The Power Politics of House Medici Matthew Lang

The Power Politics of House Medici Matthew Lang Dr. Michael Levin, Professor The Italian Renaissance Coat of Arms of House Medici 1

� Early Modern Timeline ◦ As it applies to House Medici � Wealth and Influence � Political Extent con’t � Cosimo de’ Medici � Lorenzo de’ Medici � Interregnum or Interregna � Lorenzo II de’ Medici � Michelangelo � Medici Patronage � Leo X � Clement VII � Pius IV & Leo XI � Catherine de’ Medici � Marie de’ Medici � Works Cited 2

Founding of Medici Bank & Ciompi Revolt: 1378 Black Plague: 1348 Lorenzo II de’ Medici: Pazzi Conspiracy: 1492 -1519 1478 Lorenzo de’ Medici: 1449 -1492 1300 Cosimo I de’ Medici: 1519 -1574 Alessandro de’ Medici (1 st Duke of Florence): 1510 -1537 Election of Clement VII: 1523 Sack of Rome: 1527 Duchy of Florence & Publication of The Prince: 1532 Marie de’ Medici: 1573 -1642 95 Theses: 1517 Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici: 1360 -1429 Platonic Academy: 1462 Cosimo de’ Medici: 1389 -1464 Exsurge Domine: 1520 2 nd Interregnum: 1494 -1512 Michelangelo Buonarroti: 1475 -1564 Catherine de’ Medici: 1519 -1589 Election of Leo X: 1513 Election of Pius IV: 1559 Election & Death of Leo XI: 1605 Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Cosimo I de’ Medici): 1569 1750 Gian Gastone de' Medici (The Last Medici): 1671 -1737 3

Wealth and Influence � Banking ◦ Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici � Textile �Founder of Medici Bank ◦ Florin �Standard unit of currency ◦ Innovative accounting methodology ◦ Results in huge sums of Medici wealth 1500 -Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici Economy ◦ Florentine business ◦ Facilitation into European market ◦ Utilization of the River Arno for dying purposes ◦ Ciompi Revolt (1378) �Ultimately unsuccessful �Theoretically in response to Black Plague and working conditions of Florence 4

Extent of Political Influence � � Alessandro de’ Medici: First Duke of Florence between 1511 & 1537 De facto citizen leaders and patrons of the arts ◦ Members of the Priori (Ruling body) ◦ Signori of Florentine Republic Control through— ◦ Banking ◦ Economics ◦ Education �Florentine Humanism �Platonic Academy (1462) ◦ Nepotism ◦ Governmental domination ◦ “Investment” �Marriage and Religion 5

Political Influence con’t � Use of power to beautify Florence and created the modern image of a center of the Renaissance � Culminating in creation of Duchy of Florence(Alessandro de’ Medici in 1532) and Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1569) ◦ Among other titles (i. e. Duchy of Urbino, Penne, Nemours, Sieva, Rover) Cosimo I de’ Medici circa 1538 6

Cosimo de’ Medici (1389 -1464) � “il Vecchio” ◦ the Elder (not to be confused with Cosimo I de’ Medici) � Father of House Medici � Prominent banker and “night time” political activist ◦ Expansion of Medici bank into European market � Began framework to install Medici dominance (oligarchy) in Florentine Republic Cosimo de’ Medici by Bronizno 7

Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449 -1492) � � “il Magnifico” ◦ -the Magnificent Pazzi Conspiracy (1478) ◦ Attempt to assassinate Lorenzo and his brother (Giuliano de’ Medici) �Failed attempt on Lorenzo, successful on Giuliano �Modern understanding of vendettas Capable politician and patron of the arts ◦ (ex. Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci) �Somewhat unsuccessful in banking (i. e. the beginnings of the decline of the Medici monopoly on banking) Often compared to weak son (i. e. Piero II de’ Medici) "Lorenzo the Magnificent“ by Agnolo Bronzino 8

Interregnum OR Interregna � Piero II de’ Medici � Expulsion of House Medici from Florence from 14941512 � A LOOK AHEAD: Medici return in 1512 as a precursor to The Prince (Niccolo Machiavelli) ◦ Dedication to Lorenzo II de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino � Two others ◦ 1433 -34 �Affected Cosimo (the Elder) de’ Medici during his ascension ◦ 1527 -1530 �Florence becomes a Republic free of House Medici subsequent to the 1527 Sack of Rome �Affected Alessandro de’ Medici, first hereditary Duke of Florence Niccolo Machiavelli second half of 16 th c. 9

