Lorenzo de' Medici | Italian statesman | Britannica.com Alternative Titles: Lorenzo il Magnifico, Lorenzo the Magnificent Lorenzo de' Medici Niccolò Machiavelli Lorenzo de’ Medici, byname Lorenzo the Magnificent, Italian Lorenzo il Magnifico (born January 1, 1449, Florence [Italy]—died April 9, 1492, Careggi, near Florence), Florentine statesman, ruler, and patron of arts and letters, the most brilliant of the Medici . He ruled Florence with his younger brother, Giuliano (1453–78), from 1469 to 1478 and, after the latter’s assassination, was sole ruler from 1478 to 1492. Lorenzo de’ Medici, painted terra-cotta bust, probably after a model by Andrea del Verrocchio and … Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Samuel H.

Kress Collection, 1943.4.92 Accession to power Upon the death of his father, Piero de’ Medici , and his own accession to power, Lorenzo immediately let it be known that he intended to follow his father’s and grandfather ’s example and “use constitutional methods as much as possible.” In saying this, he was, however, keeping up appearances. In 1471 the popular assemblies lost their financial powers. According to the historian Francesco Guicciardini ’s apt definition, Lorenzo’s regime was “that of a benevolent tyrant in a constitutional republic.” It was, moreover, a tyranny tempered by the festivals that Florentines always loved passionately: carnivals, balls, tournaments, weddings, and princely receptions. The Pazzi conspiracy The Pazzi conspiracy in 1478 came as a rude shock to a carefree city. The Pazzi bank, in the course of a treacherous war in which the adversaries did not scruple to use the most devious methods, had taken the business affairs of the papacy away from the Medici.

Sixtus IV , his nephew Riario, and Francesco Salviati, the archbishop of Pisa , supported the Pazzi and in the end formed a conspiracy with them. They decided to assassinate Lorenzo and Giuliano in the cathedral during Easter mass on April 26, while the archbishop was to take over the signoria (the council of government). Giuliano was indeed killed in front of the altar, but Lorenzo succeeded in taking refuge in a sacristy . The archbishop clumsily accosted the Medici gonfalonier , a harsh and suspicious man who immediately had him hanged from a window of the Palazzo Vecchio wearing his episcopal robes. The crowd stood by the Medici, seized the conspirators, and tore them limb from limb. Sixtus IV, forgetting the murder in the cathedral—in which two priests had taken part—refused to consider anything else than the hanging of a prelate and threatened Florence with interdiction unless it handed over Lorenzo to him. The city and its clergy rejected the proposal. The situation was all the more critical because Ferdinand I , king of Naples, was supporting the papacy.

Florence’s ruler could count on nothing more than very limited aid from Milan and the encouragement of the king of France. Lorenzo thereupon went, alone, to Naples. In his situation it required unusual audacity to present himself before one of the cruelest rulers of the century. But Lorenzo’s boldness was crowned with success. Ferdinand, disconcerted, perhaps intimidated, yielded and concluded a peace; and Sixtus IV, now isolated, could only comply with it. “Magnificent” ruler and patron of the arts Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Lorenzo emerged from the conflict with greatly increased prestige . From then on he was considered the Wise, “the needle on the Italian scales.” He did not take advantage of his position by imitating the Sforza and making himself a duke. He contented himself with creating a Council of Seventy that he hoped would be even more manageable than the old Cento (Hundred). This amazed Europe, for he had all the attributes of a true sovereign . His new villa , at Poggio a Caiano, had all the majesty of a royal residence. Thus, step by step, the Medici were approaching the status that they continued to refuse.

Lorenzo married an Orsini , of the high Roman nobility. His daughter Maddalena was married to a son of Pope Innocent VIII (born before his father’s entry into religious orders), and his eldest son, Piero, married another Orsini. When his son Giovanni was 13, Lorenzo obtained a cardinal’s hat for him from Innocent VIII. To be sure, Lorenzo remained a simple citizen, and yet he was called “the Magnificent.” In Italy during this period, this was a title of commonplace obsequiousness used in addressing the great; but it was Lorenzo who raised it to its current high stature. Structures of Government: Fact or Fiction? There was, however, one difference between Lorenzo and titled kings, who are able to live in pomp and ceremony even when their treasury is empty. Lorenzo could not do so, and the stream of florins that fed his munificence was becoming less abundant. This was partially his own fault for, with the Medici, the aptitude for business diminished as the thirst for power increased. In addition, economic conditions were deteriorating. New competitors were appearing in Europe, and the branches in London , Bruges , and Lyon became insolvent.

But the recurrent accusation that the Medici bank was kept solvent at the expense of the public treasury is not borne out by the facts. The movement of funds between the Medici bank and the treasury of the signoria was the equivalent of that occurring between private and public banks in modern states. Interior of a bank owned by the Medici family of Florence, Italian woodcut, 15th century. The Granger Collection, New York Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies The family’s patronage of artists, architects, and writers also imposed a considerable burden upon its resources. He himself contributed more than anyone to the flowering of Florentine genius during the second half of the 15th century. He continued collecting ancient texts, and in his villas in Careggi, Fiesole, and Poggio a Caiano he assembled what is called the Platonic Academy but was more like a circle of good friends: his teacher Marsilio Ficino , the humanist Pico della Mirandola , and the man who was always closest to his heart, Politian (Angelo Poliziano), the poet, who had saved his life on the day of the Pazzi conspiracy.

