Lorenzo Medici the Magnificent: biography and interesting facts from life. "Poet King" Lorenzo Medici the magnificent Lorenzo Medici biography briefly

Legends were made about the wisdom of the Medici; his subtle artistic taste was appreciated far beyond the borders of Italy, and authority and power were rarely dared to be challenged. A skilled diplomat, wise ruler, poet, musician, expert in classical languages, he seemed to be the ideal monarch of the Renaissance. The flourishing of Florence, the creations and life of the geniuses of the Renaissance will forever be associated with his name...

On January 1, 1449, an ugly child was born into the famous Florentine Medici family, who was destined for a great destiny. Now he would be called a politician, producer and oligarch. But his contemporaries simply called him “Magnificent.”

The nose is “ducky”, more like a roof eaves, and even folded to one side. The lower jaw is pushed forward, due to which the lip appears disproportionately large and the whole appearance appears gloomy. The boy, born into the family of Piero Medici, was long-awaited (two girls were born before him, and he needed an heir), but too unsightly.

This was an era when people easily gave out nicknames both to entire groups of people and to specific rulers. The grandson of Cosimo the Old and the son of Piero Gout, named Lorenzo, had every chance of remaining in history as some kind of “Lorenzo the Ugly” or “Lorenzo the Crooked.”

But he became the “Godfather” of perhaps the most beautiful era in human history. An era that perhaps came closest to the absolute of beauty. Renaissance.

Lorenzo family

When you owe a lot of money to someone powerful, like a king, you are in an awkward position. But when the king owes you, you are in mortal danger. The Medici clan was owed too much to allow them to live in peace.

A few generations before Lorenzo, his ancestors, despite their surname (Medici - “medic”), began to engage in usury. Cosimo the Old (Lorenzo's grandfather) reached the heights of economic and political (then it was about the same thing) power.

Cosimo Medici.

The cunning and tough banker Cosimo fought long and hard against competitors, envious people and debtors, eventually rising to the very heights of power. But skills, unlike fortune and a bank, cannot be inherited.

Cosimo seriously planned the future of the family. He invited the great scientists of that time “to his court”, who studied with both his children and grandchildren. For example, the most famous philosopher of that time, Marsilio Ficino, began teaching little Lorenzo.

Cosimo saw his son Giovanni as his successor (to the detriment of his first-born Piero), whom he prepared for his future career. Piero was not considered as a future heir primarily for medical reasons (the irony of fate for the Medici family) indicators. He suffered from gout to such an extent that he was virtually unable to move freely.

A disabled person confined within four walls is not a fighter in a brutal fight for power, especially in those days. But still he was a Medici. Therefore, Piero marries (naturally, by his father’s decision) Lucrezia, a representative of the union family of Tornabuoni. She was not pretty, but incredibly smart, well-mannered and educated. And perhaps this is what will save the Medici family later.

Piero de' Medici.

While Cosimo was still alive, his planned heir, Giovanni, died. Suddenly, the disabled Piero Gouty becomes the successor to the “throne” of the most powerful man in the Florentine Republic. With his wife Lucretia and four children in his arms. His eldest son Lorenzo was 15 years old at that time.

Lorenzo's Growing Up

Multi-colored mosaic. Patchwork quilt. A gathering of relatives who are jealous of each other. This is roughly what 15th century Italy looks like from today’s position. The most beautiful peninsula, like a vegetable garden, is cut by borders.

In the middle of it all, the Papal States is a secular state with a religious semi-monarch - the pope. To the south is the Kingdom of Naples. To the north are the “city-states”: the Duchy of Milan, Genoa, Venice. And the Florentine Republic.

“Power elites” - famous and powerful families of that time - Medici, Sforza, Orsini, Colonna, della Rovere. Today we are allies, tomorrow we are enemies again, the long-term weather forecast is unknown. And the “external players” that regularly get into Italian gardens are France and Spain.

Lorenzo Medici

Lorenzo came face to face with all this at the age of 20. His sick father did not rule for long - not possessing any special political talents, he became an easy target for intrigue and cunning plans. The Medici family was rapidly losing influence and allies.

Inside Florence (formally a republic), they still retained a sufficient number of friends in the Signoria (some kind of analogue of parliament and government at the same time). But the Medici had to worry about maintaining influence (in their case, read about survival).

Taking advantage of Piero's death, the military leader Nardi invades Florence. While Lorenzo is lucky, Nardi is defeated and dies. But along with his ugly appearance, Lorenzo inherited his mother's intelligence. Strengthened by excellent education and innate determination. Increased the financial capabilities of the Medici Bank.

With rewards and intrigues, Lorenzo increases the number of friends and soon actually gains unofficial autocracy in Florence. His mother and younger brother Giuliano help him in everything. The uncrowned king of a formal republic.

Love Lorenzo

While still heir to Piero Gout, Lorenzo got married. Like his parents' marriage, it was a dynastic union. His wife was Clarice Orsini. The bride for Lorenzo was chosen by his mother; she even described the candidate to him in letters, as if they were messages from the fair.

