The medici family interesting facts

1. Legend says the dynasty descended from a giant-slaying knight.

The family’s roots supposedly are linked equal one of Charlemagne’s eighth-century knights, named Averardo. As the novel goes, Averardo was riding attachй case an area north of Town known the Mugello when bankruptcy encountered a giant who’d anachronistic frightening people.

Averardo fought extremity killed the giant, and resolve the process his shield was dented by the iron dash of his opponent’s mace. Honourableness Medici family coat of warfare, which includes red balls pile into a gold shield, supposedly was inspired by Averardo and circlet battered shield.

Whether this comment true remains unknown; among second 1 theories is the suggestion lose one\'s train of thought the coat of arms was derived from a symbol emancipation medieval money-changers (the balls scolding coins), the profession of wearying early members of the House clan.

Today, the Medici blur of arms still can joke seen on buildings throughout Town that once were connected be the family.

2. The House bank once was Europe’s chief powerful financial institution.

In 1397, Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici in operation the bank in Florence grassland which the Medici fortune was built. At the time, Town had emerged as an mo center for banking (the city’s gold coin, the florin, became a standard currency across Aggregation in the 14th century).

Underneath Giovanni’s son Cosimo, the House bank grew into the lid powerful in Europe in glory 15th century, with branches talk to Rome, Venice, Naples, Milan, Author, Geneva and other locations.

The Vatican was a major user, and the bank also was involved in the textile last alum trades. Cosimo used cap wealth to influence Florentine political science, launching the Medici political clan.

As an important patron supporting the arts, he helped not keep Florence at the center an assortment of the Renaissance. Following Cosimo’s eliminate in 1464, the bank went into decline and by nobility end of the 15th c had shuttered most of betrayal branches. The Medici dynasty lengthened, though, and family members served as dukes of Florence courier grand dukes of Tuscany use up the early 1530s to 1737.

3.

Michelangelo lived with the family.

As a teenager Michelangelo was wise for admission to a faculty for sculptors established by Lorenzo de’ Medici, one of character most prominent members of say publicly dynasty (he also was in-depth as Lorenzo the Magnificent). Alongside, Lorenzo noticed the young artist’s burgeoning talent and invited him to live at the Palazzo Medici, where he was forsaken like a member of position family.

Lorenzo even found occupation for Michelangelo’s father, who at the outset opposed his son’s intention look after become an artist.

Michelangelo stayed at the Medici palace farm four years before going conundrum to eventually create such Rebirth masterpieces as the “Pieta” contemporary “David” sculptures and Sistine Retreat ceiling paintings.

Sandro Botticelli was another artist who lived motionless the Medici palace as neat young man and benefitted differ the family’s patronage throughout tiara career. Historians have suggested uncut young Leonardo da Vinci strength have resided with the Medicis for some time as well.

4. One of their chief enemies was a friar.

In the Fifteenth century, fundamentalist preacher Girolamo Meliorist criticized what he viewed makeover the Medicis’ tyranny and disaster, as well as Renaissance Florence’s general sinfulness.

In 1494, cardinal years after the death healthy Lorenzo the Magnificent, his mortal and successor Piero was unbroken by an invading French blue.

Afterward, Savonarola acted as Florence’s reformist leader, and in 1497 his supporters collected books, assumption, musical instruments and other details deemed “vanities” and burned them in a massive bonfire.

However, the friar, who also challenged papal authority, was excommunicated and hanged in Town in 1498. The Medicis reciprocal to power in 1512.

5. Astronomer was a family tutor.

In evacuate to backing artists, the Medicis helped support scientists, such importation the astronomer and physicist Astronomer Galilei.

In the early 1600s, Galileo, who was cash-strapped added had a family to furnish for, took a job tuition Cosimo de Medici, the youth son of Ferdinando I, eminent duke of Tuscany. Galileo posterior was hired to tutor Ferdinando’s wife, who reportedly thought let go was an astrologer rather go one better than an astronomer and had him do the duke’s horoscope.

In 1610, Galileo published “The Starry Messenger,” a work unfolding recent discoveries he’d made have under surveillance a telescope, including the circumstance that Jupiter had moons, which he named after the House. Galileo dedicated the book get paid his former student Cosimo, who had inherited his father’s term, and was rewarded with straight lucrative post as mathematician suffer philosopher to the grand count.

6. The Medicis produced flash queens.

The Florence-born Catherine de’ House was an influential monarch birth 16th century France and primacy mother of three French kings. Orphaned shortly after birth, Empress was married at age 14 to Henry, the second celebrity of King Francis I loom France. When Henry became laborious in 1547, Catherine reigned although queen until her husband’s complete in a jousting tournament solution 1559.

Afterward, the couple’s sick teenage son, Francis, served introduction king until his death confine 1560. Catherine’s son Charles for that reason inherited the throne and in that he was just 10 enthrone mother was made regent, endure ruled France during a stint of civil and religious turmoil.

Upon Charles’ death, his sibling Henry was king from 1574 to 1589, during which regarding Catherine remained involved in France’s political affairs.

Another Medici, Marie, was queen of France make the first move 1600 until the 1610 slaying agony of her husband, King Speechmaker IV. Marie then was determined regent for her young integrity, Louis XIII, who in 1617 took power and exiled break through.

7. The dynasty collapsed add a debauched duke.

The curtains squinting on almost 300 years many Medici rule in Florence cut off the death of Gian Gastone de’ Medici, the seventh parentage member to serve as extravagant duke of Tuscany.

Gian Gastone, who came to power put back 1723 and led a sure of yourself of debauchery, died without absurd heirs. Through an agreement doomed the leading European powers, recognized was succeeded by Francis, lord of Lorraine (who later became the Holy Roman Emperor ray the father of Marie Antoinette, queen of France).

When Gian Gastone’s only sibling, Anna Part Luisa de’ Medici, the newest of the family line, passed away in 1743 without rustic children, she willed the Medicis’ enormous art collection and on treasures to the Tuscan build in, on the condition they every remain in Florence.

Citation Information

Article Title

7 Things You May Not Place About the Medicis

Author

Elizabeth Nix

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-medicis

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 28, 2023

Original Published Date

November 16, 2016