Lorenzo’s reputation did not rest on lavish hospitality alone. He was also respected as a poet of great talent. His preference for the Tuscan dialect over Latin was remarkable for this time. Equally rare was his custom of treating artists with “the affectionate and warm-hearted familiarity that allows a protégé to stand erect at the side of his protector, as man to man.” The artists under his protection included Giuliano da Sangallo , Botticelli , Verrocchio , and Verrocchio’s pupil Leonardo da Vinci . Toward the end of his life, Lorenzo opened a school of sculpture in his garden of San Marco. There a 15-year-old pupil attracted his attention and was brought up in the palace like a son of the family; it was Michelangelo . Decline and death Lorenzo de Medici/Lorenzo The Magnificent | Ruler of Florence and Art Patron Home: Library: Schweitzer, Albert “How beautiful is youth, that is always slipping away!

Whoever wants to be happy, let him be so: about tomorrow there’s no knowing.” - LORENZO DE MEDICI Lorenzo de Medici Ruler of Florence and Art Patron, 1449 - 1492 Lorenzo de Medici was born on January 1, 1449 in Florence, Italy . "Lorenzo The Magnificent," as he was called by the people of Florence, was a statesman, ruler, and patron of the arts. "The Magnificent" was a common title of respect in Italy at the time, but it was Lorenzo who raised it to special status. Lorenzo ruled Florence with his younger brother, Giuliano , from 1469 to 1478. After his brother's assassination in 1478, he was sole ruler until his death. Perhaps Lorenzo's greatest contribution to history was his patronage of the arts. He contributed more than anyone to the flowering of Florentine genius in the late 15th century, supporting such giants as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo . Lorenzo treated the artists under his protection with respect and warm-hearted familiarity.

In 1485, Girolamo Savonarola , a Dominican friar from the convent of San Marco began to harangue the Florentines with prophetic language of the Apocalypse, first from the pulpit of San Marco and then from the cathedral in Florence. Although it had been Lorenzo who brought Savonarola back from exile in Bologna, the friar soon accused his benefactor of ruining the state and squandering the wealth of the people. These accusations begain to undermine Lorenzo's support among the people of Florence. In 1492, Lorenzo fell seriously ill. He knew that he was dying. Fearing eternal damnation, Lorenzo called Savonarola to his deathbed seeking redemption. Accounts of their final meeting differ. Some scholars speculate that in the end Savonarola remembered his duty as a priest, giving Lorenzo absolution for his sins. Others content that Savonarola's judgement was harsh, that he damned Lorenzo. Lorenzo died during the night of April 8 and 9, 1492 in the Villa of Careggi at the age of 43.

He died at the dawn of a "the age of exploration." Christopher Columbus would reach the "New World" only six months later. Florentines were so moved by Lorenzo's premature death that the entire population attended his funeral. If you are aware of books, movies, databases, web sites or other information sources about Lorenzo de Medici or related subjects, or if you would like to comment, please contact us . Resource Menu Lorenzo de' Medici, The Magnificent - Timeline Index Timeline Index Lorenzo de' Medici, The Magnificent Lorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (Lorenzo il Magnifico) by contemporary Florentines, he was a magnate, diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. He is perhaps best known for his contribution to the art world, sponsoring artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo. His life coincided with the mature phase of Italian Renaissance and his death coincided with the end of the Golden Age of Florence. The fragile peace he helped maintain between the various Italian states collapsed with his death.

Lorenzo de' Medici is buried in the Medici Chapel in Florence. More on this Website MEDICI SUCCESSION (r COSIMO DEI MEDICIï¿½ (r. 1434-1464) PIERO DI COSIMO ï¿½-- Il Gottoso (r. 1464-69):ï¿½ his two sons were LORENZO THE MAGNIFICENT (r. 1469-1492) ï¿½&ï¿½ ï¿½GIULIANO (d.

1478) ï¿½↓ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ↓ sons:ï¿½ GIOVANNI ï¿½ Pope LEO X 1513-21ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½illegitimate son of Giuliano (posthum

ous): grandson of Lorenzo Il Magnifico: ï¿½ LORENZO, DUKE OF URBINO (r.

1513-19) Machiavelli dedicates The Prince to him ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½daughterï¿½ Catherine dei Medici , later Queen of France ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½illegitimate son: ALESSANDRO (r.

1523-27 & 1530-37) CARDINAL GIULIO (rules Florence 1519-1523; then POPE CLEMENT VII 1523-34) THE MEDICI ï¿½BASTARDSï¿½ï¿½ - co-rulers, 1523-27) ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ IPPOLITO (illegitimate son of Giuliano di Lorenzo) ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ ALESSANDRO (illegitimate son of black household slave of Medici father is either Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino or Pope Clement VII Clement favored Alessandro as Duke in 1530 over Ippolito) Lorenzo the Magnificent - Renaissance Lorenzo the Magnificent Guest Author - Christine MacNeil Sweet Lorenzo the Magnificent aka Lorenzo deï¿½Medici was the son of Piero deï¿½Medici and as such one of the Medici dynasty, unofficial rulers of Renaissance Florence.

Born in 1449, he lived only forty-three years but it was long enough to foster the career of one of the most famous Renaissance masters, aggravate a sitting Pope resulting in an assassination attempt, and become the prototype for what we now refer to as the Renaissance Man. Interested in everything and having a talent for most everything he tried, Lorenzo was both much admired and heavily despised. He was a Renaissance Man before the term was ever coined. Interested in many things including music, art, religion, philosophy, and literature, he was a hedonist as well as an intellectual. He hosted lavish parties at the Medici Palace to discuss philosophy and classical works of literature and entertained many well known scholars and intellectuals of the day. One of his many accomplishments, although it may not have looked like it at the time, was to bring into his household young Michelangelo Buonarroti. Michelangelo was treated as a member of the family, eating at the same table with the Medici family and having his own room in their house.

