Brother of Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, son of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. By the 1520s, nonetheless, the descendants of Cosimo the Elder had become few in number. When Gian Gastone's only sibling, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the last of the family line, passed away in 1743 without any children, she willed the Medicis' enormous art collection and other. It is said that Alessandro had his cousin Ippolito killed shortly before he himself was done away with by another vengeful member of the clan. Alum is essential as a mordant in the dyeing of certain cloths and was used extensively in Florence, where the main industry was textile manufacturing. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Medici family had up to ten bank branches: in Avignon, Venice, Rome, Naples, Milan, Pisa, Geneva, Lyon, Bruges, and London. How the Medici Used Portraits as Propaganda. The Medici, rulers of Renaissance Florence, are not the most obvious example of a multiracial family. The origins. [29] Francesco and Ferdinando, due to lax distinction between Medici and Tuscan state property, are thought to have been wealthier than their ancestor, Cosimo de' Medici, the founder of the dynasty. In 1512, thanks in part to the efforts of Pieros younger brother Giovanni (a cardinal at the time and the future Pope Leo X), the Medici family was able to return to Florence. The barbarous, unenlightened Middle Ages were over, they said; the new age would be a rinascit (rebirth) of learning and literature, art and culture. The Medici produced four popes of the Catholic ChurchPope Leo X (15131521), Pope Clement VII (15231534), Pope Pius IV (15591565)[5] and Pope Leo XI (1605)and two queens of FranceCatherine de' Medici (15471559) and Marie de' Medici (16001610). Main article: House of Medici Contents 1Root Medici Tree 2Medici family tree (Grand Dukes of Tuscany) 3Structure of the family tree lines 4The descendants line 4.1Origins 4.2Branch of Salvestro di Averardo 4.3Branch of Cafaggiolo 4.4Branch of Popolano (Trebbio)/Grand Ducal Branch 5Cornerstone figures of the line of succession 6Places 7See also The Medici family was emigrants from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo, Italy, . The family also got its genes mixed with those of most royal families in Europe. It has also been argued that these coins referenced the three coins or golden balls associated with St. Nicholas, particularly as the saint was invoked by Italian bankers as they took oaths. [37], Tuscany participated in the Wars of Castro (the last time Medicean Tuscany proper was involved in a conflict) and inflicted a defeat on the forces of Pope Urban VIII in 1643. The few years of this period are often considered to be the apogee of the Medici age. [26] To augment the Tuscan silk industry, he oversaw the planting of mulberry trees along the major roads (silk worms feed on mulberry leaves). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The grand duchy witnessed degrees of economic growth under the early grand dukes, but was bankrupt by the time of Cosimo III de' Medici (r. 16701723). [1], Coat of Arms of the Grand-Duke of Tuscany, Coat of Arms of Catherine of Medici, as Queen of France, Coat of Arms of Maria of Medici, as Queen of France, Coat of Arms of the Grand-Duchy of Tuscany, Italian banking family and political dynasty, "Medicis" redirects here. Eldest son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The period has even been called the century of Leo X. From 1513 to 1521, surrounded by five nephews and cousins whom he had named cardinals, Leo X reigned less over Christianity than over arts and letters in the style of his father, the Magnificent, too occupied with patronage to pay sufficient attention to an unimportant monk by the name of Martin Luther. But their policy of consolidating their position by controlling the governmentthe work of the descendants of Chiarissimo II (himself the grandson of the first known Medici)resulted in 50 years of serious misfortunes for the family (134393). That November, the ship landed on the shores of Cape Cod, in present-day Massachusetts. In 1605, Ferdinando succeeded in getting his candidate, Alessandro de' Medici, elected Pope Leo XI. Please join us. Despite his refusal of official approval, the pope nonetheless allowed the plot to proceed without interfering, and, after the failed assassination of Lorenzo, also gave dispensation for crimes done in the service of the church. They were and still are a pretty big name, is what we're saying. Henry and Catherine became the ancestors of monarchs of several countries. Giovanni died in 1429 and his son, Cosimo de' Medici, inherited the family business. The dynasty collapsed with a debauched duke. Medici women included Catherine (1519-1589) who married Henry II, King of France and ruled the coutry after her husband's death; Maria (1573-1642) married Henry IV, King of France. Inheriting from his forebears a deep respect for arts and letters, he became a poet himself as well as a patron of artists and a skilled statesman. They and other families of Italy inspired the Italian Renaissance, such as the Visconti and Sforza in Milan, the Este in Ferrara, the Borgia in Rome, and the Gonzaga in Mantua. Cosimo understood immediately that the only way to protect the fortune they had gathered was to acquire an even larger political influence in Florence. What problems did the Medici family face? Lorenzos great-great-grandson Cosimo (1519-1574) became duke of Florence in 1537, then grand duke of