Classical Iconography Within The Commissions Of Lorenzo De Medici And Pope Julius II

Giovanni De Bicci De Medici: Giovanni established political and financial power of the Medicis and was one of the richest bankers in Italy because he was also the Medici bank founder. Giovanni was the first Medici to really like the looks of art and decorate his house with it and support

* Lorenzo’s brother had been assassinated by a rival family, the Pazzi, who had long plotted with the pope against the Medicis which made Lorenzo a cautious ruler

Lorenzo de Medici was born on January 1, 1449 in Florence, Italy. "Lorenzo The Magnificent” as he was called by the people of the place he resided was a statesman, ruler, and patron of the arts. "The Magnificent" was truly a common title of respect in Italy at the time, but it was Medici who raised it to special status. The merchant prince Lorenzo de' Medici, came to be the baron of florence at a young age tragically his father Piero died on Dec. 5, 1469, and 2 days later the 20-year-old Lorenzo was asked to become the newest authority figure in Florence. And In 1472 he won the hearts of all Florentines by saving the city from a famine that was imminently deadly. When there was also a bad harvest of that year, it threatened the population

Through scholarly research of Florentine politics and daily life during the rule of the Medici, it is affirmed that Giralamo Savonarola used religion and fear to inhibit the progression of the Renaissance in Florence.

There was a declining factor of financial imagery in 1529, this lead the Medici´s to change from merchants to aristocrats and some to royalty like Queen Catherine de Medici. Cosimo de Medici began the Medici dynasty in Florence, Whose influence led to Galileo changing the name of Jupiter's four moons. Cosimo was given the title “father of the country” by using his family's money to help reshape Florentine politics. At this time politics dominated city culture. The ultimate beneficiary of Medici patronage was Michelangelo.

Cosimo traditionally has been accused of destroying Florentine liberties, these ancient liberties are more of an illusion than a reality, he only had to make the formula of those he was evicting. To not be taken by surprise like the Albizzi, he perfected the system by not changing in the law’s actual administration, but in the spirit of law he changed everything, it was a rule to fill high official positions by drawing lots. The process was manipulated so that only the names of the men who could be depended upon were drawn. The independent mood of the two municipal assemblies neutralized by making an exceptional procedure the rule by dictatorial powers were now granted for a fixed term that

Compared to the Medici the people would have to follow the rule. The Medici wants to build more to his country and for him to become powerful The room full of people talking, and in that room The Medici family and Cosimo and Florence. What they are doing is talking about the wealthiest power. ‘’ By 1457, under the direction of Cosimo, The Medici family was both the wealthiest and the most powerful in all Florence’’

To many, the name Lorenzo de Medici just sounds like an irrelevant Italian man. At a closer look, Lorenzo was one of the most important people in the history of Italy. Born to Lucrezia Tornabuoni and Piero di Cosimo de ' Medici, Lorenzo ruled Florence from 1469 until his death in 1492 after his father’s death. He helped make Florence the most important city-state from 1469-1492. Lorenzo de Medici was the most important ruler of Florence because he formed political alliances to protect his people, he was a strong supporter of education, and he was an advocate to many great artists.

The Medici family earned their status by commerce rather than warfare, marriage or inheritance, and they were the first princely dynasty to do so. Cosimo de Medici never held office, but ran Florence through his wealth and strategic mind from 1434-1537. He played a large part in the patronage of the arts and the political development of the city. His patronage allowed men to achieve such impressive architecture. Brunelleschi, for example, who restored the church at San Lorenzo. Cosimo centered the city around cultural and creative achievements. He allowed Florence to enter the age of the Renaissance by proving himself and his policies to the people, and making the citizens of Florence proud.

