Cosimo de' Medici

"We read that we ought to forgive our enemies; but we do not read that we ought to forgive our friends"

## Early Life

**Cosimo de' Medici** (September 27, 1389 - August 1, 1464)

In 1410, Cosimo is drawing up plans to complete the Duomo as his father over looks his work. He then questions where Lorenzo is. Lorenzo comes a little while later. He watches as Giovanni criticizes Lorenzo for wearing a fancy cloak as that is not how the Medici represent themselves. When Lorenzo takes a seat, Giovanni yells at him to stand up and then informs both he and Cosimo that Pope Alexander V has died. He tells them they are to go to Rome.

On a ride, Giovanni and Cosimo discuss why the old Florentines started the Duomo. Eventually they meet Cardinal Baldassarre Cossa, the future, Pope John XXIII. In his quarters he tells them that Giovanni has put him forth as their candidate for the papacy to benefit the family and Baldassarre.

Once outside, Cosimo tells of the great fortune that would come upon their family should their game the dad of kosia candidate win and no one could call them usurers. Giovanni tells them they are not usurers and then tells them they are to Rome where they are to convince the cardinals to vote in their favor.

Cosimo, Lorenzo, and Baldassarre arrive in Rome, and Baldassarre tells them about how the pope is elected. While the three of them go around garnering votes, Cosimo is distracted by the beauty and architecture of Rome. Instead of sleeping at night, he wanders the streets admiring everything and drawing it in his journal. During his walks he meets a fellow artist, Donatello who leads him to a night class hosted in his workshop. Donatello tells him that when painting you are doing God's work. He then draws a Roman model named Bianca.

After the class is over Bianca and Cosimo have a brief talk before Cosimo heads back to his daily job. During the night he attends the art classes and gets into an affair with Bianca. One night, Cosimo spends the whole night with Bianca and Lorenzo questions his whereabouts.

During the day, he goes looking for Bianca and finds that Donatello in an affair with a servant, Bertolo. Later on he tells Lorenzo that he has convinced Cardinal Mosca to side with them. Lorenzo then states that if they got Cardinal Giordano Orsini on their side, the papacy would be theirs. Orsini however is adamantly against them as stated by Baldassarre. He has the Medici brothers thrown out of the building, but on his way out, he sees that Bertolo is also in an affair with him as well as Donatello. Cosimo uses this against Orsini and Baldassarre becomes Pope John XXII.

Although this play wins them the Papacy, it results in the end of his friendship with Bianca and Donatello. Donatello suspects him of the deed after his workshop was raided by Curia guards and tells him that Bianca has left him.

During a trip through Florence, Cosimo asks Giovanni when the Duomo will be complete. Giovanni tells him that it will not be complete in his or Cosimo's lifetime due to the amount of money it would take to complete such a task. He then tells him that they are to home to meet his father in law, Alessandro de' Bardi and his future wife, Contessina.

Cosimo goes to greet Alessandro, but he overlooks him and speak to his father to discuss business. Alessandro tells Giovanni that his bank was once a prosperous institution that would loan money to royalty, but an unpaid loan to the King of England ruined them.

Alessandro tells them that the loan amount was 900,000 florins, but he only asks 100,000 for his daughter's hand. Giovanni laughs and said that the union is not worth this much. Alessandro tells him the deal is off, but Giovanni tells him that she has very few suitors, so he should consider making a deal with him for 50,000 florins. He tells him that the will not help his situation and Giovanni then offers to take on some of his unpaid debt. Alessandro tells him this deal will benefit the Medici more so than his family causing them to prosper in the future. Alessandro reluctantly agrees to the terms of the marriage.

As Contessina arrives to his home, Cosimo starts to set all his drawings to fire as he is to lead the life of a banker now. He and Lorenzo discuss his relationship in Rome with Bianca. He leaves the room and sees Contessina. Piccarda has Cosimo and Contessina walk and talk while the others sit down to eat. Cosimo tells Contessina of his discomfort in the arranged marriage. He then takes her to another room where he tells her she will be a Medici upon their marriage and not a spy for her father.

Cosimo and Contessina are married shortly after the marriage and they attend the after party. Contessina tries to get Cosimo to talk, but due to their conflicting natures, conversation does not form. Cosimo leaves the party for some alone time and confronts his father for sending Bianca away and his control of his life. Later that night, without passion nor apparent affection, Cosimo and Contessina consummate the marriage.

As Cosimo prepares to go to Rome, Contessian questions whether or not he will visit Bianca. Cosimo confronts his parents and gets into an argument with them.

