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Florence, Italy -

Florence in Tuscany is noted for its engaging culture, Renaissance art and architecture, and medieval monuments. But did you know that much of the splendor you see today is a result of the patronage of a family dynasty that began to flourish in the 13th century?

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Florence in the Middle Ages -

The Medici family hailed from the Mugello region of Tuscany. From relatively humble origins, the dynasty evolved into possibly the most famous family of the Middle Ages. As the household grew, it prospered, eventually becoming rulers of Florence and owners of the Medici Bank.

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Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360–1429) -

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici's establishment of the family bank in 1397 initiated the dynasty's rise to power in Florence.

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Cosimo de' Medici (1389–1464) -

Giovanni's son Cosimo came to power in 1434 and established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. Known to history as Cosimo the Elder, his wealth as a banker brought with it considerable power and prestige.

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Patron of the arts -

As well as playing a transformative role in medieval finances, the Medici family contributed extensively to art, learning, and architecture through a series of patronages and funding. Cosimo, for example, spent a fortune commissioning artwork that included Donatello's 'David' and financing the construction of several notable buildings, including the magnificent Palazzo Medici in Florence (pictured).

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Lorenzo de' Medici (1449–1492) -

Lorenzo de' Medici was one of five children born to Piero di Cosimo de' Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. His grandfather was Cosimo de' Medici. Also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, he was considered the most promising of the couple's offspring.

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'Adoration of the Magi' -

As with his predecessors, Lorenzo was an enthusiastic patron of the arts and humanities. He supported the work of such Renaissance masters as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. The 'Adoration of the Magi,' painted by Botticelli c. 1475, includes representations of several generations of the Medici family and their retainers. Sixteen-year-old Lorenzo is to the left, with his horse, prior to his departure on a diplomatic mission to Milan. A self-portrait of the artist Botticelli stands to the far right.

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Giuliano de' Medici (1453–1478) -

Giuliano de' Medici co-ruled Florence together with his older brother Lorenzo. His life, however, was cut short in a plot known as the Pazzi conspiracy.

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The Pazzi conspiracy -

The Pazzi conspiracy of 1478 was an attempt to depose the Medici family by killing Lorenzo with his younger brother Giuliano. Members of the Pazzi, a noble Florentine family, plotted to assassinate the brothers during mass at Florence Cathedral on April 26, 1478. A band of conspirators carried out the attack. Giuliano was killed; Lorenzo was wounded but escaped. Most of the conspirators were soon caught and summarily executed. The Pazzi were subsequently banished from Florence, and their lands and property confiscated.

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Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici (1472–1503) -

Following Lorenzo's untimely death at just 43, his eldest son Piero succeeded his father as head of the Medici family and de facto ruler of the Florentine state. Piero was raised in good company, growing up alongside his younger brother Giovanni, who would go on to become Pope Leo X, and his cousin Giulio, who would later become Pope Clement VII.

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Piero the Unfortunate -

Seen as weak, arrogant, and undisciplined, Piero had only been in power for two years before accepting an unfavorable peace treaty with France, a move that infuriated the public. He was forced out of Florence in 1494 as Charles VIII entered the city (pictured). The Medici family had lost their power base, and Piero died in exile, and was thereafter known as Piero the Unfortunate.

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Return from exile -

Piero's younger brother, already a cardinal and later Pope Leo X, played a hand in securing the Medici family's return to Florence from exile in 1512.

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Papal influence -

In fact, its wealth and influence was such that the House of Medici produced four popes of the Catholic Church—Pope Leo X (1513–1521), Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), Pope Pius IV (1559–1565), and Pope Leo XI (1605).

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Sistine Chapel -

Furthermore, the Medici popes continued the tradition of patronizing the arts: Pope Leo X would chiefly commission works from Raphael while Clement VII commissioned Michelangelo to paint the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.

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Lorenzo de' Medici II (1492–1519) -

Piero the Unfortunate left two children, one of whom, Lorenzo II, regained power in Florence. The next few years marked a high point of Medici influence in Europe. Besides his seat in Florence, Lorenzo also became Duke of Urbino. Later his own daughter, Catherine, would become Queen of France after marrying King Henry II.

