dynasty spanned beyond arts and finance, venturing into the realm of politics and nobility.
- Their dominance over several centuries were so absolute they crafted new noble titles for themselves cementing their status in history.

Subservient pontiff

- When the family secured control over the papal treasury, their influence rapidly became apparent to the contemporary pontiff who remarked about the family's patriarch Cosimo de' Medici with a mix of awe and trepidation.
- As Florence was proud of its 'democracy,' Cosimo pretended to have little political ambition and did not often hold public office.
- However, the pontiff noticed that political questions were settled in Cosimo's house.

Political questions are settled in [Cosimo's] house. The man he chooses holds office... He is who decides peace and war... He is king in all but name. (Pope Pius II)

Charlemagne

King of the Carolingian Renaissance

- The Medici family eminence was rooted in a past shrouded in myth and legend.
- It was said that their lineage could be traced back to Charlemagne (748-814), also known as Charles the Great, who reigned as the king of Franks from 768 AD, and the Lombards from 774 AD.
- Charlemagne ruled later as an emperor of the Frankish Carolingian Empire and his reign spanned from 800 to 814 AD and marked a period of cultural and political resurgence.
- He was responsible for helping to restore the Western Roman Empire.

In 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III. Although historians debate the coronation's significance, the title represented the height of his prestige and authority. (Wikipedia)

Yaldabaoth in charge

- Charlemagne continued his father's policy of protecting the papacy and became its chief defender, removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy.
- His reign saw a period of expansion that led to the conquests of Bavaria, Saxony, and northern Spain, as well as other campaigns that helped him to extend his rule over a large part of Europe.

Wielding the papal sword

- As king and emperor, Charlemagne engaged in a number of reforms in administration, law, education, military organization, and religion, which shaped Europe for centuries.
- Charlemagne, also known as 'Father of Europe,' spread Christianity to his new conquests, although often by force.

Charlemagne died in 814 and was buried at Aachen Cathedral in Aachen, his imperial capital city. He was succeeded by his only surviving legitimate son, Louis the Pious. After Louis, the Frankish kingdom was divided and eventually coalesced into West and East Francia, which later became France and Germany. (Wikipedia)

Averardo fought and killed the giant

- Charlemagne has been the subject of artworks, monuments and literature during and after the medieval period and is venerated by the Catholic Church.
- The family’s roots supposedly are linked to one of Charlemagne’s 8th-century knights, named Averardo.
- As the story goes, Averardo was riding through an area north of Florence known as the Mugello, when he encountered a giant who had been frightening the local people.

Alverado's dented shield

- Averardo fought and killed the giant, and in the process, his shield was dented by the iron balls of his opponent’s mace.
- The Medici family coat of arms, which includes red balls on a gold shield, supposedly was inspired by Averardo and his battered shield.

Red dragon

- Today, the Medici coat of arms still can be seen on buildings throughout Florence that once were connected to the family.

Glass guild

- The Medicis political framework governed through a mix of elected councils and influential guilds and the city governance was a complex mix of democracy and oligarchy.
- Guilds were associations of artisans and merchants that played a pivotal role in the city's economy and politics.
- Members of these guilds were often wealthy and influential, had the power to vote and hold office, thus hugely impacted the governance and development of Florence.

Fabric of Florentine society

- The Medicis were the original creators of modern finance and they wrote and sold the rule book of banking to the world.
- They leveraged their social connections and economic success to gain influence within the guilds and councils and over time were able to embed themselves deeply into the fabric of Florentine society.
- Their ascent to power began in 1434 and endured until 1737.

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici

Ahead of his time

- Cosimo was the first member of the Medici family to lead the Republic of Florence and run the Medici Bank simultaneously.
- His father, Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (1360-1429), formerly a wool merchant, established the bank before Cosimo's birth following the dissolution of a small bank begun by his nephew, Alverado de' Medici.
- By 1385, Giovanni had ascended to the role of general manager of the Rome branch which functioned effectively as a partnership.
- The bank required less capital due to its dealings with the Catholic Church, who predominently made deposits.
- In 1391, Giovanni separated his bank from Alverado and moved from Rome to Florence.

Franchesco

- In 1397, Giovanni along with his brother Franchesco de' Medici, established the Medici Bank in Florence where the Medici fortune was built.
- The bank was initially a part-time interest he ran alongside his wool workshops, however, the future financial behemoth quickly became his primary focus.
- His timing was opportune because his bank filled a void left by earlier banking giants such as the Pazzi and Bardi that had failed.

