The Medici and the Renaissance

It was earlier in AD 1360 with the birth of Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici that the famous Medici banking empire was born. However, it was not until the dominance of Florence in the 15th and 16th centuries that this most famous dynasty gained their power and recognition. During the 15th century Italy experienced an incredible growth in economic and artistic activity; this was when the mediaeval era came to a close and the Renaissance began.

In 1454 there was the Treaty of Lodi which infused great political stability between Florence, Rome, Naples and Milan. Only in 1494 was this stability challenged when Charles VIII of France resumed a policy of interference in Italian affairs. However this interference, and the later interference of Louis XII, were both short-lived.

The 16th century was marked by intense rivalry between Spain and France and this turned Italy into a war zone as the two powers fought for dominance  of Europe. As the 16th century progressed, the Medici became even more powerful and transformed the Commune of Florence into a principality. In fact it was Cosimo I, both an enthusiastic and hard ruler, who laid the foundations of the Tuscan state. In 1569, under the Medici, the ruling family of Florence, Tuscany was made a Grand Duchy by Pope Pius 5th and therefore a political entity. At this time only Republic of Lucca and the Duchy of Massa and Carrara remained independent.

The paternal patronage of the Medici allowed lead to an explosion of intellectual evolution and culture in Florence, which became the unchallenged centre of the Renaissance throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Renaissance gives us many famous names that have lasted through the centuries: Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Alberti, Ghiberti, Masaccio, Piero della Francesca and, of course, Leonardo da Vinci.

In the 17th Century Italy was in decline and the French and Spanish ceased to fight for territorial control. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 marked the end of Spanish domination and the beginning of Austrian control.

Tuscany went on to enjoy two centuries of relative stability and consistency to allow an almost trouble free transition from mediaeval times to the modern age. It was not until 1737 that the Medici dynasty ended with the passing of the Grand Duchy into the hands of the House of Lorraine.A total of 13 Medici family members ruled Florence at one time or another (note that the dates are their life-spans and not when they ruled Florence):

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