Portrait of Clarice Orsini

But Clarice never became the closest person to Lorenzo. She bore him 10 children (two died in infancy), but she did not become a special love for either him or the city. Clarice was too pious to please the pampered Florentine Renaissance public. Another woman, Lucrezia Donati, became Lorenzo’s muse.

Calm down, don't persist cruelly,
Eternal dreams and sighs about her,
So that quiet sleep does not pass your eyes,
Where the tears don't dry out.

These poems are a piece of one of the many works written by Lorenzo in honor of Lucrezia. In her honor, he performed at knightly tournaments, and at celebrations he wore a wreath that she wove for him from flowers. He called her a goddess, compared her to Madonna, but he could not be with her.

Andrea Verrocchio, t. "Flora" is a supposed portrait of Lucrezia Donati, c. 1480.

Lorenzo met her when she was already married. And he, bearing the name Medici, did not have a single chance to marry for love. Lucrezia remained Lorenzo's main passion. She became what he was never able to achieve - their romance remained platonic until the very end.

The end of the date, alas, is unknown to me,
The fleeting dream melted away, and then
My reward has disappeared.

Lorenzo's cruelty

« This pope was the first to show how much power he has and how many things... can be hidden under the cloak of papal authority»…

So another great native of Florence, Niccolo Machiavelli, later wrote about the Pope, known as Sixtus IV. He became pope in 1471, when in neighboring Florence the Medici family was still trying to regain their influence. But what is more important is that the pope belonged to the della Rovere family. And he made the most of the possibilities of the papal throne for resolving secular issues (primarily for the benefit of his family).

Pope Sixtus IV

In the tenth year of Lorenzo de' Medici's reign, a conspiracy arose in his hometown of Florence by another influential local family, the Pazzi. Local merchants, financiers and politicians were involved in it. Among the conspirators were even an archbishop and a cardinal. Actually, the pope himself was behind the whole conspiracy, and this was known.

Formally, the conspirators intended to “return the republic to Florence.” But in reality, the pope planned to hand over the power and wealth of Florence to his nephew. This plan did not involve the existence of the Medici family on earth.

The canonical postcard of Florence is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. A magnificent cathedral, famous for its incomparable red dome. It is under this dome that on April 26, 1478, a group of conspirators comes to kill Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici. It was planned that during the prayer service the brothers would be defenseless.

Two Medici brothers found themselves in a cathedral filled with conspirators with daggers hidden under their clothes. Even Cardinal Riario, who served the prayer service, was a conspirator - he was the nephew of the Pope, who was supposed to “lead” Florence.”

The service went according to script - the cardinal raised the Holy Gifts. The Medici brothers knelt. And then the titular killers attacked them.

Portrait of Giuliano Medici. OK. 1475.

Giuliano died immediately. Lorenzo was saved by his physical fitness and determination. He began to resist - he was only wounded; the conspirators, who did not expect any harsh resistance, retreated for a while. Lorenzo took advantage of this moment and ran into the sacristy at the altar, hiding and locking himself in it. The attempt failed.

Lorenzo's answer was not long in coming. Taking advantage of his influence in the city on all segments of the population, the Medici mobilized all possible forces. Most of the conspirators were found immediately (these were famous people in the city). They didn’t even talk to them - some were literally torn to pieces by Lorenzo’s supporters.

Those who escaped from the instant reprisal did not meet a better fate. Lorenzo was adamant - the participants in the conspiracy were hanged on the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio - the very palace where the Signoria sits and from where they wanted to rule Florence. They found him and hung him for several days. The Archbishop of Pisa, a participant in the conspiracy and (such coincidences do not happen) a relative of the Pope, was hanged in his ceremonial vestments.

Despite threats and pleas, they dragged him inside the palace, secured a rope in the room, threw a noose around the archbishop's neck and pushed the priest out the window. All of Florence saw how the enemy of the Medici twitched in a noose in his bright red robe and, in a vain attempt to save his life, even grabbed his teeth into the body of a representative of the Pazzi family hanging nearby.

Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

The conspiracy, which was supposed to eliminate the entire Medici family, only rallied people around Lorenzo. The families of his enemies were stripped of their property and thrown into prison. Even the conspirator, who fled to Constantinople, did not take refuge. Subsequently, he was taken out of there, returned to Florence and hung in the same way - on the window of the Palazzo Vecchio.

A year and a half had already passed since the conspiracy. Lorenzo was relentless in his revenge.

Lorenzo's War

Dad was behind the conspiracy. The Pope planned to kill the Medici family. But after the Medici's revenge, the pope did not forgive them. The Holy See began a full-fledged war with Lorenzo on all fronts. In the papal region, all operations of the Medici Bank that took place were closed, and the property there was confiscated.

Pope Sixtus IV

The Pope mobilized his army (then it was a serious force) and turned to the King of Naples Ferdinand for military support. The cruel and unprincipled Ferdinand supported the pope, having plans for Florentine wealth. The united army invaded Florence. It seemed that the republic would fall - Lorenzo wanted help from Milan and Venice, but they did not fight against the pope.