It was this exposure and connection to the family that gave Michelangelo an opportunity for unrestricted access to one of the greatest collections of art and literature from antiquity, heavily influenced his works, and ensured him a lifetime of commissions. However, all was not rosy in the world of Lorenzo the Magnificent. During a church service on Easter morning in April of 1478 Lorenzo and his brother, Giuliano, were the victims of an assassination attempt by the Pazzi family a rival in the banking industry struggling for control of the banking system and local politics in Florence. The Pazzi family was supported by the pope in power at the time, Pope Sixtus. The attempt was in part a result of the Popeï¿½s desire to buy the city of Imola that was defeated by the Medici banks refusal to lend him the money. Imola was a key location between Florence and the Adriatic Sea, and Lorenzo was rumored to want it for himself. Infuriated at the refusal of the Medici to lend him funding for the purchase, Sixtus turned to the Pazzi family for a loan and to secure help stopping the Medici purchase by any methods necessary short of murder.

Although instructed not to kill anyone, the Pazzi family saw this as a sublime opportunity to rid themselves of their rivals, take control of the banks and politics of Florence, and ingratiate themselves with the Papacy. All did not go as planned for the Pazzis however and Lorenzo managed to escape with his life. His brother Giuliano was not as lucky ï¿½ dying in the church that day, a victim of multiple stab wounds. Pope Sixtus castigated Florence in his fury over Lorenzoï¿½s escape, stopping all religious ceremonies in the city-state as well as seizing all the Medici assets in Rome. Lorenzo left Florence secretly and went down to neighboring Naples. He managed while there to negotiate a peace treaty with the Neapolitan king and returned to Florence a hero. He eventually overthrew Sixtus by uniting the two city-states together against him. The next Popeï¿½s, Innocent VIII, loyalty was ensured to the Medici cause when Lorenzo married Innocentï¿½s illegitimate son to one of his own daughters.

Lorenzo was granted an additional favor, garnered no doubt with a large amount of customary bribes, a promise from Innocent VIII that Lorenzoï¿½s son Giovanni would become pope. And so it was. Lorenzo de' Medici (di Piero de' Medici) (1449 - 1492) - Genealogy Forrás / Source: Lorenzo de' Medici From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lorenzo de' Medici (1 January 1449 – 9 April 1492) was an Italian statesman and de facto[1] ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (Lorenzo il Magnifico) by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. His life coincided with the high point of the early Italian Renaissance; his death marked the end of the Golden Age of Florence. The fragile peace he helped maintain between the various Italian states collapsed with his death. Lorenzo de' Medici is buried in the Medici Chapel in Florence.

Childhood Lorenzo's grandfather, Cosimo de' Medici, was the first member of the Medici family to combine running the Medici bank with leading the Republic. Cosimo, one of the wealthiest men in Europe, 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 'the Gouty' de' Medici, was also at the center of Florentine life, active as a patron and collector. His mother Lucrezia Tornabuoni was an amateur poet and friend to figures like Luigi Pulci and Agnolo Poliziano. Lorenzo was considered the brightest of the five children, tutored by a diplomat, Gentile Becchi. He participated in jousting, hawking, hunting, and horse breeding for the palio, a horse race in Siena. His own horse was named Morello. Piero sent Lorenzo on many important diplomatic missions when he was still a youth.

These included trips to Rome to meet with the pope and other important religious and political figures.[citation needed] [edit]Politics Lorenzo, groomed for power, assumed a leading role in the state upon the death of his father in 1469, when Lorenzo was twenty. Lorenzo had little success in running the bank, and its assets contracted seriously during the course of his lifetime. Lorenzo, like his father and grandfather, ruled Florence indirectly, through surrogates in the city councils, through threats, payoffs, strategic marriages — all the tools of despotism.[citation needed] Although Florence flourished under Lorenzo's rule, he effectively ruled as a despot and people had little freedom.[citation needed] It was inevitable that rival families should harbor resentments as to Medici dominance, and enemies of the Medici remained a factor in Florentine life long after Lorenzo's passing.[citation needed] On Easter Sunday, April 26, 1478, in an incident called the Pazzi Conspiracy, a group including members of the Pazzi family, backed by the Archbishop of Pisa and his patron Pope Sixtus IV, attacked Lorenzo and his co-ruler brother Giuliano in the Cathedral of Florence.

Lorenzo was stabbed but escaped; however the attackers managed to kill Giuliano. The conspiracy was brutally put down, with measures including the lynching of the archbishop and the death of the entire Pazzi family. In the aftermath of the Pazzi conspiracy and the punishment of the Pope's supporters, the Medici and Florence suffered from the wrath of the Pope. He seized all the Medici assets he could find, excommunicated Lorenzo and the entire government of Florence, and ultimately put the city under interdict. When that had little effect, the Pope formed a military alliance with King Ferdinand I of Naples, whose son, Alfonso, Duke of Calabria launched an invasion. Lorenzo rallied the citizens. However, with little help being provided by traditional Medici allies in Bologna and Milan (the latter being convulsed by power struggles among the Sforza), the war dragged on, and only diplomacy by Lorenzo, who personally traveled to Naples, resolved the crisis. This enabled him to secure constitutional changes that enhanced his power. Thereafter, Lorenzo, like his grandfather Cosimo de' Medici, pursued a policy of maintaining both peace and a balance of power between the northern Italian states and of keeping other states out of Italy.

