Lorenzo de' Medici Eulogy
Hello everyone, my name is Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici , eldest son of the late Lorenzo de' Medici. I'd like to start off by graciously thanking all of you for being here today, to celebrate my father's life and legacy. As I look into this great crowd, it gives me joy to see many familier faces who I've come to know over the years. My father was very lucky to have an abundance of loving friends, family, and supporters who stayed with him through the bright and dark times. I would also like to say how honored I am, to stand up here today and pay respect not only to my father, but one of the greatest leaders of our time, Lorenzo the Magnificent.
My father Lorenzo was born on January 01, 1449 in Florence, Italy. Lorenzo's grandfather, Cosimo de' Medici, was the first member of our family to combine running the Medici bank with leading the Republic. Cosimo was one of the wealthiest men in Europe and spent a very large portion of his fortune in government and philanthropy. He was a patron of the arts and funded public works. Lorenzo's father, Piero de' Medici, was also at the center of Florentine life, active as an art patron and collector. His mother Lucrezia Tornabuoni was a poet and writer of sonnets. She was also family friends with incredible figures like Luigi Pulci and Agnolo Poliziano and became her son's advisor when he took over power. My father was one of five children of Piero and Lucrezia. He was tutored by the famous diplomat, Gentile Becchi, who helped him develop the skills needed to become a respected leader in the community. He participated in sports like jousting, hawking, hunting, and horse breeding for the palio, which was a horse race in Siena. I remember him telling me stories of how he groomed his own race horse, which was named Morello di Vento. That meant "black stallion of the wind" in Tuscan. His father, Piero sent him on many important diplomatic missions when he was still a youth. These included trips to Rome to meet with the pope and
My father Lorenzo was born on January 01, 1449 in Florence, Italy. Lorenzo's grandfather, Cosimo de' Medici, was the first member of our family to combine running the Medici bank with leading the Republic. Cosimo was one of the wealthiest men in Europe and spent a very large portion of his fortune in government and philanthropy. He was a patron of the arts and funded public works. Lorenzo's father, Piero de' Medici, was also at the center of Florentine life, active as an art patron and collector. His mother Lucrezia Tornabuoni was a poet and writer of sonnets. She was also family friends with incredible figures like Luigi Pulci and Agnolo Poliziano and became her son's advisor when he took over power. My father was one of five children of Piero and Lucrezia. He was tutored by the famous diplomat, Gentile Becchi, who helped him develop the skills needed to become a respected leader in the community. He participated in sports like jousting, hawking, hunting, and horse breeding for the palio, which was a horse race in Siena. I remember him telling me stories of how he groomed his own race horse, which was named Morello di Vento. That meant "black stallion of the wind" in Tuscan. His father, Piero sent him on many important diplomatic missions when he was still a youth. These included trips to Rome to meet with the pope and