Cosimo De Medici Essay

The Medici was a well-known family throughout Florence. They were very wealthy and manifested great power. From the year 1434 to the year 1534 we see many changes occur involving this particular family. One sees everything from the reign of Cosimo the Elder to the exile of the Medici from the city to their great return to power in Florence. Lets focus on the years 1434, 1534, and everything that happened in between. Cosimo the Elder was a well-respected man among the Florentines. He came from a family of bankers and quickly became one the most wealthy men in Europe. He created his own political party known as the palleschi and exercised most of his power behind the scenes by putting men from his partisan in the city’s highest positions. In 1444, Cosimo de Medici had Michelozzo build the Medici Palace. Cosimo wanted to be a man of the people so one could find him most nights outside of his palace hoeing his garden that way anyone who wanted to stop and talk to him could. He was also generous in that he would give fathers who could not afford dowries for their daughters the money to do so. Although Cosimo was very much so a people person and very generous and kind, he worried about the state of his soul.
Cosimo the Elder was very worried about what would happen to him in the after life so he began to do more good works.
In 1437, he hired Michelozzo to renovate the monastery at San Marco. He has a library created along with new cells for sleeping. The Dominican friars were so happy with Cosimo’s piety that they give him his own cell where he came after his gardening to sleep, pray, and meditate. This was not the only place of worship though that the Medici were a part of. The church of San Lorenzo was close to the family palace and soon became the family church. This showed the great power, wealth, and social standing of this family. Cosimo died in 1464 and was buried beneath the high altar, and the rule of Florence was taken over by his son
Piero.
Piero was known as “Piero the Gouty” due to his suffering with gout. Due to his illness he conducted much of his business from his bedroom and had a short rule that only lasted about five years that came to an end in 1969. His son Lorenzo the Magnificent took his place in rule and often had help from his brother Giuliano. Lorenzo had the tendency to show off his power. He then made a mistake, which led to closing access to many of the patricians, and he got into a dispute over territory with Pope Sixtus IV. His arrogance and these actions led to the plot to try and overturn Medici rule known as the Pazzi Conspiracy. The Pazzi, Pope, archbishop of Sienna, and numerous city people agreed the brothers needed to be assassinated. The two brothers attended Sunday morning mass at Santa Marie del Fiore on April 26, 1478 and sat on two different sides in front of the high altar. Upon an established signal, the hired priest stabbed Giuliano, who sat on the left side of the church, while Francesco Pazzi began to fight Lorenzo. Lorenzo was able to escape, but Guiliano had been killed. Once Lorenzo was recovered he carried out a series of laws against the Pazzi such as he exiled the men, women were unable to marry, and any reference to the Pazzi was removed. He grieved very badly over the loss of his brother and become withdrawn. Lorenzo’s reign ends in 1492 only to be taken over by his son Piero.
Piero de’ Medici was just twenty-two years of age when he became the ruler and was quite haughty. Piero acted as though it was his birthright to have all of this power, and he would not listen to what anyone else had to say. The Medici overtime had gained an enemy known as Girolamo Savonarola who was anti-Medici because he believed they were corrupt and sinful. He wanted a reform and convinced many people to believe in his thoughts, as well. They soon allied with the French and king Charles VIII invaded Italy chasing Piero and the rest of the Medici out of Florence in 1494. With the Medici no longer in control of Florence, it is restored as a Republic. During this time Savonarola was executed due to his ways so the pope would not cut off Florence, and Michelangelo created the great David to symbolize the new Republic. Machiavelli was the diplomat for the Florentine Republic until 1512 when Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici re-conquered.
Giovanni’s father, Lorenzo, had bought Giovanni the office of Cardinal and eventually, he became Pope Leo X. With the new power of pope, he elects his nephew Lorenzo II ruler of Florence. Leo X had no sense of money or budget, which led him to bankruptcy. This resulted in him doing some unethical acts such as offering indulgences for money. This is when Martin Luther began to challenge the church. The illegitimate son of the deceased Giuliano, Giulio begins to make an appearance and becomes a Cardinal, as well. He then rules Florence from 1519-1523 when he is elected Pope Clement VII. Under his rule things quickly got out of control and England left the Catholic Church. Rome was then put to sack and destroyed as Charles V of Germany came to dominate Italy.
It is clear that no Medici ruler was ever as great and friendly as Cosimo the Elder, but it is clear that all of these Medici men in power wanted nothing but more wealth and power. And they all went to great lengths to do so. This quick snapshot of one hundred years shows the ups and downs of Medici rule in Florence.