Lorenzo kept good relations with Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire, as the trade with Ottomans was a major source of wealth for the Medici.[2] [edit]Renaissance Lorenzo's court included artists such as Piero and Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Michelangelo Buonarroti who were involved in the 15th century Renaissance. Although he did not commission many works himself, he helped them secure commissions from other patrons. Michelangelo lived with Lorenzo and his family for several years, dining at the family table and attending meetings of the Neo-Platonic Academy. Lorenzo was an artist himself, writing poetry in his native Tuscan. In his poetry he celebrates life even while—particularly in his later works—acknowledging with melancholy the fragility and instability of the human condition. Love, feasts and light dominate his verse. Cosimo had started the collection of books which became the Medici Library (also called the Laurentian Library) and Lorenzo expanded it.

Lorenzo's agents retrieved from the East large numbers of classical works, and he employed a large workshop to copy his books and disseminate their content across Europe. He supported the development of humanism through his circle of scholarly friends who studied Greek philosophers, and attempted to merge the ideas of Plato with Christianity; among this group were the philosophers Marsilio Ficino and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. [edit]Later years During his tenure, several branches of the family bank collapsed because of bad loans, and, in later years, he got into financial difficulties and resorted to mis-appropriating trust and state funds. Toward the end of Lorenzo's life, Florence came under the spell of Savonarola, who believed Christians had strayed too far into Greco-Roman culture. Lorenzo played a role in bringing Savonarola to Florence. Lorenzo de' Medici died during the night of April 8th/9th, 1492, at the long-time family villa of Careggi (Florentine reckoning considers days to begin at sunset, so his death date is the 9th in that reckoning). Savonarola visited Lorenzo on his death bed.

The rumor that Savonarola damned Lorenzo on his deathbed has been refuted by Roberto Ridolfi in his book, Vita di Girolamo Savonarola. Letters written by witnesses to Lorenzo's death report Lorenzo died a consoled man, on account of the blessing Savonarola gave him. As Lorenzo died, the tower of the church of Santa Reparata was allegedly struck by lightning. He and his brother Giuliano are buried in a chapel designed by Michelangelo, the New Sacristy; it is located adjacent to the north transept of the Church of San Lorenzo and is reached by passing through the main Capella di Medici; the chapel is ornamented with famous sculptures, and some of the original working drawings of Michelangelo can still be distinguished on two of the walls. He died at the dawn of "The Age of Exploration"; Christopher Columbus would reach the "New World" only six months later. With his death, the center of the Italian Renaissance shifted from Florence to Rome, where it would remain for the next century and beyond. [edit]Marriage and children Lorenzo married Clarice Orsini by proxy on February 7, 1469.

She was a daughter of Giacomo Orsini, Lord of Monterotondo and Bracciano by his wife and cousin Maddalena Orsini. They had nine children: Lucrezia di Lorenzo de' Medici (August 4, 1470 - November, 1553). She married Giacomo Salviati. Their daughter Maria Salviati was mother to Cosimo I de' Medici. Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici (February 15, 1471 - December 28, 1503). Twins born in March, 1472. Died shortly after birth. Maddalena de' Medici (July 25, 1473 - December, 1528). Married Franceschetto Cybo, an illegitimate son of Pope Innocent VIII. Pope Leo X (born Giovanni de' Medici; December 11, 1475 - December 1, 1521). Luisa de' Medici (1477 - 1488).

She was betrothed to her cousin Giovanni de' Medici il Popolano. Contessina de' Medici (1478 - 1515). Married Piero Ridolfi. Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Nemours (March 12, 1479 - March 17, 1516). Two of his sons later became powerful popes. His second son, Giovanni, became Pope Leo X, and his adopted son Giulio (who was the illegitimate son of his slain brother Giuliano) became Pope Clement VII. His first son and his political heir, Piero 'the Unfortunate', squandered his father's patrimony and brought down his father's dynasty in Florence. Another Medici, his brother Giovanni, restored it, but it was only made wholly secure again on the accession of a distant relative from a branch line of the family, Cosimo I de' Medici. [edit]See also Medici Medici giraffe Lorenzo de' Medici Timeline [edit]Further reading Miles J.

Unger, Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de Medici (Simon and Schuster 2008) is a vividly colorful new biography of this true "renaissance man", the uncrowned ruler of Florence during its golden age. Christopher Hibbert, The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall (Morrow-Quill, 1980) is a highly readable, non-scholarly general history of the family, and covers Lorenzo's life in some detail. F. W. Kent, Lorenzo de- Medici and the Art of Magnificence (The Johns Hopkins Symposia in Comparative History (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004) A summary of 40 years of research with a specific theme of Il Magnifico's relationship with the visual arts. [edit]Historical novels Linda Proud, A Tabernacle for the Sun (Godstow Press, 2005), a literary novel set in Florence during the Pazzi Conspiracy adheres closely to known facts.

Linda Proud, Pallas and the Centaur (Godstow Press, 2004), deals with the aftermath of the Pazzi Conspiracy and Lorenzo de' Medici's strained relations with his wife and with Poliziano. Linda Proud, The Rebirth of Venus (Godstow Press, 2008), the final volume of The Botticelli Trilogy, covers the 1490s and the death of Lorenzo. Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince [edit]References ^ Kent, F.W. (2006). Lorenzo De' Medici and the Art of Magnificence. USA: JHU Press. pp. 248. ISBN 0801886279. ^ Inalcik, Halil (2000). The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300-1600. London: Orion Publishing Group. pp. 135. ISBN 978-1-8421-2442-0.

Lorenzo de' Medici (1 January 1449 – 9 April 1492) was an Italian statesman and de facto[1] ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (Lorenzo il Magnifico) by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. His life coincided with the high point of the early Italian Renaissance; his death marked the end of the Golden Age of Florence. The fragile peace he helped maintain between the various Italian states collapsed with his death. Lorenzo de' Medici is buried in the Medici Chapel in Florence. Lorenzo's grandfather, Cosimo de' Medici, was the first member of the Medici family to combine running the Medici bank with leading the Republic. Cosimo, one of the wealthiest men in Europe, 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 'the Gouty' de' Medici, was also at the center of Florentine life, active as an art patron and collector.

