Republic of Florence

In the 15th century, The Medici Family became “Europe’s greatest banking dynasty.” Once wealthy textile merchants, the Medici Family used their wealth to become dukes of Florence and eventually held positions of four popes and two French regents. In 1397, the family established a financial institution called The Medici Bank, which became the largest bank in Europe. Furthermore, the Medici introduced the idea of lending and as Ferguson argues, the “decentralization of their lending and reaching…

Book Report The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in the mid 1400’s, he grew up in the middle class and received a standard education as did many of the middle class of his era. The big factor that would have contributed to the writing of his book was that he went through the expulsion of the Medici family from his home town in Florence. Also this whole time period is just a huge political mess for Italy with many nations trying to…

On September 27, 1389 Cosimo de Medici was born in Florence, and he became a grand influence on the people of the Renaissance. Medici was part of a large family of bankers and successful patrons. People called him Pater Patriae, which in Latin means Father of our Country. His great grandson, Lorenzo de Medici, or Lorenzo the Magnificent, named for his leadership and patronage, was also a significant part of Renaissance history. De Medici patronized artists by allowing them stay at his…

Niccolo Machiavelli was born in 1469 and died in 1527 and lived during the Italian Renaissance in Florence. He wrote The Prince, a specula principis or “mirror for princes,” when he was forty-four-years-old after being dismissed from being a diplomat because he was suspected of conspiring against the new government when there was a change of regime. He was found innocent and left town to live with his family in the countryside, where “he tramped the hills by day and, in the long, empty evenings,…

current ruling family, the Medicis. Machiavelli composed The Prince as a guide for ruling as he understood it. His theories, or some of his critics would just say they were only ideas, focused on an autocratic form of government as opposed to a republic. His writings also had a strong emphasis on the military aspect of government as well as the ruler himself. As Machiavelli saw it, the ideal prince should be ruthless and have nothing to do with conventional morality in order to exert and…

His radical beliefs swept through Florence and affected many people. He advocated for a reformation of the Church and blamed the Pope, Alexander Borgia, for misery in Florence at the time. Making a strong claim that apocalyptic times were approaching, he gained both followers and critics. As his word spread and he gained more supporters they took on the…

through force, naturally, or by public support. Niccolò Machiavelli is no stranger to the realm of political affairs. He held many offices in the upper echelon of Florentine Government, from which he gained an ample amount of diplomatic knowledge. Florence, like the most of the Italian peninsula during this time, was constantly changing political representation. When the Medici family took power in 1513, Machiavelli was forced into exile. This fall from the occupation he adored weighed heavily…

wipe out the Medici for good, but Lorenzo, although he was injured from the Pazzi attacks, traveled over to the pope and convinced him not to. The Medici were involved with a lot of artists during the Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli were among these artists. da Vinci and Michelangelo were both prime examples of the “Renaissance Man”, who was a person who had a wide understanding of many different subjects. Leonardo da Vinci was a talented young man who lived in…

History has proven that oftentimes hierarchy powers are willing to use barbaric, vicious, and remorseless strategies to get to the top. An example of this is the Borgia Family who was a dominant family during the time of the Renaissance. The Borgia Family was an Italian family with Spanish origin, mainly known for their heartless reputation. Along with the dominating families, the Papacy had much control over Italy. Both the Borgia Family and the Papacy were extremely relevant and significant…

Niccolo Machiavelli would not have written the Prince if his life were any different. He was born in Florence, Italy in 1469. In 1494 he became an Italian diplomat for the city of Florence. He served while the medici family, who were a wealthy bankers who had high political power in Florence, were in exile. One of Machiavelli’s duties included his creation and maintenance of the Florentine militia whom he created because of his lack of trust of militia’s. However, with help from Pope Julius…