Where were the medicis from?

Florence
Birth of the Medici Dynasty The Medici story began around the 12th century, when family members from the Tuscan village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and commerce, the Medicis rose to become one of the most important houses in Florence.

Which Medici became Pope?

Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X (born Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici, 11 December 1475 – 1 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in 1521….

Pope Leo X
Detail from Raphael’s Portrait of Leo X
Papacy began	9 March 1513
Papacy ended	1 December 1521
Predecessor	Julius II

For what is the Medici family famous?

The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money.

Are there living descendants of the Medici family?

Both have no descendants today, so the numbers remain the same. Patrilineal descendants today: 0; Total descendants today: about 40,000. That brings us to Cosimo I.

Who was Cosimo de Medici and what did he do?

Cosimo de’ Medici is known for being the founder of one of the main lines of the Medici family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1537. He was a patron of the arts and humanism and played an important role in the Italian Renaissance.

Who challenged the Medici family?

After the Medici were expelled from Florence in the 1490s their cultural influence was challenged, principally by the zealous monk, Savonarola.

What happened to Lorenzo Medici daughter?

Maddalena lived in Rome after the election of her brother Giovanni as Pope Leo X in 1513. She died in Rome, and was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica by order of her cousin, Pope Clement VII.

What happened to Lorenzo de Medici?

He died on April 9, 1492, from an inherited disease that degenerated into an infection causing gangrene of the leg. At his bedside were Michelangelo Buonarroti and the Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola, who administered the last rites.

What did Lorenzo Medici suffer from?

Lorenzo de’ Medici, who was the son of Ferdinand I, suffered of epilepsy (ASF, Mediceo del Principato 908.

How did the Medici dynasty come to power in Italy?

The dynasty began with the founding of the Medici Bank in Florence in 1397. For most of the 13th century, the leading banking centre in Italy was Siena. But in 1298, one of the leading banking families of Europe, the Bonsignoris, went bankrupt, and the city of Siena lost its status as the banking centre of Italy to Florence.

How was the Medici family connected to other elite families?

The Medici family was connected to most other elite families of the time through marriages of convenience, partnerships, or employment, so the family had a central position in the social network: several families had systematic access to the rest of the elite families only through the Medici, perhaps similar to banking relationships.

What role did the Medici play in the development of Florence?

This bank was the largest in Europe during the 15th century, and it facilitated the Medici’s rise to political power in Florence, although they officially remained citizens rather than monarchs until the 16th century.

How did the Medici become leaders of Christendom?

The Medici became leaders of Christendom through their two famous 16th century popes, Leo X and Clement VII. Both also served as de facto political rulers of Rome, Florence, and large swaths of Italy known as the Papal States.