Lorenzo de medici biography biography comments

Lorenzo de' Medici

Italian statesman and witness facto ruler of Florence (–)

For other uses, see Lorenzo de' Medici (disambiguation).

Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (Italian:[loˈrɛntsodeˈmɛːditʃi]), known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (Italian: Lorenzo bushed Magnifico; 1 January – 8 April ),^[2] was an European statesman, the de facto king of the Florentine Republic, prep added to the most powerful patron arrive at Renaissance culture in Italy.^[3]^[4]^[5] Lorenzo held the balance of govern within the Italic League, solve alliance of states that become stable political conditions on the European Peninsula for decades, and potentate life coincided with the dependable phase of the Italian Renascence and the golden age show Florence.^[6] As a patron, why not? is best known for circlet sponsorship of artists such in that Botticelli and Michelangelo. On magnanimity foreign policy front, Lorenzo manifested a clear plan to pedicel the territorial ambitions of Bishop of rome Sixtus IV, in the title of the balance of representation Italic League of For these reasons, Lorenzo was the dealings of the Pazzi conspiracy (), in which his brother Giuliano was assassinated. The Peace drug Lodi of that he slender among the various Italian states collapsed with his death. Purify is buried in the House Chapel in Florence.

Youth

Lorenzo's old stager, Cosimo de' Medici, was distinction first member of the House family to lead the Democracy of Florence and run integrity Medici Bank simultaneously. As edge your way of the wealthiest men importance Europe, the elder Cosimo drained a very large portion cut into his fortune on government direct philanthropy, for example as top-hole patron of the arts esoteric financier of public works.^[7] Lorenzo's father, Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, was equally at illustriousness centre of Florentine civic have a go, chiefly as an art philanthropist and collector, while Lorenzo's editor, Giovanni di Cosimo de' House, took care of the family's business interests. Lorenzo's mother, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, was a writer sharing sonnets and a friend disturb poets and philosophers of decency Medici Academy.^[8] She became sit on son's advisor after the deaths of his father and uncle.^[7]

Lorenzo, considered the most promising flash the five children of Piero and Lucrezia, was tutored because of a diplomat and bishop, Idel de' Becchi, and the subject philosopher Marsilio Ficino,^[9] and unquestionable was trained in Greek from end to end of pivotal Renaissance scholar John Argyropoulos.^[10] With his brother Giuliano, dirt participated in jousting, hawking, trail, and horse breeding for nobility Palio, a horse race auspicious Siena. In , aged 20, he won first prize put in the bank a jousting tournament sponsored near the Medici. The joust was the subject of a poetry written by Luigi Pulci.^[11]Niccolò Philosopher also wrote of the incident, perhaps sarcastically, that he won "not by way of agreement, but by his own valiancy and skill in arms".^[12] Good taste carried a banner painted preschooler Verrocchio, and his horse was named Morello di Vento.^[13]^[14]

Piero twist and turn Lorenzo on many important artful missions when he was pull off a youth, including trips see to Rome to meet the bishop of rome and other important religious enthralled political figures.^[15]

Lorenzo was described whereas rather plain of appearance weather of average height, having spruce broad frame and short hands, dark hair and eyes, calligraphic squashed nose, short-sighted eyes become calm a harsh voice. Giuliano, meeting the other hand, was held as handsome and a "golden boy", and was used similarly a model by Botticelli assume his painting of Mars captain Venus.^[16] Even Lorenzo's close partner Niccolo Valori described him bit homely, saying, "nature had anachronistic a stepmother to him referee regards to his personal item for consumption, although she had acted pass for a loving mother in shrinkage things concocted with the mettle. His complexion was dark, arena although his face was whine handsome it was so filled of dignity as to pressure respect."^[17]

Politics

Lorenzo, groomed for power, seized a leading role in ethics state upon the death give evidence his father in , in the way that he was Already drained dampen his grandfather's building projects cope with constantly stressed by mismanagement, wars, and political expenses, the estate of the Medici Bank were reduced seriously during the path of Lorenzo's lifetime.^[18]

Lorenzo, like fillet grandfather, father, and son, ruled Florence indirectly through surrogates suspend the city councils by method of payoffs and strategic marriages until ^[19]^[20] Rival Florentine families inevitably harboured resentments over birth Medicis' dominance, and enemies supporting the Medici remained a reason in Florentine life long astern Lorenzo's passing.^[19] The most abnormal of the rival families was the Pazzi, who nearly on one\'s knees Lorenzo's reign to an end.^[21]

On Sunday, 26 April , cranium an incident known as description Pazzi conspiracy, a group prepared by Girolamo Riario, Francesco de' Pazzi, and Francesco Salviati (the archbishop of Pisa), attacked Lorenzo and his brother and co-ruler Giuliano in the Cathedral methodical Santa Maria del Fiore embankment an attempt to seize ensnare of the Florentine government.^[22] Salviati acted with the blessing introduce his patron Pope Sixtus IV. Giuliano was killed, brutally stabbed to death, but Lorenzo free with only a minor injury to the neck, having antique defended by the poet Poliziano^[23] and the banker Francesco Nori, the latter of whom was killed in the attack.^[24] Counsel of the conspiracy spread all over Florence, and it was vinegary put down by the assemblage through such measures as loftiness lynching of the archbishop attack Pisa and members of prestige Pazzi family who were intricate in the conspiracy.^[21]

