The Medicis: A Ruling Dynasty (Makers of the Middle Ages and Renaissance)

162 Pages·2005·4.5 MB·English

by  Heather Lehr Wagner

makers of The middle Ages and Renaissance
The Medicis
A Ruling Dynasty
Chaucer
Celebrated Poet and Author
Dante
Poet, Author, and Proud Florentine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Heroine of the Middle Ages
Galileo
Renaissance Scientist and Astronomer
Machiavelli
Renaissance Political Analyst and Author
The Medicis
A Ruling Dynasty
Michelangelo
Painter, Sculptor, and Architect
Thomas More and His Struggles of Conscience
Queen Elizabeth and England’s Golden Age
Leonardo da Vinci
Artist, Inventor, and Renaissance Man
makers of The middle Ages and Renaissance
makers of The middle Ages and Renaissance
The Medicis
A Ruling Dynasty
Heather Lehr Wagner
COVER: Lorenzo de’ Medici “The Magnificent,” among the artists, Palazzo
Pitti, Florence, Italy.
CHELSEA HOUSE PUBLISHERS
VP, NEWPRODUCTDEVELOPMENT Sally Cheney
DIRECTOROFPRODUCTION Kim Shinners
CREATIVEMANAGER Takeshi Takahashi
MANUFACTURINGMANAGER Diann Grasse
Staff forThe Medicis
EXECUTIVEEDITOR Lee Marcott
EDITORIALASSISTANT Carla Greenberg
PRODUCTIONEDITOR Noelle Nardone
COVERANDINTERIORDESIGNER Keith Trego
LAYOUT 21st Century Publishing and Communications, Inc.
© 2006 by Chelsea House Publishers,
a subsidiary of Haights Cross Communications.
All rights reserved. Printed and bound in the United States of America.
www.chelseahouse.com
First Printing
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wagner, Heather Lehr.
The Medicis: a ruling dynasty/Heather Lehr Wagner.
p. cm.—(Makers of the Middle Ages and Renaissance)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7910-8630-5 (hard cover)
1. Medici, House of—Juvenile literature. 2. Florence (Italy)—History—
1421–1737—Juvenile literature. 3. Florence (Italy)—Kings and rulers—
Biography—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series.
DG737.42.W34 2005
945'.5'0099—dc22
2005007488
All links and web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication.
Because of the dynamic nature of the web, some addresses and links may have changed since
publication and may no longer be valid.
Contents
1
Murder in the Cathedral
1
2
Bankers to the Republic
22
3
Lorenzo the Magnificent
46
4
A Medici Pope
69
5
Catherine de’ Medici
87
6
A Dynasty’s Decline
115
Chronology & Timeline 138
Notes 143
Bibliography 144
Further Reading 145
Index 146
Murder in
the Cathedral
A
large crowd had gathered for the celebration of
Easter Mass on Sunday, April 26, 1478, at Florence’s
magnificent cathedral, the Duomo. Many distinguished
and important men were inside. The nephew of Pope
Sixtus IV, Cardinal Rafaello Riario, was there, as well
as Francesco de’ Pazzi, son of the wealthy Pazzi family.
1
2 The Medicis
Perhaps the most distinguished attendee, however, was
young Lorenzo de’ Medici, “Lorenzo the Magnificent,”
as he was known.
Lorenzo de’ Medici was the head of the city-state
of Florence, having inherited the role at the age of
21, upon the death of his father. For nine years, he
had provided Florence with glory and prosperity.
An astute politician and statesman, and an extraor-
dinarily generous patron of the arts, Lorenzo de’
Medici had overseen a period in which Florence
became the intellectual and artistic capital of
Europe, while ensuring itself a place of prominence
among the most powerful city-states in Italy. By
spending his own wealth for the public benefit,
Lorenzo de’ Medici’s dominance of Florentine
politics had provided its citizens with a time of
great prosperity.
In addition to being a generous and wise states-
man, Lorenzo de’ Medici also knew how to have
fun. He organized splendid tournaments and
festivals, breathtaking fireworks displays, and
grand pageants. The people of Florence loved
him. As he stood in the cathedral, however,
Lorenzo de’ Medici did not realize that among the
Murder in the Cathedral 3
Lorenzo de’ Medici became head of the city-state
of Florence at age 21, upon the death of his father.
Lorenzo de’ Medici was an astute politician and an
extraordinary patron of the arts.
4 The Medicis
crowd were four men who were preparing to kill
him before Mass ended.
THE PAZZI CONSPIRACY
The plot to assassinate Lorenzo de’ Medici was
organized by Pope Sixtus IV and his nephews in
Rome. Joining them in the plot were members of
Florence’s noble Pazzi family, whose name would be
used to describe what became known as the Pazzi
Conspiracy. Pope Sixtus IV was, by all accounts, a
cruel and ruthless representative of the Catholic
Church, intent on using his office to obtain land and
power for his family—principally his nephews. He
was determined to add Florence to his conquests,
and he decided that this goal would best be accom-
plished by eliminating Lorenzo de’ Medici and his
younger brother, Giuliano. Once both of the Medici
brothers were out of the way, Pope Sixtus IV
planned to make his nephew, Girolamo Riario, the
new head of state of Florence. Riario could be
counted on to be completely loyal to the pope.
Pope Sixtus IV was assisted in his plan by the
Pazzi family, wealthy and proud Florentines who
held an intense grudge against all members of