The political advantages of the bank also permitted the Medici family to maintain their control over Renaissance Florence. On an international level, the bank provided the Medici family a degree of favourable contact with the Pope and other Renaissance princes. The Medici thus relied on a system of diplomacy in which they attempted to cultivate and maintain personal ties with individual rulers. As historian Gene Brucker explains, “This [system of] personal diplomacy was most likely to succeed when it was reinforced by mutual interests; Medici loans to Francesco Sforza [the ruler of Milan] were repaid when the latter sent troops to Florence to thwart a revolutionary movement.” Milan was not the only state to trade the Medici political favours for bank loans. Economic historian Raymond de Roover, the author of the most comprehensive economic studies of the collapse of the Medici bank, also notes that male relatives of the Pope’s bankers (the Medici) received preferential treatment upon entering the holy orders, and were rapidly made bishops, cardinals, and in some cases, popes. Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici, for example, received the tonsure at age seven and became a cardinal at age fourteen because of the influence his father, Lorenzo il Magnifico, had with

A post Middle Age Italy was afflicted by medieval wars and the bubonic plague. A change was needed to restore the vision of what Italy could become. This change was found within one family: the Medici’s, who helped to return the glory and influence to Florence. The Medici’s saw the value in contributing to the advancement of the greatest minds of the period. This was evident in their patronage of leading Artists such as Michelangelo and of renowned Teachers such as Galileo. The sphere of influence the Medici’s enjoyed also extended to the political arena, which happened to be heavily influenced by the Catholic Church at the time. The Medici’s were able to capitalize on the power of the Church and through this influence and the use of

The word 'patronage' is derived from the Latin word for father. It describes a trend that emerged in Renaissance Italy, whereby rich merchant families became the 'patrons' (or sponsors) of people who displayed talent or potential in esteemed fields, such as art, science, literature and philosophy.

Lorenzo was born in 1499 and was known as Lorenzo il Magnifico, the Magnificent. Lorenzo continued with his grandfather’s work and funded talented artists such as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and also a public art school. Lorenzo was definitely more concerned with his power, popularity, and success rather than the banking business. He married a niece of a cardinal, and to keep his success locked in, Lorenzo married off his daughter to Pope Leo VIII’s son. Lorenzo also bought his son, Giovanni, the role of Cardinal. Giovanni eventually became Pope Leo X. In doing all of this, Lorenzo widened the Medici family’s influence, but he also lessened their personal bank account. Because the amount of money they had was getting smaller and smaller, the Medici power began to weaken. Luckily, Cardinal Giovanni de Medici had become Pope Leo X in 1513. Giovanni, Pope Leo X, was able to make the family wealthy again by selling the freedom from punishment of sins. Starting now, the Medici family turned its attention from the banking business to the business of the church. In 1523, Giulio, son of Giuliano and cousin of Giovanni, became Pope Clement VII. To keep the family full of wealth, Giulio married off his cousin, Catherine, to the heir of the French throne. The Medici family eventually had three French kings through this arrangement. Lorenzo had a great-great-grandson named Cosimo I who was born in 1569. As the Grand Duke of

The Medici family commissioned many artists to make art for them. By the family commissioning them it basically made the artist’s name. In the early time of the Medici family when they were just building up their empire commission artists would help them to build their political prestige and their reputation in the community. Initially in the time of Lorenzo Medici the church wanted nothing to do with the Medici family’s art patronage because they believed that the works that they had commissioned were crude or inappropriate due to nudity or sexual scenes. About 70 years later right before Pope Julius died the Medici art patronage was brought into the church when he commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. By Michelangelo being brought into the light of the Catholic Church it opened doors for the Medici family to

The focus of this investigation will be “The Medici family supported the artists of the Renaissance era by providing them financial support, throughout mentorship and because of the prevailing philosophy and humanism.” This investigation will focus on the background of the Medici family and how they supported artists of the Renaissances era. This investigation will use a primary source from an artist's work and a secondary source relating to the Medici family uprising.San Lorenzo (church). Medici chapel. Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici which held Sculptures by Michelangelo and Adrien, De Roover Raymond. The Rise and Decline of the Medici Bank, 1397-1494. Norton Library, 2012.Both sources provide background to the Renaissance time period and how the Medic family treated artists with their power. The two sources are examples of how the Medicis changed the renaissance era through their money and power to pursue artists for their own benefit and for the time periods.