## Family

Cosimo is the son of Medici Bank founder, Giovanni de' Medici and his wife Piccarda de' Bueri. He had two brothers; Damiano, who died shortly after birth in 1389, and Lorenzo who was assassinated in 1440.

## Marriage and Issue

Cosimo was married to Contessina de' Bardi due to a marriage agreement between his father and another rival bank head, Alessandro de' Bardi. The couple only have one son, Piero. Cosimo also has another son, Carlo, from a slave, Maddalena, while he was in exile in Venice.

## Original Sin

After Giovanni de' Medici is murdered in 1429, Cosimo as well as Florence mourn the loss. While he walks to the church in a parade to honor the memory of his father, a riot breaks out from those who found Giovanni not a hero, but a tyrant.

Once in the church, the Medici family sits present as Pope Martin V gives a speech in honor of Giovanni. During the speech, Marco Bello, a friend and ally of Cosimo whispers something in his ear and leaves. Once they arrive back at home, Lorenzo demands to know what Marco told him. With reluctance, Cosimo tells him that a surgeon, Andreas di Cecco, discovered that Giovanni had not just died, he had been poisoned with hemlock which covered the vineyards Giovanni walked every morning. During the meeting, Ugo Bencini interrupts and tells Cosimo that he has received a message from Rinaldo degli Albizzi, a rival of the Medici family.

Rinaldo and Cosimo meet at the wool mill where Giovanni started the climb to near-control of Florence. Rinaldo tells Cosimo that he wants his position on the Signoria. He then tells him that he expects that Cosimo will be elected as someone loyal to the Medici were always chosen. He then threatens Cosimo, if Cosimo does not continue with the understanding he and Giovanni had in matters of the Signoria, his family would suffer terrible consequences.

Later that night, Cosimo visits the incomplete Duomo to reminisce about his life spent with his father visiting the city of Rome twenty years earlier. When he arrives home, Cosimo's wife, Contessina, mentions her concern about the day's events. Cosimo refuses to talk to her or accept her help.

The next day in the Signoria, Cosimo is selected as his fathers replacement. A riot then outbreaks from the opposing side claiming they are cheating. Cosimo calms them as a messenger brings news that Duke Filippo Visconti of Milan has attacked and brought down the walls of Lucca. Rinaldo calls for adjournment and tells Cosimo they must go to war. Cosimo however disagrees as it is not in the best interest of merchants who depend on trade. Rinaldo then poses another veiled threat, saying that if he does not vote with him, his seat will need filling again.

Once home, Contessina and Piero confront him about the fact that he never brought Piero along to the Signoria to learn the way of politics. Cosimo tells his wife in private that Piero has a mind for books, not politics and that Piero is not him.

Cosimo calls Lorenzo and tells him of what they have discovered about the murder of Giovanni. Lorenzo then speaks to Cosimo about the Albizzi rallying support for the war with Lucca and Cosimo wonders whether or not to vote with them. Lorenzo tells him that Rinaldo is the one who most likely killed their father and voting no could weaken him as he has weakened them.

During mass, the surgeon di Cecco approaches him and correctly assumes that he wants the secret of his father's death a secret. He blackmails Cosimo for 100 florins in exchange for silence in the matter. Cosimo complies but di Cecco raises his price to 1000 the following day. Cosimo wants Marco to warn him and not kill him.

The day of the vote is on and Cosimo has to decide once and for all if he will vote in favor of war with Lucca. Cosimo opposes them but the vote carries anyway and war is on. Cosimo then hears from Marco that di Cecco has been killed. Cosimo watches in the street as Rinaldo heads off to Lucca to war.

## The Dome and the Domicile

Cosimo walks through the old mill where hundreds of wounded soldiers lay waiting for treatment. Cosimo insists that the wool must keep spinning, but Ugo tells him that due to the war with Milan there is no wool to spin and no supplies or funds are coming in or out. Ugo tells him the war has to end, but Cosimo knows that will diminish Florence's military reputation to accept loss. Ugo then says that if he doesn't end, it will be the end of Florence.

In the Signoria, the members debate until Rinaldo arrives back from the war requesting more resources to assist them. Andrea Pazzi calls for a vote and Cosimo agrees. Lorenzo asks Cosimo to vote against Albizzi to save the city, but Cosimo votes for instead. All of his supporters vote for the rising of taxes and Gonfalonier Bernardo Guadagni proclaims the vote passed.