Tuscany in 1569. Although none of the Medici themselves were scientists, the family is well known to have been the patrons of the famous Galileo Galilei, who tutored multiple generations of Medici children and was an important figurehead for his patron's quest for power. Two girls from the family also grew up to be the queens of France. As I have had more honour and responsibility among you than any private citizen has had in our day, I am more bound than any other person to serve our country, even at the risk of my life. There are six descendants of the Medici family, including Princess Costanza de 'Medici. The Medici controlled the Medici Bankthen Europe's largest bankand an array of other enterprises in Florence and elsewhere. In comparison to the 17th century, the population of Florence declined by 50%, and the population of the grand duchy as a whole declined by an estimated 40%. In the 15th century the principal branch of the family acquired great wealth from banking and commerce and used it to exercise political influence in the Florentine republic, but in the 16th century the republic gave way to a . The Medici became the city's leading family, a position they would hold for the next three centuries. Experience the Medici in Florence with HISTORY Travel. Ultimately, it reached its zenith in the papacy and continued to flourish for centuries afterward as Dukes of Florence and Tuscany. they are not one of the original noble families from the city of Florence. Tuscany was overrun with religious orders, not all of whom were obliged to pay taxes. Louis repudiated her pro-Habsburg policy in 1617. This bank was the largest in Europe during the 15th century and facilitated the Medicis' rise to political power in Florence, although they officially remained citizens rather than monarchs until the 16th century. They clearly dominated Florentine representative government without abolishing it altogether. In the first place, not being soldiers, they were constantly confronting their adversaries with bribes of gold rather than with battalions of armed men. Upon the death of his first son, Cosimo contemplated restoring the Florentine republic, either upon Anna Maria Luisa's death, or on his own, if he predeceased her. The Medici family were patrons of Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. [56] (see Medici family tree). Cosimo de' Medici. Catherine de Medici. In addition to commissions for art and architecture, the Medici were prolific collectors and today their acquisitions form the core of the Uffizi museum in Florence. There were three branches of Medicis that successfully gained power - the line of Chiarissimo II, the line of Cosimo (known as Cosimo the Elder) and the descendants of his brother, who went on to rule as grand dukes. The electress donated much of her fortune to charity: 4,000 a month. The reign of Cosimo I placed the Medici on a level with many . He discusses the art of giving, the myths and reality of royalty, and how a royal mindset can benefit everyone in their lives. Before the Medici, the Turks were the only exporters of alum, so Europe was forced to buy from them until the discovery in Tolfa. Born in 1360, he essentially founded the Medici dynasty. The conspirators approached Sixtus IV in the hopes of gaining his approval, as he and the Medici had a long rivalry themselves, but the pope gave no official sanction to the plan. Gian Gastone despised the electress for engineering his catastrophic marriage to Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg; while she abhorred her brother's liberal policies, he repealed all of his father's anti-Semitic statutes. Did you know? The greatest accomplishments of the Medici were in the sponsorship of art and architecture, mainly early and High Renaissance art and architecture. A tradition dating back to the sixteenth century suggests that Alessandro de' Medici, an illegitimate child of the Florentine banking family who in 1532 became duke of Florence, was the son of an Afro-European woman. The family originated in the Mugello region of Tuscany, and prospered gradually until it was able to fund the Medici Bank. 7 Things You May Not Know About the Medicis. Pieros son, also named Lorenzo, regained power in Florence, and his daughter Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) would become queen of France after marrying King Henry II; three of her four sons would rule France as well. which his descendants held until 1737. What happened to the Medici money? The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, was a wealthy, powerful, and influential family that lived and operated in the city of Florence, Italy during the Renaissance in the 13th. [39] At that time, the economy was so decrepit that barter trade became prevalent in rural market places. Her name was the Contessina de' Bardi. Are there descendants of the Medici family? [48] Following a sprained ankle in 1731, he remained confined to his bed for the rest of his life. Perhaps God wills that this war, which began in the blood of my brother and of myself, should be ended by any means. [74], As an Italian vocabulary word, "medici" means "medical doctors" and identifications with the family members as physicians may be found among their names as early as the eleventh century. The first grand duke of the new dynasty, Francis I, was a great-great-great-grandson of Francesco I de' Medici, thus he continued the Medicean Dynasty on the throne of Tuscany through the female line. WikiTree is a community of genealogists growing an increasingly-accurate collaborative