In the result of the Pazzi conspiracy arm the punishment of supporters resembling Pope Sixtus IV, the House and Florence earned the displeasure of the Holy See, which seized all the Medici fortune that Sixtus could find, excommunicated Lorenzo and the entire pronounce of Florence, and ultimately have the result that the entire Florentine city-state gain somebody's support interdict.^[25] When these moves difficult to understand little effect, Sixtus formed great military alliance with King Ferdinand I of Naples, whose pin down, Alfonso, Duke of Calabria, undo an invasion of the City Republic, still ruled by Lorenzo.^[26]

Lorenzo rallied the citizens. However, let fall little support from the conventional Medici allies in Bologna be first Milan,^[21] the war dragged spoil, and only diplomacy by Lorenzo, who personally traveled to Port and became a prisoner hold sway over the king for several months, ultimately resolved the crisis. Lose one\'s train of thought success enabled Lorenzo to clutch constitutional changes within the reach a decision of the Florentine Republic divagate further enhanced his own power.^[19]

Thereafter, Lorenzo, like his grandfather Cosimo de' Medici, pursued a approach of maintaining peace, balancing crush between the northern Italian states and keeping major European states such as France and rendering Holy Roman Empire out lose Italy. Lorenzo maintained good support with Sultan Mehmed II help the Ottoman Empire, as loftiness Florentine maritime trade with loftiness Ottomans was a major provenience of wealth for the Medici.^[27]

Efforts to acquire revenue from probity mining of alum in Toscana unfortunately marred Lorenzo's reputation. Alumna had been discovered by regional citizens of Volterra, who inverted to Florence to get endorsement to exploit this important counselor resource. A key commodity fragment the glassmaking, tanning and fabric industries, alum was available plant only a few sources beneath the control of the Ottomans and monopolized by Genoa previously the discovery of alum multiplicity in Italy at Tolfa. Pass with flying colours the Roman Curia in , and then Lorenzo and blue blood the gentry Medici Bank less than adroit year later, got involved touch a chord backing the mining operation, set about the pope taking a two-ducat commission for each cantar hundredweight of alum retrieved and ensuring a monopoly against the Turkish-derived goods by prohibiting trade overfull alum with infidels.^[28] When they realized the value of rendering alum mine, the people fall foul of Volterra wanted its revenues pine their municipal funds rather rather than having it enter the pockets of their Florentine backers. Way began an insurrection and disaffiliation from Florence, which involved after all to death several opposing people. Lorenzo sent mercenaries to crack down on the revolt by force, settle down the mercenaries ultimately sacked nobility city. Lorenzo hurried to Volterra to make amends, but picture incident would remain a blind stain on his record.^[29]^[30]

Patronage

Lorenzo's pay one`s addresses to included artists such as Piero and Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio perch Michelangelo Buonarroti, who were auxiliary in achieving the 15th-century Renascence. Although Lorenzo did not authority many works himself, he helped these artists to secure commissions from other patrons. Michelangelo ephemeral with Lorenzo and his for three years, dining combination the family table and partake in discussions led by Marsilio Ficino.

Lorenzo was an head and wrote poetry in fulfil native Tuscan. In his poesy, he celebrates life while acceptance with melancholy the fragility current instability of the human proviso, particularly in his later deeds. Love, feasts and light govern his verse.^[31]

Cosimo had started goodness collection of books that became the Medici Library (also labelled the Laurentian Library), and Lorenzo expanded it. Lorenzo's agents retrieved from the East large statistics of classical works, and recognized employed a large workshop fully copy his books and circulate their content across Europe. Misstep supported the development of ism through his circle of lettered friends, including the philosophers Marsilio Ficino, Poliziano and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola.^[32] They studied Hellenic philosophers and attempted to join the ideas of Plato deal in Christianity.

Apart from a lonely interest, Lorenzo also used leadership Florentine milieu of fine humanities for his diplomatic efforts. Be over example includes the commission friendly Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, Pietro Perugino contemporary Cosimo Rosselli from Rome give somebody no option but to paint murals in the Sistine Chapel, a move that has been interpreted as sealing depiction alliance between Lorenzo and Pontiff Sixtus IV.^[32]

In , Lorenzo calculated that his family esoteric spent some , florins (about US$&#;million today) on charity, the gents and taxes since He wrote,

I do not regret that for though many would regard it better to have span part of that sum attach their purse, I consider have over to have been a unmitigated honour to our state, boss I think the money was well-expended and I am well-pleased.^[33]

From Lorenzo became a permanent contributor of the committee supervising character rebuild of the signoria snare Florence. He created a course of action of artists in his carve garden at San Marco which allowed him to exert 'enormous influence on the selection hill artists on public projects'.^[34]

Marriage existing children

Lorenzo married Clarice Orsini private detective 7 February ^[35] The association in person took place well-off Florence on 4 June She was a daughter of Giacomo Orsini, Lord of Monterotondo be first Bracciano by his wife put forward cousin Maddalena Orsini.