Lorenzo II de’ Medici (1492 -1519) � Family nepotism ◦ Created Duke of Urbino by Pope Leo X (1516) � Signori of Florence ◦ 1514 -1519 � Return of the Medici to Florence after 1494 -1512 Interregnum � Famously tortured Niccolo Machiavelli ◦ Dedication of The Prince Lorenzo II de’ Medici: 1516 -1519 10

Michelangelo (1475 -1564) � Under Medici graces as a child � Given best humanist education by Lorenzo de’ Medici � Pre-eminent artistry◦ Designed Medici Chapel/Tombs � Various other projects for Florence ◦ Sistine Chapel, Statue of David � Beautification of Florence Michelangelo Buonarroti 11

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore-Florentine Duomo Arnolfo di Cambio and Filippo Brunelleschi Medici Chapel, New Sacristy, Florence Italy-Michelangelo Cappella dei Magi. Benozzo Gozoli 12

Leo X (r. 1513 -1521) � � � Portrait of Pope Leo X and his cousins, cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de Rossi Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici First Medici pope ◦ “…let us enjoy it…” Use of indulgences for construction of St. Peter’s Basilica Reigned concurrent with the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation (i. e. 1517: Martin Luther’s 95 Theses) ◦ Exsurge Domine (1520) Famous for nepotistic behavior ◦ Ex. Lorenzo II de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino/Giulio di Giuliano de’ Medici, Pope Clement VII 13

Clement VII (r. 1523 -1534) � � Giulio di Giuliano de’ Medici Sack of Rome (1527) ◦ Hostage of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor/King of Spain Political pope— ◦ Creation of Duchy of Florence in favor of House Medici (i. e. Alessandro de’ Medici) ◦ Strategic alliance making �i. e. Catherine de’ Medici to Henry II ◦ Political game between graces of Holy Roman Emperor/King of Spain (Charles V) and French King (Francis I & League of Cognac) Patronized Raphael and Michelangelo Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, Pope Clement VII (1523 -34) 14

Pius IV (r. 1559 -1565) & Leo XI (r. 1605) Giovanni Angelo Medici (1499 -1565) Painting by Bartolomeo Passarotti Pope Leo XI 15

Catherine de’ Medici (1519 -1589) Daughter of Lorenzo II de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino � Consort Queen of France (Henry II) � Regent Queen of France (sporadic: Francis II & Charles IX) � St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572) � French Religious Wars ◦ French crown passes from House Valois to House Bourbon after her male children die � Example of Medici “investment” ◦ Married to French king in power play by Pope Clement VII � Catherine de' Medici wears the black cap and veil of widow, after 1559 16

Marie de’ Medici (1573 -1642) � Daughter of Francesco I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany � Consort Queen of France (Henry IV) � Regent Queen of France (Louis XIII) � Political ambitions ◦ In competition with Secretary of State: Cardinal-Duke Richelieu � Example of Medici “investment” Maria de' Medici as a young girl 17

Works Cited/Q & A � � � � Gage, John. Life in Italy at the Time of the Medici. London: Batsford, 1968. Goldthwaite, A. Richard. The Medici Bank and the World of Florentine Capitalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987; Past & Present Society. http: //www. jstor. org/stable/650959. Hibbert, Christopher. The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall. New York: Morrow Quill Paperbacks, 1980. Jurdjevic, Mark. Civic Humanism and the Rise of the Medici. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1999; Renaissance Quarterly, Renaissance Society of America vol. 52. http: //www. jstor. org/stable/2901833. Luchinat, Cristina, Suzanne Butters, Claudio Pizzorusso, Anna Testaverde, Marco Chiarini, Janet Cox-Rearick, Alan Darr, Larry Feinberg, Annamaria Giusti, Richard Goldthwaite, Lucia Meoni, and Kirsten Piacenti. The Medici, Michelangelo, & the Art of Late Renaissance Florence. New Haven: Yale University Press in Association with the Detroit Institute of Arts, 2002. Martines, Lauro. April Blood: Florence and the Plot Against the Medici. Oxford University Press, 2003. Strathern, Paul. The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance. London: Jonathan Cape, 2003. 18