His mother Lucrezia Tornabuoni was an amateur poet and friend to figures like Luigi Pulci and Agnolo Poliziano. Lorenzo was considered the brightest of the five children, tutored by a diplomat, Gentile Becchi. He participated in jousting, hawking, hunting, and horse breeding for the palio, a horse race in Siena. His own horse was named Morello. Piero sent Lorenzo on many important diplomatic missions when he was still a youth. These included trips to Rome to meet with the pope and other important religious and political figures. Lorenzo however was a man whose only weakness was separating politics from the many young women who were interested in courting him. [edit]Politics Lorenzo, groomed for power assumed a leading role in the state upon the death of his father in 1469, when Lorenzo was twenty. Lorenzo had little success in running the bank, and its assets contracted seriously during the course of his lifetime.

Bust of Lorenzo de' Medici by Verrocchio Lorenzo, like his grandfather, father and son ruled Florence indirectly, through surrogates in the city councils, through threats, payoffs, and strategic marriages.[2] Although Florence flourished under Lorenzo's rule, he effectively ruled as a despot and people had little political freedom.[3] It was inevitable that rival Florentine families should harbor resentments over the Medici's dominance, and enemies of the Medici remained a factor in Florentine life long after Lorenzo's passing.[2] On Easter Sunday, April 26, 1478, in an incident called the Pazzi Conspiracy, a group including members of the Pazzi family, backed by the Archbishop of Pisa and his patron Pope Sixtus IV, attacked Lorenzo and his brother and co-ruler Giuliano in the Cathedral of Florence. Lorenzo was stabbed but escaped; however the attackers managed to kill Giuliano. The conspiracy was brutally put down by such measures as the lynching of the Archbishop of Pisa and the death of most of the Pazzi family.

In the aftermath of the Pazzi Conspiracy and the punishment of Pope Sixtus IV's supporters, the Medici and Florence suffered from the wrath of the Vatican. The Papacy seized all the Medici assets Sixtus IV could find, excommunicated Lorenzo and the entire government of Florence, and ultimately put the entire Florentine city-state under interdict. When that had little effect, Sixtus IV formed a military alliance with King Ferdinand I of Naples, whose son, Alfonso, Duke of Calabria led an invasion of the Florentine Republic. A. Pucci, Lorenzo de Medici and F. Sassetti Lorenzo rallied the citizens. However, with little help being provided by the traditional Medici allies in Bologna and Milan (the latter being convulsed by power struggles among the Milanese ruling family, the Sforza), the war dragged on, and only diplomacy by Lorenzo, who personally traveled to Naples, ultimately resolved the crisis. This success enabled Lorenzo to secure constitutional changes within the Florentine Republic's government that only further enhanced his own power.

Thereafter, Lorenzo, like his grandfather Cosimo de' Medici, pursued a policy of maintaining both peace and a balance of power between the northern Italian states and of keeping the other major European states like France and the Holy Roman Empire's Habsburg rulers out of Italy. Lorenzo maintained good relations with Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire, as the Florentine maritime trade with the Ottomans was a major source of wealth for the Medici.[4] [edit]Renaissance Lorenzo's court included artists such as Piero and Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Michelangelo Buonarroti who were involved in the 15th century Renaissance. Although he did not commission many works himself, he helped them secure commissions from other patrons. Michelangelo lived with Lorenzo and his family for several years, dining at the family table and attending meetings of the Neo-Platonic Academy. Lorenzo was an artist himself, writing poetry in his native Tuscan.

In his poetry he celebrates life even while—particularly in his later works—acknowledging with melancholy the fragility and instability of the human condition. Love, feasts and light dominate his verse. Cosimo had started the collection of books which became the Medici Library (also called the Laurentian Library) and Lorenzo expanded it. Lorenzo's agents retrieved from the East large numbers of classical works, and he employed a large workshop to copy his books and disseminate their content across Europe. He supported the development of humanism through his circle of scholarly friends who studied Greek philosophers, and attempted to merge the ideas of Plato with Christianity; among this group were the philosophers Marsilio Ficino, Poliziano and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. [edit]Later years During his tenure, several branches of the family bank collapsed because of bad loans, and, in later years, he got into financial difficulties and resorted to mis-appropriating trust and state funds. Toward the end of Lorenzo's life, Florence came under the spell of Savonarola, who believed Christians had strayed too far into Greco-Roman culture. Lorenzo played a role in bringing Savonarola to Florence.

Lorenzo de' Medici died during the night of April 8/9, 1492, at the long-time family villa of Careggi (Florentine reckoning considers days to begin at sunset, so his death date is the 9th in that reckoning). Savonarola visited Lorenzo on his death bed. The rumor that Savonarola damned Lorenzo on his deathbed has been refuted by Roberto Ridolfi in his book, Vita di Girolamo Savonarola. Letters written by witnesses to Lorenzo's death report that he died a consoled man, on account of the blessing Savonarola gave him. As Lorenzo died, the tower of the church of Santa Reparata was allegedly struck by lightning. He and his brother Giuliano are buried in a chapel designed by Michelangelo, the New Sacristy; it is located adjacent to the north transept of the Church of San Lorenzo and is reached by passing through the main Capella di Medici; the chapel is ornamented with famous sculptures, and some of the original working drawings of Michelangelo can still be distinguished on two of the walls.