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Royal influence -

Actually, from the House of Medici two queens of France emerged: Catherine de' Medici (1547–1559) and Maria de' Medici (1600–1610), who was Queen of France as the second wife of King Henry IV of France. Pictured is Catherine de' Medici.

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Alessandro de' Medici (1510–1537) -

Very likely Lorenzo II's illegitimate son, Alessandro ascended the leadership of Florence in 1523. But his was a short and brutal rule, compounded by an all consuming hatred for his cousin, Ippolito. But it was a distant cousin, Lorenzino de' Medici, that would assassinate Alessandro in 1537. He was in turn murdered in 1548 in retaliation for his deed. Alessandro was succeeded by Cosimo I de' Medici.

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Cosimo I de' Medici (1519–1574) -

After becoming Duke of Florence in 1537, Cosimo I de' Medici was elevated to Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569, a title he held until his death. During his tenure, Cosimo I  established absolute power in the region, and his descendants would rule as grand dukes into the 1700s.

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Uffizi Gallery -

While in power, Cosimo I de' Medici moved the Florentine administrative offices into a building known as the Uffizi. At the same time, he established a small museum. Today, it's the site of Florence's celebrated Uffizi Gallery, which houses many of the great Renaissance-era treasures amassed by the Medicis since the time of Cosimo the Elder.

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Francesco I de' Medici (1541–1587) -

This painting by Bronzino of a young Francesco I de' Medici hangs in the Uffizi Gallery. Francesco succeeded his father Cosimo I, but proved a less effective ruler. His daughter, the aforementioned Maria, was later Queen of France. In turn, her son would rule as Louis XIII from 1610-43.

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Fernando I de' Medici (1549–1609) -

Fernando I de' Medici became grand duke in 1587 and was instrumental in restoring Tuscany to stability and prosperity. Image: Uffizi Gallery 

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Villa Medici -

The splendid Villa Medici in Rome was founded by Fernando I de' Medici in 1544. He also brought a collection of priceless works of art to Florence.

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Cosimo II de' Medici (1590–1621) -

The elder son of Fernando I, Cosimo II de' Medici is chiefly remembered as the patron of the great astronomer, physicist, and engineer Galileo Galilei, his childhood tutor. Galileo's achievements include discovering four of Jupiter's moons.

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Cosimo III de' Medici (1642–1723) -

The sixth and penultimate Duke of Tuscany from the House of Medici, Cosimo III enjoyed a 53-year-long reign, the longest in Tuscan history. But his rule was at best ineffectual, and the once mighty Medici dynasty started to slide into terminal decline.

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Gian Gastone de' Medici (1671–1737) -

When Gian Gastone de' Medici, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany, passed away in 1737 without a male heir, the family dynasty died with him. This painting featuring the Marquis Cosimo Riccardi visiting Gian Gastone and his retinue in 1735 is one of the last depictions of a Medici family member made while they were still alive.

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Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor -

After Gian Gastone's death, control of Tuscany passed to Francis of Lorraine, later Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor after his marriage to Hapsburg heiress Maria Theresa of Austria. The Medici family had enjoyed over three centuries of power, prestige, and influence before the dynasty fell in the mid-18th century. Now, however, began the long European reign of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family. Image: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien

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The Medici Chapels -

The Medici Chapels serve as the last resting place of several members of the Medici family and are found at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence.

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New Sacristy -

Of note is the sober Sagrestia Nuova ("New Sacristy") designed by Michelangelo and featuring a series of beautiful marble sculptures. The tombs hold the remains of Lorenzo di Piero and Giuliano di Lorenzo.

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Chapel of the Princes -

The more elaborate octagonal Cappella dei Principi ("Chapel of the Princes") is surmounted by a tall dome—the distinguishing feature of San Lorenzo when seen from a distance. Curiously, the six grand sarcophagi are empty: the Medici family remains are interred in the crypt below. 

Sources: (Britannica) (Medici Bank) (Luxarazzi)

See also: The world's most evocative abandoned churches and chapels

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