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The Medicis are one of the most influential and controversial families in the history of the world.
They used the power of their wealth to rise above all of the other upper class families of Florence to dominate the political and cultural scene.
The Medicis were instrumental in the rise of the Italian Renaissance and were deeply involved in shaping European culture and politics for 300 years.
But after so many years of dominance, the House of Medici fell as quickly as it rose.
Today we’re going to take an in-depth look at the rise and fall of the Medici family, but first, here's some background.
In the 14th century, the Medicis rose from relative obscurity to become the most powerful and wealthiest family in all of Italy and most of Europe.
They were an Italian banking family, political dynasty, and royal house that became dominant in the early 15th century.
The Medicis used the wealth from their hugely successful bank to wield influence over the political and cultural scene in Florence, Italy, and beyond.
The House of Medici is now counted among the most influential families in the history of the world.
They helped launch the Renaissance period in Florence and made an impact that continues to be felt even today.
The Medicis were the first to win their ruling status through commerce rather than through warfare, marriage, or inheritance.
But how did it all start?
The Medici family moved from the Tuscan hillside to Florence in present-day Italy at some point in the 12th century.
And became established members of the community.
As a prominent banking family, the Medicis were wealthy members of the upper class even before they became one of the most influential families in Europe.
The story of the Medici family’s incredible rise in Florence starts with Giovanni de’ Medici.
Giovanni rose through the ranks in the Florentine banking system until he became the manager at his uncle’s bank in Rome.
When his uncle retired, he left the bank in Giovanni’s hands.
Later on, Giovanni moved to Florence and officially established the Medici Bank.
The bank soon became the top financial institution in the region, largely thanks to its primary clients, the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
Other branches were opened in Rome, Geneva, and Venice. But this was just the beginning.
Giovanni passed the banking business on to his sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo, who were the two main founders of the famous Medici bloodlines.
During the 1430s, Cosimo began to use the incredible wealth at his disposal to set up an elaborate network in Florence,
which greatly increased his influence.
He was quick to loan money in exchange for favors, and within just a few years nearly every business in Florence was beholden to him.
Cosimo spread the Medici Bank throughout western Europe and beyond, opening branches in Milan, London, Pisa, Barcelona, Cairo, and other cities.
The money from all of these cities flowed indirectly to the House of Medici through the Medici Bank.
The Pope opened a significant line of credit, giving the Medicis control of the Church’s purse strings as well.
With all of his power and influence, Cosimo became the de facto ruler of Florence,
even though officially he remained a private citizen, and the House of Medici became the dominant family in Florence.
Cosimo was able to maintain control by buying the votes of office holders.
The families that had been dominant before this were not happy about Cosimo’s quick rise to power.
A rival family had him arrested and exiled, but Cosimo’s political network and bribe money soon helped him wipe out his enemies.
Once all opposition was removed, Cosimo returned to Florence and ruled nearly unchecked for 30 years.
During this time, Cosimo poured money into the arts and cultural pursuits, which made him and the Medici family very popular.
Cosimo was also able to use the arts to his political advantage by sponsoring propaganda.
Before long, Florence was the cultural center of Europe.
Under Cosimo’s control, the Medici family kept getting richer and richer.
At one point, they reportedly owned 27 villas in Florence and Tuscany.
But could the family continue thriving after the death of their leader?
When Cosimo passed away in 1464, his son Piero took over as Florence’s ruler but died just five years later.
After his death, the leading citizens of Florence asked Piero’s son Lorenzo to take on the unofficial ruling role.
Lorenzo was only 20 years old and wasn’t nearly as effective at running the family bank or using his wealth to silence his opposition.
In 1478, a coalition of the Medici family’s enemies plotted to take out both Lorenzo and his younger brother, Guiliano.
The plan was for the brothers to be killed as they knelt before the altar at mass in the Cathedral of Florence.
Guiliano was killed, but Lorenzo fought his way out, and by nightfall four of the attackers were hung.
Like his grandfather, Lorenzo was known to patronize the arts, and a number of notable artists were in his court,
including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Sandro Botticelli.
In 1471, Lorenzo calculated how much his family had spent on charity, buildings, and artistic support since his grandfather took control.
The amount totaled more than $460 million at today’s valuation.
After Lorenzo’s death in 1492, his 20-year-old son Piero became the leader of Florence.
Much of the family’s wealth had been depleted under Lorenzo’s rule due to his inattention to the family bank, which officially closed in 1494.
So Piero was the first in the line of Medicis to attempt to rule without ample wealth to back him up.
After giving up several castles and the ports of Pisa and Livorno in an imbalanced peace treaty with France,
the angered citizens of Florence forced him out of the city, and he died in exile.
When the male descendants of Cosimo died off, the male heirs of his brother Lorenzo took over and began a new branch of the Medici dynasty.
Two of Lorenzo’s sons became popes in the 16th century, taking the names Leo X and Clement VII.
Both were also the unofficial rulers of Florence and Rome.
Pope Leo spent the church’s money freely and accrued massive debts.
Pope Clement’s eleven-year reign was a tumultuous time for Italy,
and the Republicans in Florence once again tried to remove the Medicis from power.
This led to a three-year struggle, but the Medicis ultimately retained their power,
and for the next 200 years power was passed peacefully through the generations of the Medici family with very little resistance in Florence.
By the 17th century, the Medici family was faced with a lack of male heirs and was virtually bankrupt.
The population of Florence had dropped by half due to diseases and people moving to other areas.
The later Medici rulers were more authoritarian and weren’t concerned with cultural or artistic endeavors,
which led to the decline of Florence as the cultural center of Europe.
The last male of the senior branch of the Medicis died in 1737.
This brought an end to the nearly three-hundred-year Medici family dynasty,
which was replaced by the long-lasting European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family.
However, their legacy continues to live on even today.
The most enduring legacy of the Medicis comes through their support of art and architecture.
The structures they were responsible for include Saint Peter’s Basilica and Santa Maria del Fiore.
The artists and scientists they sponsored include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Galileo, and Machiavelli.
Their funding led to the creation of opera and the invention of the piano.
Their riches supported Florence as the cultural center of the Renaissance and created a cultural awakening
that could only be compared to that of the ancient Greeks.
For a period of time they were the wealthiest family in Europe, and their bloodline mixed with royal families throughout Europe due to strategic marriages.
And Aluxers, for a complete history of the Medici dynasty, check out The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall, a book by Christopher Hibbert.
He takes an in-depth look at how the Medicis built their wealth and used their influence to dominate Florence for hundreds of years.
You can hear this captivating story on Audible and save 25 dollars if you go to alux.com/freebook
and sign up so that you can get the audiobook version for free thanks to our partnership with Audible!
While researching his story, we’ve come across this thought-provoking quote from Cosimo de’ Medici we’d like to share with you that goes like this:
This is a good reminder, Aluxers, to focus more on how you are going to achieve your goals than on what others are achieving on their own.
Since we’re winding down to the end of this story,
and we’ve talked about all the cultural achievements that came about as a result of the Medicis’ power and corrupt influence.
We're curious to know:
Let us know what you think in the comments.
And, of course, for sticking with us until the end, we owe you a bonus don't we?!
Catherine de’ Medici married Prince Henry of France when she was only 14.
When Henry became king of France in 1547, she reigned as queen until he was killed in a jousting match in 1559.
Three of her sons went on to be the king of France.
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