He died at the dawn of "The Age of Exploration"; Christopher Columbus would reach the "New World" only six months later. With his death, the center of the Italian Renaissance shifted from Florence to Rome, where it would remain for the next century and beyond. [edit]Marriage and children Lorenzo married Clarice Orsini by proxy on February 7, 1469. She was a daughter of Giacomo Orsini, Lord of Monterotondo and Bracciano by his wife and cousin Maddalena Orsini. They had nine children: Lucrezia di Lorenzo de' Medici (August 4, 1470 - November, 1553). She married Giacomo Salviati. Their daughter Maria Salviati was mother to Cosimo I de' Medici. Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici (February 15, 1471 - December 28, 1503). Twins born in March, 1472. Died shortly after birth. Maddalena de' Medici (July 25, 1473 - December, 1528).

Married Franceschetto Cybo, an illegitimate son of Pope Innocent VIII. Pope Leo X (born Giovanni de' Medici; December 11, 1475 - December 1, 1521). Luisa de' Medici (1477–1488). She was betrothed to her cousin Giovanni de' Medici il Popolano. Contessina de' Medici (1478–1515). Married Piero Ridolfi. Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Nemours (March 12, 1479 - March 17, 1516). Two of his sons later became powerful popes. His second son, Giovanni, became Pope Leo X, and his adopted son Giulio (who was the illegitimate son of his slain brother Giuliano) became Pope Clement VII. His first son and his political heir, Piero 'the Unfortunate', squandered his father's patrimony and brought down his father's dynasty in Florence.

Another Medici, his brother Giovanni, restored it, but it was only made wholly secure again on the accession of a distant relative from a branch line of the family, Cosimo I de' Medici. A famous diplomat, politician, patron of the arts, and holder of power Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificant Plenty of resources available online Lorenzo de Medici facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Lorenzo de Medici COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. Lorenzo de' Medici The Italian merchant prince Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492), called "il Magnifico," ruled both the Florentine state and a vast commercial empire. As a poet and a patron of poets, he stimulated the revival and splendor of Italian literature. At a time when the major city-states of Italy were engaged in a fierce political and economic rivalry with one another, Lorenzo de' Medici managed to preserve the independence and territorial integrity of Florence.

If he was the inferior of his Medici ancestors in financial acumen, he was their superior in artistic sensitivity and understanding, so that, during the latter half of the 15th century, when the despots of Italy strove consciously through lavish patronage of artists to enhance the prestige and stability of their houses, Lorenzo was acknowledged as the greatest Maecenas of his age. Lorenzo de' Medici was born in Florence on Jan. 1, 1449. He was the son of Piero the Gouty and the grandson of Cosimo, Pater Patriae. Cosimo, aware of his son Piero's physical weakness and fearful that Piero would not long survive him, prudently groomed his grandson for the exercise of authority. Lorenzo enjoyed the best education available, learning Greek, Latin, and philosophy, both formally, in rigorous sessions with teachers, and informally, in the company of humanists and statesmen. While still a youth, he began to write sonnets and other poems, usually about love.

In 1469, on the advice of his father, Piero, he married Clarice Orsini, thereby establishing a bond with one of the oldest, most powerful noble families of Rome. Ruler of Florence Piero died on Dec. 5, 1469, and 2 days later the 20-year-old Lorenzo was asked by a delegation of eminent citizens to take control of the state. This he did, ruling as his father and grandfather had done, from behind the scenes and without holding any public office. Lorenzo enhanced the prestige and stability of his house when he came to an agreement with Pope Sixtus IV in 1471 by which the Medici would continue to handle the papal finances. And in 1472 he won the hearts of all Florentines by saving the city from an imminent famine. When the bad harvest of that year threatened the population with disaster, it was Lorenzo who imported large amounts of grain. Pazzi Conspiracy and Aftermath Although it was a maxim of Medici policy to retain close ties with the Holy See, relations between Lorenzo and Pope Sixtus were not always cordial.

The Pontiff was very displeased when Lorenzo's diplomacy achieved an alliance between Florence, Venice, and Milan, for such a combination was more than a match for the armies of the Church. Sixtus felt thwarted in his ambitions to expand the papal territory and uneasy about the safety of what the Church already held. His hostility grew when he learned that Lorenzo was trying to buy the town of Imola, which was strategically important. Consequently the Pope agreed to a plot designed to rid Florence of both Lorenzo and his brother Giuliano. The chief conspirators were the Pazzi family, a rival banking house and bitter enemies of the Medici. The plan was to assassinate the two brothers at a moment when their guard would be down, during the celebration of Mass on Easter Sunday, April 26, 1478. Giuliano was slain, but Lorenzo escaped with wounds. The people of Florence rallied to the Medici standard and visited a terrible retribution on the hapless conspirators, most of whom did not survive the day. Among those killed was Francesco Salviato, Archbishop of Pisa. The Pope, enraged, excommunicated Lorenzo and placed an interdict on the city.

In 1479, in the midst of unbearable tension, Sixtus and King Ferrante (Ferdinand) of Naples declared war on Florence. Lorenzo, knowing that the safety of his city and his dynasty were at stake, undertook the most hazardous adventure of his colorful career. He went by sea to Naples, virtually placing his life in the hands of the King. Ferrante was won over by Lorenzo's charm and his persuasive argument that it would not do for Italy to be divided or Florence destroyed. Lorenzo returned to Florence with the gift of peace and was received with great joy. Sixtus was bitter but grudgingly bowed to necessity and in 1480 made peace. Lorenzo's control over Florence and its possessions would not be challenged again. A new constitution in 1480 simplified the structure of Florentine government. The Signory, or executive branch, chose 30 citizens, who in turn selected 40 more, all to serve for life in a new council. Hence forward all other branches, including the Signory, were responsible to this permanent Council of Seventy.