On his way back to the war, Rinaldo mockingly thanks Cosimo for his support and then tells him that Andreas di Cecco has been found murdered and he would want to know the reason behind the murder. Piero questions why his father is under suspicion for the murder and Cosimo says that he also seeks the Medici downfall.

On his arrival back home, Marco reports that Piero's wife, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, is unwell and Cosimo suspects poison and sends Marco to retrieve an antidote from Mastro Tancredi. Contessina asks what is going on, but Cosimo doesn't tell her anything.

Marco reports that it is too late for Lucrezia if she is poisoned, but the apothecary sold hemlock which could have been used in the murder of his father. Cosimo checks on her condition and then heads to his chambers.

The next day, Ugo reports of the dwindling funds due to the lack of trade. Cosimo asks how many florins are withheld for tithes to the Pope, and Ugo reports 70,000 florins. Cosimo considers using the tithes funds towards the completion of the Duomo. He walks to the unfinished roof and looks down upon the city of Florence.

He returns home to Lorenzo seeing two strangers out and with some prodding, Lorenzo tells Cosimo that he is looking for a woman named Rosa who he was in love with. Cosimo then tells him that he needs Lorenzo to speak with Pope Eugene IV and convince him to sue for peace.

Later that day, Cosimo gathers a bunch of architects to finish the Duomo and Cosimo watches as they argue. As they argue, an architect, Filippo Brunelleschi, claims they are all incompetent and offers his services. Cosimo asks what he would do and he doesn't say anything as he doesn't want them stealing his ideas. He and Cosimo go into his workshop where he explains how he proposes to complete the dome.

Lorenzo arrives back to where the Medici are eating dinner and reports that he was unable to convince the pope to sue for peace and then tells of a rumor that Cosimo intends to complete the Duomo. Lorenzo explains that it would be impossible and Piccarda insists that Cosimo explain his decision. His family urges him to reconsider due to the times, but Cosimo tells them that hundreds will be put to work with the construction of the dome and his plan to rise his position within Florence. Ugo also makes a claim against the completion of the cathedral but Cosimo continues on anyway.

Piero and Cosimo ride off to the front and there they meet General Francesco Sforza. Cosimo negotiates with Francesco and the Duke in order to bring the war to an end. Cosimo then listens again as Rinaldo pushes for more resources in the war and Lorenzo urges against voting with him again. Cosimo tells him he won't vote again as there will be no need. Just then Francesco appears and announces the war has come to an end.

Marco meets with Cosimo and finds out that Tancredi is dead and Marco is sent to find out who did it. Lorenzo and Cosimo look at the progress of the Dome, when Piero tells him that Lucrezia is with child. Just as he receives the good news, a man falls from the roof and dies on impact. One of the workers, Ricciardo, reports that the man has the black death.

## Pestilence

Cosimo and the Medici family prepare to leave family. As Cosimo packs the last of the gold, Ricciardo asks that Cosimo continue to fund the dome as he doesn't want his family to starve. He gives two bags of gold as well as his cross and send them on their way.

As they leave the gates, they are stopped by a guard who says no gold is to leave the city. Cosimo bribes the guard with gold and they are let through. Once they arrive at their second home, Lorenzo tells them they are broke and have no ways to raise money. Cosimo then tells Lorenzo to collect on a debt from Siena and they will be clear. Cosimo has Ugo write to all their debtors who advises it would be wiser to wait.

During a lunch, Piccarda brings up the fact that Cosimo had a twin brother named, Damiano. Both Contessina and Cosimo leaves in a rush. Cosimo then discusses with Contessina his disagreements with Piccarda.

Marco arrives in the new home and reports to Cosimo that Rinaldo has ordered the dome to be torn down. Cosimo rushes to return to the city and just as he prepares to leave, Piccarda falls ill to the plague. This causes Lorenzo to rush back leaving the money to arrive on its own. While Piccarda is ill, Cosimo tells her that he is failing the family and that he is sorry for Damiano's death. Piccarda tells him to go fix things in Florence.

Cosimo arrives back in Florence to see that the Albizzi have turned the city against them. He confronts Rinaldo who has the mob on his side now who force him out. Cosimo asks Guadagni to stop this from happening, but he says there is nothing he can do. During the night, Cosimo sees the sick sleeping on the street. Cosimo visits Ricciardo who's son is now sick with the plague.

Cosimo becomes unsure about whether or not it is his fault that the plague came for his sins. Filippo interrupts complaining about the circumstances and then Cosimo has the idea to move the sick into the dome to serve duel purpose; to save the dome from destruction and to give a resting place to the sick and dying.