Cosimo de' Medici

Durante Alighieri, also known as Dante (meaning “he who gives” ) was born in Florence on May, 1265. He was born into a family with small nobility and a history of involvement in Florence complex political scene. His mother, Bella degli Abbati, came from a family of wealthy landowners but died a few years later after his birth. His father, Alighiero di Bellincione, whom Dante seemed to have avoid mentioning as much as possible, soon remarried with Lapa di Chiarissimo Cialuffi. His father made…

development of the Italian Renaissance because of the use of a variety of techniques that enabled him to produce realistic looking paintings. In 1416, Piero Della Francesca was born in a small town, Sansepolcro in Italy. Piero was the son of Benedetto de' Franceschi and Romana di Perino da Monterchi. Benedetto was a successful tradesmen and Romana was a member of a noble family. With the success of his parents, Piero was able to attend school. Not much is known about Piero’s early life but it…

No family exemplifies this better than the Medici's of Florence. Essentially a wealthy Florentine banking family, their house and family contributed greatly to this Age of Enlightenment. Other that being admirers of the arts, what benefit could the Medici family gain from such patronage? Commissioning grand works of art held multiple benefits for the patron, it could enhance their family's status from a spiritual, and nobility…

If Michelangelo Buonarroti were to paint a picture of a Renaissance gentleman and painter, it would most likely look like himself. He grew up in a moderately wealthy family with him being an apprentice to a painter for the royal Medici family. His life was full of great artistic accomplishments, such as creating the sculpture David, the interior painting of the Sistine Chapel, and probably his most famous painting, The Last Judgement. The legacy that Michelangelo Buonarroti left behind for…

The Birth of Venus is a truly magnificent piece of artwork. It was painted around 1480 with tempera on canvas. This painting was the first large mythological painting since antiquity. Botticelli painted this during the Renaissance era. Here are excerpts from Stanze per la Giostra, by Angelo Poliziano, that are though to be what Botticelli painted his image about. “A young woman with nonhuman countenance, is carried on a conch shell, wafted to shore by playful zephyrs…the Hours (Goddess of the…

have had the right to be arrogant. He was skilled in most forms of art, although he always thought of himself as a sculptor. For two years Michelangelo lived in the Medici household while working on the sculptural relief The Battle of the Centaurs (“Michelangelo Buonarti Biography”). Michelangelo also made many statues in the Medici household garden (“Michelangelo Buonarti Biography”). He was commissioned by Cardinal Raffaele Riario to make a statue of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. The…

century the Medici had already tremendously influenced their surroundings; analysis and research show how impactful the Medici family had throughout that time period with the use of problem, solution, and effect theme. Although the Medici came to posses unrivalled wealth and power they had to struggle with many other families to obtain their status. During those time of conflict they were able to trigger a revolution of the arts but also the culture. Over the next three hundred years the Medici…

century, the Medici family held an extremely influential role in the governance of Florence. Giovanni di’ Bicci, whom many consider to be the founder of the Medici dynasty, brought to life the Medici Bank, a strong economic power of this time. Ensuing Giovanni’s death, his son Cosimo inherited the family fortune. Cosimo was well-versed in the politics of diplomacy and business, therefore allowing him to expand the family bank and become the most influential man in Florence . Cosimo de’ Medici…

Catherine de Medici was an Italian-born, French queen who became very powerful and even more controversial during her time at the helm of France. Orphaned as an infant, used as a pawn in her family's vicious power games, saddled with an unfaithful husband, and forced to suffer the untimely deaths of several of her children, Catherine managed to maintain control of the true power of the French throne in an effort to protect her family and preserve her birthright. Her methods of doing so,…

In 1434, the Medici family gained control of the Republic of Florence. The family started solely as bankers. They gained power by financially supporting Pope John XXIII and continuing to serve as the direct bank of the Pope. The Medici family ruled Florence from 1434-1737 and are remembered for so many incredible Florentine successes. In the same era, Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian philosopher, wrote a book entitled The Prince. This book set forth the most efficient way to gain and maintain…