Since the council was filled with Lorenzo's adherents, the effect of the constitutional change was to make his tyranny more obvious. Under this rule the prosperity of Florence grew, primarily through banking and commerce. Not the least of Lorenzo's contributions to this prosperity was the peace which his diplomacy, from 1480 until his death, maintained between Florence and the rest of Italy. Cultural Life The private fortune of the Medici did not fare so well under Lorenzo's management as did the economy of Florence. This is attributable to the fact that he tended to neglect business, so preoccupied was he with diplomatic and cultural concerns. It is not accidental that the last decade of his life coincided with the period of Florence's greatest artistic contributions to the Renaissance. He paid with a lavish hand the painters Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Fra Filippo Lippi to add beauty to the city. The humanist John Lascaris and the poet Angelo Poliziano traveled great distances at the behest and the expense of Lorenzo in search of manuscripts to enlarge the Medici libraries. What could not be bought was copied, and Lorenzo permitted the scribes of other eager book collectors to copy from his stores.

When Poliziano and others scorned the new invention of printing from movable type, Lorenzo had the foresight to recognize its value and encourage its use. The famous Platonic Academy frequently met at Lorenzo's palace, where in lively philosophic discussions the ruler was quite the equal of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Michelangelo, and Marsilio Ficino. The University of Pisa owes it revival to Lorenzo. The prodigious feats of patronage touched upon here, as valuable as they are, are secondary in the scale of Lorenzo's accomplishments. It is not too much to say that Lorenzo, with his verses in the vernacular, elevated Tuscan Italian to the dignity and respect it had known in Dante's time, before the humanists buried it under mounds of classical Latin. Although his friend Poliziano still favored Latin, Lorenzo composed Italian poetry not inferior to anything written in his time. His canti carnascialeschi (carnival songs) are still read with pleasure. Lorenzo was not an attractive man physically. He had a heavy face with a large flat nose and a swarthy complexion. He was tall and robust and given to athletic exertions.

His dignity, charm, and wit lay in his manner rather than his appearance. Physical shortcomings and a reputation for personal and commercial immorality, however, did not prevent him from being loved and admired. He died on April 9, 1492, still a despot, but one whose hand had lain lightly on his subjects. Further Reading An old but elegantly written biography of Lorenzo is William Roscoe, Life of Lorenzo de' Medici (1851). See also Cecilia Ady, Lorenzo dei Medici and Renaissance Italy (1955), and the two penetrating studies by Ferdinand Schevill, The Medici (1949) and History of Florence (1936), also published in paperback (2 vols., 1963); the last is the best short history of Florence in English. A recent history of the Medici which includes a portrait of Lorenzo is Marcel Brion, The Medici: A Great Florentine Family (1969), a large-format book that is rich in color plates. □ Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA Medici, Lorenzo de' (1449–1492) The Renaissance COPYRIGHT 2008 Greenhaven Medici , Lorenzo de' (1449–1492) Lorenzo il Magnifico, or Lorenzo the Magnificent, ruled the Italian city of Florence as a patron of artists, writers, and humanists. During his reign, the city saw a rebirth of the arts and scholarship that is known as the Renaissance . The scion of a wealthy family of bankers, he was the grandson of Cosimo de' Medici, the first of the Medici to rule Florence. Lorenzo's father Piero de' Medici il Gottoso (the Gouty) was a collector of ancient works and contemporary art; his mother Lucrezi Tornabuoni was an amateur poet. His parents gave Lorenzo a thorough education in ancient Greek and Latin, and the classical authors. At the age of seventeen he married Clarice Orsini, a member of a wealthy and influential Roman family.

On the death of Piero de' Medici in 1469, Lorenzo became head of the family and, with his brother Giuliano serving as his co ruler, the leading citizen of Florence. One of Lorenzo's first achievements was to affirm the handling of the papal finances by the Medici bank. But the great wealth and influence of the Medici family were cause for grave alarm for Pope Sixtus IV, who sought to extend the papal territories northward to the frontier of Tuscany . Over the next few years, the pope formed an alliance with the Pazzi clan, rivals of the Medici. On April 26, 1478, a few of the Pazzi and their hangers-on attacked Lorenzo and his brother, Giuliano, during Mass in the cathedral of Florence. Although Lorenzo escaped his would-be assassins, Giuliano was stabbed to death. The pope then excommunicated Lorenzo and put the city of Florence under an interdict, forbidding the Florentines to celebrate Mass. At the pope's urging, King Ferdinand I of Naples then ordered an assault on Florence. In response, Lorenzo courageously sailed to Naples and negotiated directly with the king.

Persuaded by his adversary's bold actions, Ferdinand made a truce with Florence, and both Naples and Florence were spared a costly war. Eventually the pope also ended hostilities, and Lorenzo emerged as the most influential ruler in northern Italy . Lorenzo passed a new constitution for the city in 1480, establishing a council of seventy leading citizens who would govern the city for life. He brought the leading artists of Italy, including Domenico Ghirlandaio, Fra Filippo Lippi, Andrea del Verrochio, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo Buonarroti, as well as the scholars Marsilio Ficino and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola to his splendid court. He expanded his family's splendid library by sending agents through southern and eastern Europe in search of unknown ancient manuscripts, which became the foundation of Florence's famous Laurentian Library. As copies of these books traveled through Italy and Europe, they played a vital role in the spread of classical learning and humanism that was the foundation of the Renaissance. Lorenzo staged great festivals, processions, and entertainments for the citizens of Florence.

