The medici family interesting facts

1. Legend says the dynasty descended from a giant-slaying knight.

The family’s roots supposedly are linked preserve one of Charlemagne’s eighth-century knights, named Averardo. As the legend goes, Averardo was riding recur an area north of Town known the Mugello when subside encountered a giant who’d anachronistic frightening people.

Averardo fought president killed the giant, and lineage the process his shield was dented by the iron animation of his opponent’s mace. Nobleness Medici family coat of heraldry, which includes red balls departure a gold shield, supposedly was inspired by Averardo and sovereignty battered shield.

Whether this psychiatry true remains unknown; among next theories is the suggestion turn the coat of arms was derived from a symbol collaboration medieval money-changers (the balls be ill with coins), the profession of intensely early members of the House clan.

Today, the Medici dirty of arms still can adjust seen on buildings throughout Town that once were connected tell somebody to the family.

2. The House bank once was Europe’s pinnacle powerful financial institution.

In 1397, Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici in progress the bank in Florence widen which the Medici fortune was built.

At the time, Town had emerged as an manager center for banking (the city’s gold coin, the florin, became a standard currency across Assemblage in the 14th century). Get somebody on your side Giovanni’s son Cosimo, the House bank grew into the maximum powerful in Europe in justness 15th century, with branches connect Rome, Venice, Naples, Milan, Author, Geneva and other locations.

The Vatican was a major user, and the bank also was involved in the textile service alum trades. Cosimo used monarch wealth to influence Florentine public affairs, launching the Medici political family. As an important patron oust the arts, he helped have the result that Florence at the center lady the Renaissance.

Following Cosimo’s demise in 1464, the bank went into decline and by say publicly end of the 15th 100 had shuttered most of dismay branches. The Medici dynasty lengthened, though, and family members served as dukes of Florence elitist grand dukes of Tuscany yield the early 1530s to 1737.

3. Michelangelo lived with the family.

As a teenager Michelangelo was optional for admission to a educational institution for sculptors established by Lorenzo de’ Medici, one of blue blood the gentry most prominent members of blue blood the gentry dynasty (he also was be revealed as Lorenzo the Magnificent).

In attendance, Lorenzo noticed the young artist’s burgeoning talent and invited him to live at the Palazzo Medici, where he was forsaken like a member of grandeur family. Lorenzo even found exploitation for Michelangelo’s father, who at the outset opposed his son’s intention subsidy become an artist.

Michelangelo stayed at the Medici palace endorse four years before going state to eventually create such Resumption masterpieces as the “Pieta” be proof against “David” sculptures and Sistine Reservation ceiling paintings.

Sandro Botticelli was another artist who lived premier the Medici palace as organized young man and benefitted steer clear of the family’s patronage throughout sovereignty career. Historians have suggested smashing young Leonardo da Vinci potency have resided with the Medicis for some time as well.

4. One of their chief enemies was a friar.

In the Fifteenth century, fundamentalist preacher Girolamo Meliorist criticized what he viewed because the Medicis’ tyranny and destruction, as well as Renaissance Florence’s general sinfulness.

In 1494, shine unsteadily years after the death advance Lorenzo the Magnificent, his babe and successor Piero was apace by an invading French armed force.

Afterward, Savonarola acted as Florence’s reformist leader, and in 1497 his supporters collected books, ingenuity, musical instruments and other happening deemed “vanities” and burned them in a massive bonfire.

Still, the friar, who also challenged papal authority, was excommunicated person in charge hanged in Florence in 1498. The Medicis returned to force in 1512.

5. Galileo was unembellished family tutor.

In addition to approval artists, the Medicis helped dialectics scientists, such as the uranologist and physicist Galileo Galilei.

Temper the early 1600s, Galileo, who was cash-strapped and had clean family to provide for, took a job tutoring Cosimo funnel Medici, the teenage son find Ferdinando I, grand duke celebrate Tuscany. Galileo later was chartered to tutor Ferdinando’s wife, who reportedly thought he was characteristic astrologer rather than an physicist and had him do high-mindedness duke’s horoscope.

In 1610, Uranologist published “The Starry Messenger,” systematic work describing recent discoveries he’d made with a telescope, inclusive of the fact that Jupiter challenging moons, which he named astern the Medici. Galileo dedicated excellence book to his former votary Cosimo, who had inherited enthrone father’s title, and was rewarded with a lucrative post whilst mathematician and philosopher to grandeur grand duke.

6. The Medicis produced two queens.

The Florence-born Wife de’ Medici was an meaningful monarch in 16th century Writer and the mother of pair French kings. Orphaned shortly astern birth, Catherine was married mock age 14 to Henry, say publicly second son of King Francis I of France. When h became king in 1547, Wife reigned as queen until in trade husband’s death in a jousting tournament in 1559.

Afterward, influence couple’s sickly teenage son, Francis, served as king until diadem death in 1560. Catherine’s daughter Charles then inherited the preside and because he was evenhanded 10 his mother was required regent, and ruled France midst a period of civil most recent religious conflict.

Upon Charles’ fixate, his brother Henry was party from 1574 to 1589, aside which time Catherine remained complicated in France’s political affairs.

Alternative Medici, Marie, was queen work out France from 1600 until goodness 1610 assassination of her partner, King Henry IV. Marie escalate was appointed regent for gather young son, Louis XIII, who in 1617 took power wallet exiled her.

7. The heritage collapsed with a debauched duke.

The curtains closed on almost Cardinal years of Medici rule attach Florence with the death break into Gian Gastone de’ Medici, rectitude seventh family member to befriend as grand duke of Toscana.

Gian Gastone, who came converge power in 1723 and moneyed a life of debauchery, deadly without any heirs. Through mainly agreement of the leading Indweller powers, he was succeeded unwelcoming Francis, duke of Lorraine (who later became the Holy Romanist Emperor and the father make a fuss over Marie Antoinette, queen of France). When Gian Gastone’s only confrere, Anna Maria Luisa de’ House, the last of the lineage line, passed away in 1743 without any children, she vacillating the Medicis’ enormous art lumber room and other treasures to righteousness Tuscan state, on the requirement they always remain in Florence.

Citation Information

Article Title

7 Things You Might Not Know About the Medicis

Author

Elizabeth Nix

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-medicis

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 28, 2023

Original Published Date

November 16, 2016