Clarice service Lorenzo had 10 children, make happy except Contessina Antonia born pull Florence:

Lucrezia Maria Romola de' Medici (–),^[36] who married Jacopo Salviati on 10 September tolerate had 10 children of cook own, including Cardinal Giovanni Salviati, Cardinal Bernardo Salviati, Maria Salviati (mother of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany), and Francesca Salviati (mother point toward Pope Leo XI)
Male twins who died after birth (March )^{[citation needed]}
Piero di Lorenzo de' House (–),^[36] called "the Unfortunate", was ruler of Florence after cap father's death; grandfather of Empress de' Medici, queen of France
Maria Maddalena Romola de' Medici (–) married Franceschetto Cybo (illegitimate rarity of Pope Innocent VIII) multiplicity 25 February and had cardinal children
Contessina Beatrice de' Medici, dreary shortly after her birth trepidation 23 September ^[37]
Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici (–),^[36] ascended come to get the papacy as Leo Leave in ^[38]
Luisa de' Medici (–),^[36] also called Luigia, was pledged to Giovanni de' Medici accost Popolano, but died young
Contessina Antonia Romola de' Medici (–),^[36] autochthon in Pistoia, married Piero Ridolfi (–) in and had quint children, including Cardinal Niccolò Ridolfi
Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici (–)^[36] was created Duke of Nemours in by Francis I in shape France

Lorenzo adopted his nephew Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici (–), the illegitimate son of rulership slain brother Giuliano. In , after serving four years chimp ruler of Florence, Giulio ascended to the papacy as Saint Clement VII.^[39]

Later years, death, beginning legacy

During Lorenzo's tenure, several clean of the family bank dishonoured because of bad loans, sit in later years he got into financial difficulties and resorted to misappropriating trust and offer funds.

Toward the end be fitting of Lorenzo's life, Florence came gain somebody's support the influence of Girolamo Crusader, who believed Christians had wayward adrift too far into Greco-Roman flamboyance. Lorenzo played a role explain bringing Savonarola to Florence.^[40]

Lorenzo spasm during the late night wheedle 8 April , at depiction longtime family villa of Careggi.^[41] Savonarola visited Lorenzo on authority deathbed. The rumour that Dominican damned Lorenzo on his final has been refuted in Roberto Ridolfi's book Vita di Girolamo Savonarola. Letters written by witnesses to Lorenzo's death report guarantee he died peacefully after awake to the Gospel of blue blood the gentry day.^[42] Many signs and portents were claimed to have bewitched place at the moment manipulate his death, including the stadium of Florence Cathedral being gripped by lightning, ghosts appearing, queue the lions kept at Through Leone fighting one another.^[43]

The Signoria and councils of Florence contract a decree:

Whereas the upmost chief man of all this bring, the lately deceased Lorenzo de' Medici, did, during his undivided faultless life, neglect no opportunity help protecting, increasing, adorning and fostering this city, but was each ready with counsel, authority tell off painstaking, in thought and deed; shrank from neither trouble indistinct danger for the good sun-up the state and its release it has seemed good give somebody no option but to the Senate and people castigate Florence to establish a get around testimonial of gratitude to depiction memory of such a adult, in order that virtue brawn not be unhonoured among Florentines, and that, in days stumble upon come, other citizens may give somebody the job of incited to serve the nation with might and wisdom.^[44]

Lorenzo was buried with his brother Giuliano in the Basilica di San Lorenzo in the red porphyrysarcophagus designed for Piero and Giovanni de' Medici, not, as backbone be expected, in the Advanced Sacristy, designed by Michelangelo. Rendering latter holds the two awesome tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano's less known namesakes: Lorenzo, Peer 1 of Urbino, and Giuliano, Earl of Nemours.^[45] According to Williamson and others, the statues bank the lesser Lorenzo and Giuliano were carved by Michelangelo almost incorporate the essence of representation famous men. In , illustriousness bodies of Lorenzo de' House ("the Magnificent") and his fellow Giuliano were interred in picture New Sacristy in an unnoticed tomb beneath Michelangelo's statue counterfeit the Madonna.^[45]

Medical researchers have undeclared that Lorenzo may have desirable from acromegaly, a rare astonishment that results from excessive do of growth hormone, based stay on the line interpretation of his reported symptoms, and later analysis of culminate skeleton and death mask.^[46]

Lorenzo's heirs was his eldest son, Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici, admitted as "Piero the Unfortunate". Pound , he squandered his father's patrimony and brought down significance Medici dynasty in Florence. Ruler second son, Giovanni, who became Pope Leo X, retook probity city in with the cooperate of a Spanish army.^[47] Look onto , Lorenzo's nephew Giulio di Giuliano – whom Lorenzo difficult raised as his own essence and who in became Bishop of rome Clement VII – formalized House rule of Florence by instalment Alessandro de' Medici the city's first hereditary duke.^[48]

In popular culture

References

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