Everything turns to gold

- Giovanni used 10,000 gold florin raised for the venture, took on another partner, and this capital, along with the papal deposits gave him a solid foundation.
- By 1402, they established their 3rd bank branch in Venice which pioneered the practice of compensating the general manager through shares in the branch which he purchased through his own investment.
- That same year, the bank established woolen cloth factories reflecting their diversification into manufacturing alongside financial services.

Silk and luxury goods touch them

- With the advantage of Florence's growing economic stature, bolstered by the conquest of Pisa and its valuable port in 1406, the Medici Bank was positioned to thrive.
- A shrewd businessman, Giovanni was able to capitalize on the location of the city, which was positioned in the center of the Silk Road (east to west) trade route.
- This gave the 14th-century Italian peninsula access to the rich markets of the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world, and also regions as far east as India.
- Merchants passed through the region with goods such as silk, spices and precious stones.

Roadmap is the stars

- Additionally, Italy's extensive coastline and well-developed maritime capabilities allowed for efficient sea trade.
- Italian city-states like Venice and Genoa became crucial maritime powers operating fleets that dominated the Mediterranean trade routes.
- Italy's position as a gateway to the rest of Europe, meant that it was perfectly situated to distribute these goods from the East to European markets.

Needle's eye

- The trade routes through Italy, not only included maritime routes, but also a network of roads traversing the Alps and leading into the heart of Europe.
- This was very profitable for Italy because their cities became vital centers for trade and banking and attractive to merchants, bankers and entrepreneurs from all over the continent.

Gold florin

- At the time, Florence emerged as an important center for banking and the city’s gold coin, the florin, was a popular currency across Europe in the 14th-century.
- Giovanni was not only father to Cosimo, but also to Lorenzo the Elder.

 

While other members of the Medici family, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' Medici, who served in the Signoria of Florence in 1401, and Salvestro de' Medici, who was implicated in the Ciompi Revolt of 1378, are of historical interest, it was Giovanni's founding of the family bank that truly initiated the family's rise to power in Florence. (Wikipedia)

 

Blueprint

- The Medicis were not only ahead of their time, they were a blueprint for centuries of economic advancement.
- Additionally, Giovanni aligned with Pope Martin V which was a strategic move that propelled the bank's success forward.
- In 1414, he received an appointment to manage the apostolic chamber of the papal treasury, which was a testament to this strategic alignment.

Sun in Rome

- At the time, Pope Martin V desired to reestablish the papacy permanently in Rome due to a schism that had multiple claimants to the papacy emerging and caused significant religious and political strife.
- The return of the papacy to Rome symbolized a return to traditional religious 'authority' and stability.

Ecclesiastical and secular power

- By supporting the Pope in his endeavor, Giovanni positioned himself and his bank favorably within the realms of ecclesiastical and secular power.
- This also gave the Medici bank access to vast financial networks and significant transactions throughout Europe and marked the beginning of the family's long-standing relationship with the papacy.
- They were able to gain leverage over important political and ecclesiastical figures as their role as bankers to the Vatican placed them in a role of indispensable financial authority.
- This also allowed them to secure key political positions for family members including 4 papal seats, which fortified their political standing.

Office of cardinal

- Giovanni's eldest son, Cosimo the Elder had quite a reputation and long before, in 1410, he lent Pope John XXIII, then simply known as Baldassare Cossa, the money to buy himself the office of cardinal.
- Cossa repaid him by by appointing the Medici Bank head of all papal finances once he claimed the papacy.
- Cosimo was a strong patron of the arts, learning and architecture, where his family had great influence. 

Anti trumpet

- In 1415, Cosimo allegedly accompanied the Antipope John XXIII at the Council of Constance.
- Cosimo was initiated into affairs of high finance in the corridors of the Council of Constance, where he represented the Medici Bank.
- That same year, he was named the priore of the Republic of Florence, giving him even more power as one of 9 Signoria who governed the city-state.

Head of all finances

- The Medici banking empire was the most powerful in Europe and spanned across pivotal cities such as Milan, Venice, Naples, Rome, London, Geneva and Barcalona, among many others, all powerful city-states.
- Their influence was not only in the banking, financial and political sectors, but they also had significant control over the papal treasury intertwining their influence with the Catholic Church.

