1. Their Patronage of the Arts and the Rise of Florence
The Medici Family
Their Patronage of the Arts and the Rise of Florence

2. Pre-Medici Florence - Territory
At the end of the 14th century, Florence was ruled by a merchantile elite.
Costly, continuous wars enlarged the territory of the city-state by conquering Arezzo, Cortona, Prate, Pistoia and Pisa.
Pisa’s ports made the Republic of Florence a sea power and major economic power of the West

3. Pre-Medici Florence - Economy
Banking was a major source of power and income, and the Florentine gold coin, the florin was so reliable that it was the standard coinage in Europe
Much of Florence's wealth was dependent on the manufacture and trade of cloth, primarily wool.
The Florin

4. Pre-Medici Florence – Ruling Families
Florence was controlled by the Albizzi and Pazzi families until about 1438.
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The Albizzi family had controlled the republican government for two generations, but they led a lot of costly wars, so the people switched allegiances to the Medici.
The Pazzi family were wealthy bankers that were in a semi-friendly competition with the Medici family. Eventually, they tried to depose the Medicis, failed, and their lineage ended.

5. Pre-Medici Florence – The Arts
Churches and public buildings, and houses constructed with Romanesque or Gothic architecture, reminiscent of northern Italian influence.
Most of the architecture tried to combine utilitarian and aesthetic purposes, because these mercantile elite needed to rebuilt the city from disasters (a flood in the late 1300s) but they wanted to be impressive as well
The Albizzi family supported a lot of artists and cultural icons
The Palazzo Davanzati is a good example of the transition from the medieval tower house to the Renaissance palace.

6. Family Tree

7. Beginnings of Medici Power
Giovanni di Bicci de’Medici
First of the famous ruling Medici’s and considered founder of Medici family fortune
Giovanni is considered to be the first prominent patron of the arts
Giovanni was a leader not concerned with politics, but rather the family fortune and the arts
Giovanni died in 1429 and his son Cosimo became head of the Medici family

8. Church of San Lorenzo
In the 1420’s Giovanni di Bicci and Cosimo commissioned Brunelleschi to do extensive renovation, and it became the first church since Roman times to use the classical style.
Attached to the church is the Laurentain Library which houses the Medici library.
The Church also houses Michelangelo's famous Medici tomb

9. Rise of Cosimo de’Medici
Became head of powerful family bank, and amassed a fortune because he became banker to the pope, and his bank also spread to all the important financial markets throughout Europe.
Cosimo was very interested in a rebirth of classical ideas and even went so far as to recreate Plato’s ancient academy in Carregi.
Cosimo was also a very religious man and much of his patronage of the arts was rooted in his religious fervor.
Cosimo spent a considerable portion of his wealth on the arts
Amassed the largest library in Europe
Supported artists such as Ghiberti, Brunellechi, Donatello, Alberti, Fra Angelico, and Ucello
Florence became cultural center of Europe

10. Artists Commissioned by Cosimo
The Rout of San Romano, Ucello

11. The Nativity, Fra Angelico

12. Santa Maria Novella, Leon Baptista Alberti

13. St. Mark, Donatello

14. Fall of Cosimo de’Medici
Political career in shambles after Florence’s unsuccessful campaign against Lucca
Campaign engineered by Brunelleschi to flood city of Lucca, containing water with giant dam
Plan backfired when dam broke and flooded camps of Florence as well
In September 1433, Cosimo was imprisoned on charges of plotting to overthrow the government
Cosimo was then banished to Venice, resulting in the loss of Brunelleschi’s most powerful patron

15. Lorenzo de’Medici Grandson of Cosimo
Lorenzo, know also as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was is said to be the most brilliant of the Medici
Lorenzo was also respected as a very talented Latin poet, and like his family members was very interested in texts of antiquity
Lorenzo is considered to be the greatest patron of the arts
Commissioned such artists and musicians as Michelangelo,Botticelli and Verrocchio
Reasons for this patronage included genuine interest, continuing family tradition, and political motives
Lorenzo even discovered the talented Michelangelo when the artist was only 15 years old
Lorenzo de Medici, Andrea del Verrocchio

16. Tomb of the Medici, Michelangelo

17. Political Ties to Art
Lorenzo commissioned several French musicians for papal music
Although did have genuine interest in music, reason for gaining the services of French musicians mainly a political move to enhance relations with France
His influence encouraging experimentation in music led to the development of the early madrigal

18. Decline of the Patronage
Lorenzo died in 1492, at the moment that a new historical era was beginning (King Charles VIII was about to great chaos on the Italian peninsula)
Lorenzo was succeeded by the fervent leader, Savonarola who was a strong believer in aestheticism

19. Post-Medici – The Initial Fall From Power
Girolamo Savonarola was a preacher who settled in Florence in 1489.
He attacked the tyranny of the Medici family in his sermons, and when in 1494, Charles VIII of France invaded Italy, the Medici’s lost power, and Savonarola took control, putting Florence under extremely rigid control.
Eventually, Savonarola’s followers turned on him, and he was killed.
Girolamo Savonarola
More on Savonarola:

20. Post- Medici - Art and Science
At this point, most of the artistic products of Florence were in music, and the numerous academies of literature. The Accademia della Crusca compliled the Dictionary.
History of the Accademia della Crusca:
When the Lorraine family took over Florence, they revived the town's economy, but they also turned Florence more provincial, so it didn’t participate in a thriving international cultural expansion. So Florence’s culture remain unchanged at staid for quite sometime.

21. Post-Medici – The Final Fall…
Cardinal Giovanni de Medici (Pisaro’s uncle) regained control of Florence in 1512 for the lineage.
In 1569, Cosimo III became the “Grand Duke” of Tuscany, after taking over many of the surrounding areas. He ruled with a heavy hand, not very popular.His heirs were far weaker.
In 1737, Cosimo III dies, and both of his children Gian Gastone and Anna Maria Luisa die childless. The Medici line has died out, and Florence is inherited by the Lorraine Dynasty.