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For the board game see, Medici The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century. The family produced three popes (Leo X, Clement VII, and Leo XI), numerous rulers of Florence, and later members of the French and English royalty. The family also helped to spur the beginning of the Italian Renaissance. From humble beginnings (the origin of the name is uncertain, it allegedly reflects a medical trade - medico) originating from the agriculture based Mugello region, the family first achieved power through banking. The Medici Bank was one of the most prosperous and most respected in Europe. There are some estimates that the Medici family was for a period of time the wealthiest family in Europe. From this base, the family acquired political power initially in Florence, and later in the wider Italy and Europe. A notable contribution to the profession of accounting was the improvement of the general ledger system through the development of the double-entry bookkeeping system for tracking credits and debits. This system was first used by accountants working for the Medici family in Florence. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was the first Medici to enter banking, and while he became influential in Florentine government, it was not until his son Cosimo the Elder took over that in 1434 as gran maestro that the Medici became unofficial heads of state of the Florentine republic. The "senior" branch of the family — those descended from Cosimo the Elder — ruled until the assassination of Alessandro de' Medici, first Duke of Florence, in 1537. This century-long rule was only interrupted on two occasions (between 1494-1512 and 1527-1530), when popular revolts sent the Medici into exile. Power then passed to the "junior" branch — those descended from Lorenzo the Elder, younger son of Giovanni di Bicci, starting with his great-great-grandson Cosimo I the Great. The Medici's rise to power was chronicled in detail by Benedetto Dei.
Art, architecture and science The most significant accomplishments of the Medici were in the sponsorship of art and architecture, within which the portfolio of talent employed by Medici is a virtual "Who's Who?" of Renaissance art and architecture. Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, the first patron of the arts in the family, aided Masaccio and ordered the reconstruction of the Church of San Lorenzo. Cosimo the Elder's notable artistic associates were Donatello and Fra Angelico. The most significant addition to the list over the years was Michelangelo, who produced work for a number of Medici, beginning with Lorenzo the Magnificent. In addition to commissions for art and architecture, the Medici were prolific collectors and today their acquisitions form the core of the Uffizi museum in Florence. In architecture, the Medici are responsible for some notable features of Florence; including the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens, the Belvedere, and the Palazzo Medici. Although none of the Medici themselves were scientists, the family is well known to have been the patrons of the famous Galileo. Galileo tutored multiple generations of Medici children, and was an important figurehead for his patron's quest for power. Galileo's patronage was eventually abandoned by Ferdinando II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, when the Roman Inquisition accused the great scientist of heresy. However, the Medici family did afford Galileo a safe haven from those seeking his demise. Galileo did name the four largest moons of Jupiter after four Medici children that he tutored. Notable members Medici family tree (1360 & 1675) Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (1360 – 1429) │ ├─Antonio de' Medici (? – 1398) │ ├─Damian de' Medici (1389 – 1390) │ ├─Cosimo de' Medici (the Elder) (1389 – 1464) │ │ │ ├─Piero I de' Medici (the Gouty) (1416 – 1469), Lord of Florence │ │ │ │ │ ├─Lorenzo de' Medici (the Magnificent) (1449 – 1492), Lord of Florence │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Lucrezia de' Medici (1470 – 1550) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Maria Salviati (1499 – 1543), wife of Giovanni dalle bande nere (see below) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Francesca Salviati │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici (1535 – 1605), Pope Leo XI │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Piero II de' Medici (the Unfortunate) (1471 – 1503), Lord of Florence │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Lorenzo II de' Medici (1492 – 1519), Duke of Urbino │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Alessandro de' Medici (the Moor) (1510 – 1537), Duke of Florence │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Giulio de' Medici (ca. 1533 – 1600) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Cosimo de' Medici (? – ?) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Angela/Angelica de' Medici (1608 – 1636) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Giulia de' Medici (ca. 1535 – ?) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de' Medici (Catherine de' Medici) (1519 – 1589), wife of Henry II of France │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Clarissa de' Medici (1493 – 1528) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Maddalena de' Medici (1473 – 1528) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici (1475 – 1521), Pope Leo X │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Giuliano de' Medici (1479 – 1516), Duke of Nemours │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Ippolito de' Medici (1511 – 1535), Cardinal │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Contessina de' Medici (? – 1515), wife of Piero Ridolfi │ │ │ │ │ └─Giuliano de' Medici (1453 – 1478) │ │ │ │ │ └─Giulio de' Medici (1478 – 1534), Pope Clement VII │ │ │ ├─Giovanni de' Medici (1421 – 1463) │ │ │ │ │ └─Cosimo de' Medici (1452 – 1461) │ │ │ └─Carlo de' Medici (1430 – 1492) │ └─Lorenzo de' Medici (the Elder) (1395 – 1440) │ └─Pierfrancesco de' Medici (the Elder) (1431 – 1476) │ ├─Lorenzo the Popolano (1463 – 1503), Lord of Piombino │ │ │ └─Pierfrancesco de' Medici (the Younger) (1487 – 1525) │ │ │ ├─Laudomia de' Medici (1463-?) │ │ │ ├─Lorenzino de' Medici (1514 – 1548) (also called Lorenzaccio) │ │ │ ├─Giuliano de' Medici (ca. 1520 – 1588), Archbishop of Alby │ │ │ └─Maddalena de' Medici (? – 1583) │ └─Giovanni the Popolano (1467 – 1498) │ └─Lodovico de' Medici (Giovanni dalle Bande Nere) (1498 – 1526), the most famous soldier of all the Medici │ └─Cosimo I de' Medici (1519 – 1574), Grand duke of Tuscany │ ├─Bia de' Medici (1537 – 1542) │ ├─Maria de' Medici (1540 – 1557) │ ├─Francesco I de' Medici (1541 – 1587), Grand duke of Tuscany │ │ │ ├─Eleonora de' Medici (1566 – 1611), wife of Vincenzo I Gonzaga, duke of Mantua │ │ │ ├─Romola de' Medici (1568 – 1568) │ │ │ ├─Anna de' Medici (1569 – 1584) │ │ │ ├─Isabella de' Medici (1571 – 1572) │ │ │ ├─Lucrezia de' Medici (1572 – 1574) │ │ │ ├─Marie de' Medici (1573 – 1642), wife of Henry IV of France │ │ │ │ │ └─Henrietta Maria of France, wife of Charles I of England │ │ │ │ │ └─Charles II of England │ │ │ │ │ └─James II of England │ │ │ │ │ └─Mary Henrietta Stuart │ │ │ ├─Antonio de' Medici (1576 – 1621), adopted │ │ │ └─Filippo de' Medici (1577 – 1582) │ ├─Isabella de' Medici (1542 – 1576) │ ├─Giovanni de' Medici (1543 – 1562), bishop of Pisa and cardinal │ ├─Lucrezia de' Medici (1545 – 1561), wife (1560) of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and Modena │ ├─Pietro (Pedricco) de' Medici (1546 – 1547) │ ├─Garzia de' Medici (1547 – 1562) │ ├─Antonio de' Medici (1548 – 1548) │ ├─Ferdinando I de' Medici (1549 – 1609), Grand duke of Tuscany │ │ │ ├─Cosimo II de' Medici (1590 – 1621), Grand duke of Tuscany │ │ │ │ │ ├─Maria Cristina de' Medici (1609 – 1632) │ │ │ │ │ ├─Ferdinando II de' Medici (1610 – 1670), Grand duke of Tuscany │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Cosimo de' Medici (1639 – 1639) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Cosimo III de' Medici (1642 – 1723), Grand duke of Tuscany │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Ferdinando III de' Medici (1663 – 1713) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (1667 – 1743) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Gian Gastone de' Medici (1671 – 1737), Grand duke of Tuscany │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─Francesco Maria de' Medici (1660 – 1711), Cardinal │ │ │ │ │ ├─Giovanni Carlo de' Medici (Giancarlo) (1611 – 1663), Bishop of Sabina, created cardinal in 1644 │ │ │ │ │ ├─Margherita de' Medici (1612 – 1679), wife (1628) of Odoardo I Farnese, duke of Parma │ │ │ │ │ ├─Matteo de' Medici (1613 – 1667) │ │ │ │ │ ├─Francesco de' Medici (1614 – 1634) │ │ │ │ │ ├─Anna de' Medici (1616 – 1676), wife of archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria │ │ │ │ │ └─Leopoldo de' Medici (1617 – 1675), created cardinal in 1667 │ │ │ ├─Eleonora de' Medici (1591 – 1617) │ │ │ ├─Caterina de' Medici (1593 – 1629), wife of Ferdinando Gonzaga, duke of Mantua │ │ │ ├─Francesco de' Medici (1594 – 1614) │ │ │ ├─Carlo de' Medici (1595 – 1666) │ │ │ ├─Filippino de' Medici (1599 – 1602) │ │ │ ├─Lorenzo de' Medici (1600 – 1648) │ │ │ ├─Maria Maddalena de' Medici (1600 – 1633) │ │ │ └─Claudia de' Medici (1604 – 1648), wife (1620-1622) of Federico della Rovere, only son of the duke of │ Urbino, and, later (1626), of archduke Leopold V of Austria │ ├─Anna de' Medici (1553 – 1553) │ ├─Pietro de' Medici (1554 – 1604) │ ├─(Unnamed daughter) (1566 – 1566) │ ├─Giovanni de' Medici (1567 – 1621) │ ├─Vindchi de' Medici (1568 – 1634) │ └─Virginia de' Medici (1568 – 1615), wife of Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena See also Further reading Documentaries | ||||||||
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