Busy bee

- Cosimo's involvment in the family business greatly expanded his father's legacy, and would eventually eclipse it by leaps and bounds.
- Especially because he spent over 400,000 ducats building churches, monasteries and other elegant edifices not only in Italy, but in other parts of the world.
- Apparently he spent more money immortalizing his name, than he did providing for his descendants during that time.

Medici tornado

- The papal treasury was crucial for funding church operations and projects like cathedral construction, art commissions and maintenance of clerical roles.
- This union awarded the Medicis control beyond mere commerce and banking by leveraging the churches' vast societal influence.

Hearty

- About 1415, Cosimo married Contessina de' Bardi (1390-1473) who was the daughter of the count of Vernio and it brought noble ties to the common family of the Medici.
- Prior to the Medici's domination of the banking world, the Bardi clan had run one of the richest banks in Europe, however, it ultimately failed in 1345.
- The Bardi's were still very influential and powerful and the marriage was intended to cement an alliance between two of Italy's most powerful families.

Behemoth called financial services

Letter of credit storm

Holding company

Golden nest egg

- When Giovanni died in 1429, he was the second wealthiest in Florence having an equivalent to $36 million, which was a staggering amount in those days, and today would be the equivalent to about $1.8 trillion dollars (and growing).
- Upon his death Giovanni became a favorite among the Florentine public who felt he positioned them for great success.

Seismic shifts

- But the family weath didn't end there and it is said that their net worth is pegged at around $29 billion US dollars which inflated amounts to an incomprehensible $6.5 quadrillion dollars in today's terms.
- This is a figure that is larger than the entire GDP (gross domestic product) of the world, although it's important to take these calculations knowing they involve complex economic and historical shifts over a period of six centuries. 

Father and sons

- Cosimo had two legitimate sons; Piero di Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464) commonly known as Piero the Gouty, and Giovanni di Cosimo de' Medici (1421-1463).
- He also had an illegitimate son, Carlo, by a Circassian slave, who would go on to become a prelate.
- By the 1430s they were the most powerful in Florence which posed a threat to other influential families such as the Strozzi and Albizzi.

Exiled

- Cosimo was imprisoned in 1433 after a failed bid to conquer the nearby Republic of Lucca, however, he was able to negotiate a reduction in his sentence from imprisonment to a sentence of exile from the city.
- This was despite many calling for his continual imprisonment and some for his execution.

Horse's tail

- Despite all, Cosimo narrowly avoided execution in 1433 and his return from exile after barely 12 months in 1434, propelled him into an unassailable position of power in Florence where he became king in all but name.
- Cosimo's power over Florence stemmed from his wealth, which he used to control the votes of office holders in the municipal councils, most importantly the Signoria of Florence.

Bloody intra-city power struggles

- Soon after, he moved his banking business to Padua and then to Venice with his brother Lorenzo de' Medici.
- Many praised him for accepting exile and giving up the tradition of bloody intra-city power struggles.

Factional rivalry

- In no time, so many citizens followed him away from Florence, the city leaders had to lift his exile sentence in order to stop the exodus.
- Upon returning to the city, he began working on quashing the factional rivalry that had led to his banishment and had plagued Florence for years.

Medici hovers

- Exactly one year later, a sudden and unexpected move by the Medici, in which they rigged elections, handed them once again the Signoria (council of government).
- When Cosimo triumphantly reentered the city, his enemies went into exile, never to return and the Medici principate began in 1434.

Quasi-monarchical authority

- Florence's governance structure, known as the Citizen Signoria (council of government), was administered by a group of 9 citizens who were chosen bi-monthly by the city's guilds.
- This arrangement facilitated Cosimo's substantial influence enabling him to preside over the city with a quasi-monarchical authority, despite its Republican framework.
- He became the duke of Ferrara and served as a banker to Venice.

Spirit of the law

- Cosimo felt he was perfecting the election system.
- First, he made no changes in the law’s actual administration, but in the spirit of the law he changed everything.
- Previously, it was the rule to fill high official positions by drawing lots and he manipulated the process so that only the names of men who could be depended upon by the Medici's were drawn.

Mythological figures

- Cosimo also worked on a subtle, but effective approach to consolidating power; instead of relying on brute force, he favored the arts as a means of reaffirming the Medicis dominance.
- He was able to accomplish this by commissioning some of his stable of artists to portray him as mythological figures like Orpheus.
- This practice of glorification through art would become a hallmark of the Medici dynasty, extending to future generations.