Early in his reign, he ensured the city's grain supply during a famine, an action that won over the population to enthusiastically support him. Nevertheless, he was careless with money, and his expensive tastes and desire for fine art and spectacle drained the treasuries of both his family and city. In addition, a backlash arrived with Girolamo Savonarola, a fiery Dominican monk who bitterly condemned the lavish and decadent tastes of the Florentines and conducted public burnings of art and books in the city's central square. After the death of Lorenzo, the truce he had arranged among the city-states of northern Italy soon gave way. The peninsula again fell into violent squabbling and became prey to foreign rulers, including the king of France , who invaded Italy in 1494. His son Giovanni was elected Pope Leo X, and his nephew Giulio, the son of Giuliano, was Pope Clement VII. See Also: Medici, Cosimo de'; Michelangelo Buonarroti; Pazzi Conspiracy Cite this article Medici, Lorenzo de' (1449–92, Italian merchant prince) The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

Copyright The Columbia University Press Lorenzo de' Medici (lōrĕn´tsō dā mĕ´dĬchē, Ital. mā´dēchē), 1449–92, Italian merchant prince, called Lorenzo il Magnifico [the magnificent]. He succeeded (1469) his father, Piero de' Medici, as head of the Medici family and as virtual ruler of Florence. One of the towering figures of the Italian Renaissance, he was an astute politician, firm in purpose, yet pliant and tolerant; a patron of the arts, literature, and learning; and a reputable scholar and poet. Without adopting any official title, he subtly managed to conduct the affairs of the Florentine state. His lavish public entertainments contributed to his popularity, but, in combination with his mediocre success as a businessman, they helped to drain his funds. His growing control of the government alarmed Pope Sixtus IV , who helped to foment the Pazzi conspiracy (1478) against Lorenzo and his brother, Giuliano de' Medici. Giuliano was stabbed to death during Mass at the cathedral, but Lorenzo escaped with a wound, and the plot collapsed.

Lorenzo retaliated against the Pazzi, and Sixtus excommunicated him and laid an interdict on Florence. An honorable peace was made not long afterward. In 1480, in order to retrieve his huge financial losses, Lorenzo used his political power to gain control over the public funds of Florence. The city, however, flourished, and Lorenzo, who played an important role on the international scene, constantly worked to preserve general peace by establishing a balance of power among the Italian states. Through his credit with Pope Innocent VIII he obtained a cardinal's hat for his son Giovanni (later Pope Leo X). In spite of the attacks of Girolamo Savonarola , Lorenzo allowed him to continue his preaching. Lorenzo spent huge sums to purchase Greek and Latin manuscripts and to have them copied, and he urged the use of Italian in literature. His brilliant literary circle included Poliziano, Ficino, Luigi Pulci, and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. He was a patron of Sandro Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi, Andrea del Verrocchio, Michelangelo, and other famed artists.

His own poetry—love lyrics, rustic poems, carnival songs, sonnets, and odes—shows a delicate feeling for nature. His son Piero de' Medici succeeded him as head of the family but was expelled from Florence two years later. See C. M. Ady, Lorenzo de' Medici and Renaissance Italy (1955, repr. 1964); C. L. Mee, Lorenzo de Medici and the Renaissance (1969). Cite this article Medici, Lorenzo de' (1492–1519, duke of Urbino) The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press Lorenzo de' Medici, 1492–1519, duke of Urbino (1516–19); son of Piero de' Medici. His uncle, Pope Leo X , made the youthful Lorenzo duke of Urbino. After his early death, however, Urbino reverted (1521) to the Della Rovere family. A patron of the arts and humanities, Lorenzo has been immortalized by Michelangelo , who designed and made his tomb in the Church of San Lorenzo, Florence.

Of the three statues adorning his tomb, one represents Lorenzo in a pensive attitude (hence it is known as the Pensieroso) and the other two represent Dawn and Dusk. Lorenzo was the father of Catherine de' Medici, queen of France. Cite this article A Biography of Lorenzo de Medici | Kibin A Biography of Lorenzo de Medici Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here Pages: 1 This preview is partially blurred. Sign up to view the full document. Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here End of preview Upgrade to view the full document This is an unformatted preview.

Sign up to view the full document End of preview Upgrade to view the full document Lorenzo de Medici Ruler of Florence and Art Patron 1449 - 1492 Whoever wants to be happy let him be so about tomorrow theres no knowing --Lorenzo The Magnificent Lorenzo de Medici was born on January 1 1449 in Florence Italy Lorenzo The Magnificent as he was called by the people of Florence was a statesman ruler and patron of the arts The Magnificent was a common title of respect in Italy at the time but it was Lorenzo who raised it to special status Lorenzo ruled Florence with his younger brother Giuliano from 1469 to 1478 After his brothers assassination in 1478 he was sole ruler until his death Perhaps Lorenzos greatest contribution to history was his patronage of the arts Lorenzo made history because of his patronage of the arts He contributed more than anyone supporting such people Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Lorenzo continued his familys traditional patronage of artists opening his house and gardens First Leonardo then Michelangelo and many others such as Botticelli Filippino Lippi turned to him for aid and protection There are many different tales told about the downfall of Lorenzo Medici but some

 facts remain the same Basically a friar who Lorenzo had saved from exile began to harangue the people of Florence with prophetic language of the Apocalypse The friar soon accused his benefactor of ruining the state and squandering the wealth of the people These accusations began to undermine Lorenzos support among the people of Florence Two years after Lorenzos death his eldest son Piero called the unfortunate was exiled from Florence for his political incapacity and only after 18 years the Medici family could return to its home-town Quick Facts Lorenzo died peacefully during the night of April 8 and 9 1492 in the Villa of Careggi Lorenzo was a great ruler of Florence and art patron from 1449 until his death in 1492 Lorenzo the @Kibin is a lifesaver for my essay right now!!

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Question: Lorenzo the Magnificent was the ruler of what city-state?
Answer: Florence