The Medici family were merchants and bankers who had enormous impacts over the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They managed the Medici bank, which at its peak was the biggest bank in Europe. The House Of Medici rose to power around the time of Giovanni de Medici who began the Medici bank and became leader of the merchants in Florence. His son Cosimo continued the family’s rise to power by becoming the leader of Florence.
The Medici were famous for their patronage of art throughout the Renaissance, and are said to be the reason why Florence became such a centre of the Renaissance in Italy. Patronage is a term to describe a rich person or a rich family that gives supports and making life easier for artists. For example, they economically help to artists for their major works of art. The Medici patronage had brought enormous effects on the Renaissance, allowing artist to give their attentions purely on their work without having to worry about financial problems.
Thanks to the Medici family, a remarkable amount of the art and architecture was created in Florence toward the start of the Renaissance. Cosimo Medici followed his father’s footsteps and ruled Florence though the peak of the Renaissance. He supported many artists including the now famous Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.The powerful family ruled Florence until its decline in the late fifteenth century. In its time, the Medici family rose to positons of power throughout Europe. The Medici have been called the “godfathers of the Renaissance.” Their accumulation of power in the early fifteenth century in Florence was orchestrated by Cosimo de’ Medici even though his family started with less wealth and political clout than other families in the oligarchy that ruled Florence at the time.
During this time the Medici (with Cosimo de’ Medici playing the key role) rose in power and largely consolidated control of business and politics in Florence. Cosomo De MediciCosimo de’ Medici was born in 1389, into a rich banking family. His father,Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, was already good at business. In 1420 Giovanni di Bicci stopped working and delivered his various business and art attempts, including the bank to Cosimo.Cosimo de’ Medici was one of the most famous figure of Renaissance Florence and a big patron of the arts,especially architecture. He was also one the most important bankers in Florence, and eventually in all of Europe, thanks in part to his management of the Papacy’s finances.
Cosimo’s impact in the art and the financial arena made him politically vigorous, and he was given the title “father of his country.” His ancievement was the beginning of the reign of the Medici family in Florence that lasted until well into the 17th century.Cosimo gave a large part of his wealth to churches and other charitable institutions, and what he did not give away he used as a weapon to gain power, especially outside of Florence.
Cosimo de’ Medici garnered a significant amount of power from his extensive family and the connections that this gave him. For instance, Cosimo gave extensive loans to the Venetian Republic to help them fight off the French and the Duke of Milan. Cosimo’s financial assistance allowed the Venetians to successfully ward off the attack, which kept Florence safe from invasion. Conversely, when Venice and Naples united against Florence, Cosimo crippled their attacks by demanding that they pay their debts to the Medici bank, leaving them without any resources to continue the war. Cosimo also had many personal connections that gave him influence in the political world . He attended meetings of humanists and had learned conversation with such men as Bruni, Poggio, and Marsuppini, leading humanists in Florence.
All of these men later became chancellors of the Republic, giving Cosimo considerable political influence through his friends. Cosimo used this and his wealth to influence policy, especially foreign policy. For example, he used his connections and economic power to arrange the Council of Florence in 1439, a meeting between the authorities of the Eastern and Western church. Cosimo housed all of the members of the council with his own resources, giving him ample opportunity to gain from the council. This merging of Eastern and Western culture gave Cosimo and other humanists special opportunities to expand their learning.
Cosimo de Medici’s rise to power in Florence was not always smooth. His carefully crafted persona as a pious patriot made him very popular, even though he held no official political title. As Cosimo began to gain power among the people, the Albizzi family held sway over the government. The Albizzi family were not unpopular, as they ruled in a time of prosperity for Florence. However, the rival family saw the threat that Cosimo posed due to his wealth and influence over the citizens of Florence. They were not convinced by Cosimo’s pious persona. They managed to arrest him on the charges of attempting to raise himself above the average citizen, a serious offense in Florence, where modesty and humility were highly valued.
Cosimo’s adversaries planned to have him killed in prison, but Cosimo detected their plan and refused to eat anything, lest it had been poisoned.11 Seeing that they would not be able to kill him without raising suspicion, on September 7, 1433, Cosimo and his family were exiled. However, the government soon shifted in the favor of the Medici, and Cosimo made a triumphant return just over a year later. Cosimo became the head of a group of families, typically younger families determined to oppose the older families led by the Albizzi. The Albizzi family eventually made their way to Arezzo, which caused tension between the Medici and Arezzo for many years to come.
Cosimo took great care to ensure that his return to power was reflected in every aspect of his life, especially in the art he commissioned.Cosimo commissioned a great variety of works from the most talented artists in Florence at the time. His patronage spanned personal, religious, and civic subjects.
Each work he commissioned contained a specific message for a specific audience, depending on the context of the work. These works aimed to promote the strength and honor of the Medici family. Cosimo de’ Medici was a powerful, wealthy man who gained power and control by connections, economic influence, and a persona portrayed through the art he commissioned.
In each commission and business decision, Cosimo increased the strength and honor of the Medici family, and he was so beloved that when he died in 1464, the ruler of Florence gave the title pater patriae, or father of his country. He left a powerful legacy in the buildings he commissioned, including the churches of San Lorenzo and San Marco, as well as his own residence, the Medici Palace. He also left an economic legacy, as his son Piero became the wealthiest man in Europe at Cosimo’s death. Finally, Cosimo left a legacy in his family, who controlled Florence, one of the most powerful cities in Europe, until 1537.