Orpheus, in Greek mythology, legendary hero endowed with superhuman musical skills. He became the patron of a religious movement based on sacred writings said to be his own. (britannica.com)

Greek and Islamic sources

- In 1444, Cosimo founded the Laurentian Library, which was the first public library in Florence, at San Marco.
- The library was of central importance to the humanist movement in Florence during the Renaissance and was designed by Michelangelo.
- Cosimo employed a book scout, who was tasked with acquiring manuscripts from Greek and Islamic sources.

Personal wealth

- Cosimo is also said to have pioneered the practice of channeling personal wealth into public projects, particularity in the realm of architecture and urban development.
- This was a significant change because until that time, private wealth was often hoarded or spent on personal luxuries and was a concept that profoundly shaped the cultural and architectual landscape of Florence.

Architectual landscape

- One of Cosimo's most notable achievements was overseeing the completion of the dome of the Florence cathedral which was a marvel of modern engineering architected by Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446).
- Cosimo felt that such undertakings were the only true path to immortalizing his family's name and one of his biggest regrets was he didn't start spending his wealth on projects 10 years earlier.
- He worried that 50 years in the future, no one would remember his name save what he built for himself.

Gold fish

- Cosimo obtained from Pope Pius II the Tolfa alum mines monopoly during a period where alum was indispensable to Florence’s textile industry.
- He was the wealthiest man of his time, not only in terms of bullion but also in the amount of bank and promissory notes payable to his bank in Florence and to its branches operating in all the important financial markets of Europe.
-- Cosimo went on from there to eventually manage the papacy’s finances and in 1462 filled his coffers to overflowing.
- These connections were crucial in expanding the Medici political reach far beyond Florence embedding them deeply within the political landscape of Renaissance Europe where they provided banking services to all the royal courts.

Religious scrutiny

- Despite their close ties with the papacy, the Medicis were not exempt from religious scrutiny, particularily regarding the alleged sin of usury, the practice of charging excessive interest on loans.
- The family navigated these accusations with strategic financial maneuvers by coming up with several different ways of avoiding the church's definition of usery, while still making a profit.
- One way they accomplished this was by making loans to trading partners in return for access to below the market rate prices.
- For example, they would lend to English wool merchants in return for the ability to purchase wool cheaper than their trading competitors.

Gouty

- Son Piero the Gouty received his nickname because he was inflicted with gout and was in poor health his entire life.
- For this reason, he didn't play an extensive role in the politics of Florence, however, he would hold political meetings in his bedroom where he was confined to bed.

Coup

- During Piero's short time as leader of Florence there was an attempted coup which eventually failed.
- Although he was not as brilliant a banker as his father, he was able to keep the family bank running smoothly during his tenure.

He als continued the family's tradition of artistic patronage, including Gozzoli's fresco 'Procession of the Magi' in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.(Panagiotis Constantinou)

Ferrara forge or iron workings

- Son Giovanni di Cosimo de' Medici enjoyed good health and was seen as his father's probable successor.
- From 1438 he directed the branch of the family bank in Ferrara.
- He was a famous patron of arts and artists who worked for him included Mino da Fiesole, Desiderio da Settignano, Donatello, Domenico Veneziano, Filippo Lippi and Pesellino.
- Giovanni died in 1463 before his father and brother.

Piero was successor

- Cosimo died in Careggi in 1464 and was succeeded by his son Piero, who was father of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
- Following Cosimo’s death in 1464, the bank went into decline and by the end of the 15th-century had shuttered most of its branches.
- After his death, the Signoria posthumously awarded him the title Pater Patriae which means 'Father of the Fatherland (country).'
- This was an honor previously awarded to the poet Cicero.

Family line

- Son Piero, took the leadership role for 3 years, but died in 1469 due to lung disease.
- However, it was Piero's son, Lorenzo the Magnificent who would perhaps outdo all Medici family members before and after him in power and cultural prominence.

Lorenzo the Magnificent

Most powerful patron of Renaissance culture

Enlightened

Conflict resolution

Grandiose and flamboyant

Sculpture garden statue

Patron of the arts

Pazzi conspiracy

Giuliano was assassinated

Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 1479

Lorenzo was excommunicated

Golden egg

Patronage of the arts

Florence’s reformist leader

Cardinal

Medicis returned to power in 1512

Tenure at the Vatican

Arts

Lemon

Leo bull

Popes have the finer things in life

Big feet

Henry VIII and his ermine

Sack of Rome 1527

Earth revolves around the sun

Lack of leadership

Dismantled

Medicis produced two queens

Family line goes up in flames

Enduring

	DaVinci
	Beatrice d'Este