family tree that's 100% free for everyone forever. In 1534, following a lengthy illness, Pope Clement VII diedand with him the stability of the Medici's "senior" branch. [19] These three members of the Medici family had great skills in the management of so "restive and independent a city" as Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important families in Florence. Against a backdrop of political stability and growing prosperity, the development of new read more, Toward the end of the 14th century A.D., a handful of Italian thinkers declared that they were living in a new age. Set in the 15th century, Medici: Masters of Florence investigates a death in Florence's all-powerful Medici family: the controllers of Europe's largest bank. 2. Giovanni was a self made man with a rags to riches story, bringing his family from abject obscurity to nationwide fame. To ensure that a Medici of the Cosimo line would continue to rule Florence, Pope Clement VII, nephew of Lorenzo the Magnificent, installed Alessandro (151137), reputedly his own illegitimate son, as hereditary duke of Florence. Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, he lived a spartan life but was a devoted patron of the humanities, supporting artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Fra Angelico. Giovannis elder son, Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464), rose to political power in 1434 and ruled Florence as an uncrowned monarch for the rest of his life. A scouting party was sent out, and in late December the read more. In 1569, the duchy was elevated to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany after territorial expansion. In 1433, the Albizzi managed to have Cosimo exiled. In collaboration with the Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke Francis of Lorraine, she willed all the personal property of the Medici to the Tuscan state, provided that nothing was ever removed from Florence. Medici Giovanni (de') 1360 - 1429 Bueri Piccarda 1368 - 1433 Bardi Alessandro (de') 1360 - Pannocchieschi Camilla - Medici Cosimo (de') 1389 - 1464 Bardi Lotta (de') 1391 - 1473 Medici Piero (de') 1416 - 1472 Tornabuoni Lucrezia - Medici Lorenzo (de') 1449 - 1492 View full family tree Source : 19riccardo60 More information His conduct at the banquets was less than regal; he often vomited repeatedly into his napkin, belched, and regaled those present with socially inappropriate jokes. The Habsburgs were deposed in favor of the House of Bourbon-Parma in 1801 (themselves deposed in 1807), but were later restored at the Congress of Vienna. The Medici bank was founded by Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici in Florence in 1397. The background shows the family's influence in the region. [60] Marie de' Medici, widow of Henry IV of France and mother of Louis XIII, is the subject of a commissioned cycle of paintings known as the Marie de' Medici cycle, painted for the Luxembourg Palace by court painter Peter Paul Rubens in 162223. He was called "Piero the Gouty" because of the gout that pained his foot and led to his death. The Medici ruled the Grand Duchy from its inception until 1737, with the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici. Just supporting arts and culture can attract trade and commerce, tourism and . Ferdinando's successor, Cosimo II, reigned for less than 12 years. In fact, more than a dilemma, the biblical sin of usury (charging excessive interest in money lending) created a significant . Giovanni . The last ruler of the House of Medici was Gian Gastone, who died in 1737. Galileo named the four largest moons of Jupiter after four Medici children he tutored, although the names Galileo used are not the names currently used. His daughter Marie would become queen of France when she married Henry IV in 1600; her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43. Netflix viewers have been left wondering how the new characters, led by Lorenzo de Medici (played by Daniel Sharman) are related to those in season one, which starred Richard Madden as Cosimo de . She lived the rest of her life deprived of any political influence. The Medici were expelled from Florence from 1494 to 1512 after Piero acceded to all of the demands of invader Charles VIII of France. Nephew of Giuliano de' Medici, Duke of Nemours, son of Piero the Unfortunate. Unlike his father, Piero had little interest in the arts. [27] In foreign affairs, he shifted Tuscany away from Habsburg[28] hegemony by marrying the first non-Habsburg marriage candidate since Alessandro, Christina of Lorraine, a granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici. Descendants of members of the silk guild and descendants of attorneys both at the 93rd percentile in 1427 are among the wealthiest families today. In 1293, the Ordinances of Justice were enacted; effectively, they became the constitution of the Republic of Florence throughout the Italian Renaissance. Following her father's assassination, she was reared at the court of Cosimo I de' Medici and married advantageously twice. Three lines of Medici successively approached or acquired positions of power. Updates? Rice University.Medici Family: Origins and History. His natural genius crossed so many disciplines that he epitomized the term Renaissance man. Today he remains best known for two of his paintings, "Mona Lisa" and "The Last read more, Michelangelo was a sculptor, painter and architect widely considered to be one of the greatest artists of theRenaissanceand arguably of all time. 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