We were delighted to welcome back lecturer, author and artist Douglas Skeggs for this Special Interest Day on
the rise and fall of the Medici. Using a wide range of pictures illustrating paintings, sculpture and architecture, he enthralled the audience of 46 members with the history of the most prominent and successful members of the Medici, the wealth, power and political influence they accrued throughout Europe during the Renaissance and the artistic legacy that they left behind.
1 Bankrolling the Renaissance
The Medici family rose to riches and power under Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (c1360 -1429) a gentle, honest but shrewd banker and wool trader who became banker to Pope John XXIII. He had the Baptistry of Saint John the Baptist built though was otherwise uninterested in art, unlike his son Cosimo (1389-1464) who increased the power and wealth of his family bank throughout Europe. Cosimo Giovanni de’ Medici was extremely cultured and supported the arts. He was patron to Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) a young artist and architect who had competed against Lorenzo Ghiberti to design the new south doors of the Florence Baptistry. When the judges could not choose between each artist’s design and suggested they work together, Brunelleschi refused and left the city. Meanwhile Ghiberti ended up designing both the south and north doors of the baptistry. Brunelleschi gave up sculpture to concentrate on architecture and is now recognized as the founding father of Renaissance architecture for his understanding of linear perspective.
Brunelleschi later won the competition to build the dome of Florence Cathedral which was an amazing feat of engineering and proof of his mathematical genius. Paranoid about having his ideas stolen, he left nothing behind to explain the extraordinary success and complexity of his dome design. However Cosimo had his own palace designed and built by Michelozzo as he found Brunelleschi’s design too ostentatious.
Cosimo di Medici was also patron to the young Donatello who had worked with Ghiberti and befriended Brunelleschi. He was a very talented sculptor, best known for his bronze statue of “David”
2 Popes and Patrons
The next great Medici was Lorenzo Cosimo de’ Medici grandson of Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici (1449-1492) who became known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. Lorenzo was not only an astute politician but was also patron to many artists, among whom were the young and exceptionally talented Michelangelo (whom he invited to live in his palace) Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli. Michelangelo studied art and architecture in Florence and sculpted the reliefs “Madonna of the Stairs” , the “Pieta”, and “David” while Botticelli’s best known works were “The Birth of Venus” and “Primevera”.
Florence came under the influence of the fanatical Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) who decried the Medici and prophesied that an army would come and sack Florence. King Charles VIII of France did just that. Lorenzo de’ Medici’s son Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici (1471-1503) failed to negociate with him and was forced into exile in 1494. Savonarola burnt many wonderful art works in the “Bonfire of the Vanities” before he was excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI and finally burnt at the stake. No other Medici ruled in Florence until Giulio di Medici who became Pope Clement VII.
3 From Riches to Royalty
Almost the last great Medici was Catherine de’ Medici (1519-1589), daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino and Madeleine de la Tour d’Auvergne who was orphaned early on and brought up by her grandmother. At 14 she was married to Henry, the second son of Francis l of France (1494-1547), who later became Henry ll of France (1519-1559). She subsequently became mother to three French Kings: Francis ll (1544-1560), Charles lX (1550-1574) and Henry lll (1574-1589) and wielded great power during her lifetime. Henry, however was more devoted to his mistress Diane de Poitiers (1500 -1566) and gave her the Chateau de Chenonceau. Catherine made herself indispensable by overseeing the building of parts of the Chateau de Fontainebleau, and in future years built the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace. Throughout this time France was in a state of turmoil over the Protestant Reformation which fuelled many wars of religion. The St Bartholomew Day Massacre (1572) took place under her watch, when thousands of Huguenots were massacred for which she was largely blamed.
Another descendant from a lesser known branch of the Medici family was Marie de Medici (1575-1643) the second wife of Henri lV (1589-1610) and mother of Louis Xlll. She was a great patron of the arts and built the Luxembourg Palace as well as the Palais des Vosges. Peter Paul Reubens painted her marriage portrait for Henri lV.
The power of the Medici dynasty came to an end with Gian Castone di Medici (1671-1737). The Medici Bank had lasted 100 years but was completely ruined by Pope Leo X, (Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici). However it was thanks to the Medici family’s wealth, patronage and love of arts, culture and philosophy that the Italian renaissance was quite so successful.
Liz Beecheno