The Florentines lost a number of battles, and Sixtus IV began to act along his main - ideological - line. He excommunicated first Lorenzo de' Medici personally, then the entire Signoria, and when this did not work properly, the whole of Florence.

We have already said that Lorenzo had brilliant teachers as a child. He was raised by an intelligent, educated Italian aristocrat. Lorenzo would not have been Magnificent if he had not gotten out of this situation. He negotiated directly with the enemy - but not with the pope (this was useless), but with his main military support - Ferdinand of Naples.

He was as unprincipled as he was smart. The balance of power could be maintained only by preventing one of the enemies from becoming too strong. And Ferdinand changed his mind about supporting the ever-increasing appetites of the Pope. Moreover, Lorenzo contacted (or managed to convince the pope that he had contacted) France, and she allegedly reacted favorably to the idea of a possible alliance with Florence against the pope.

Lorenzo Medici "The Magnificent"

The diplomatic success was complete - first Naples came out of the war, and then the pope made peace. True, at this time Lorenzo’s mother dies, and he himself writes that this is a terrible grief, since she was also his main inspiration.

Art of Lorenzo

Lorenzo the Magnificent, having defeated internal enemies and fought off external enemies, was actually a monarch. He completely subjugated the government, and Florence gladly accepted him as master.

With pleasure because he was not only a politician and an oligarch. According to the fashion of the time, Lorenzo was a patron of the arts. Everyone was a patron of the arts - from cruel tyrants to Roman Popes. But Medici went further than many.

Himself a philosopher and poet, he patronized all the arts. Even before him, Florence, which had developed into the cultural capital of Italy, reached incredible heights under him. Lorenzo invites the most talented artists and sculptors, he generously gifts them and gives out constant orders, sponsors art schools.

Nowadays the profession of “producer” is described as “a businessman with a creative evaluation function.” It is unknown what art (and the world as a whole) would be like without the creative assessment of Lorenzo Medici.

Sculptor Michelangelo di Buanarotti.

In one of the sculptor schools, he spotted a talented fifteen-year-old student. He learns his name - Michelangelo di Buanarotti - and takes him under his direct wing. At the Medici court, the genius remains to work until Lorenzo's death.

The “court” artist and organizer of celebrations in Florence was the famous Verrocchio. He became famous both as a painter (mainly commissioned, of course, by Lorenzo) and as an art teacher. At the dawn of his reign, one of Verrocchio's students named Sandro Botticelli, young Lorenzo, began to provide serious orders - for example, a portrait of his brother.

The fame of all the artists and sculptors, including Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Verrocchio, spread throughout Italy (read - through the heart of Europe), extolling Florence and leaving numerous masterpieces for posterity. Even against the backdrop of the generosity of Milan, Naples and Rome, Lorenzo stands out so much that he would later be called the “Godfather of the Renaissance.”

Another super-talented student emerges from Verrocchio’s workshop and soon begins to receive serious orders at the Medici court. Peace in the state, rare in that era, and generous orders even allowed him to establish his own workshop in the city, and soon the whole world would recognize his name - Leonardo from the city of Vinci.

Lorenzo's legacy

If the Magnificent Medici inherited intelligence and external unattractiveness from his mother, then from his father he inherited bank, power and gout. The illness brings him to the condition of his father; Lorenzo can rarely move freely.

Just at this time, the fierce preacher Girolamo Savonarola is gaining strength in Florence. The Medici calls him to him, but two such different people cannot find a common language. Lorenzo is cunning, ambitious, vain. Savonarola is a fanatic, he reproaches the Medici for their wealth, and the flowering of art is alien to him.

Portrait of Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, circa 1498.

The diplomat and ruler Lorenzo cannot like Savonarola’s calls to burn those whom he considers heretics at the stake. The preacher, who assures (and, it seems, really believes) that God himself speaks through him, does not accept the arguments of the Medici. Savonarola denies Lorenzo absolution.

But the Magnificent remains unconvinced. He remembered the words of his grandfather that “a corrupt city is better than a destroyed city, and you cannot build a state with a rosary in your hands.”

On April 8, 1492, at only 44 years of age, Lorenzo the Magnificent de' Medici dies in his country palace. Soon, despite the efforts of his son Piero, who did not fully inherit his father’s talents, the Italian states began wars again. The Medici family is expelled from Florence, their palaces are plundered.

The fanatical Savonarola actually stands at the head of the city, and soon those whom he considers heretics, non-spiritual books and even musical instruments are burned at the stake. But even this black streak does not overshadow the significance of Lorenzo. Eventually his family would return to Florence and lead it again.

His second son and nephew would become Pope, and his great-granddaughter Catherine would become Queen of France. And Lorenzo’s legacy will not be the names on the plaques, but an important stage in the brightest era of civilization - the Renaissance.

An era in which everything had simple nicknames. Son of Pierrot the Gouty, father of Pierrot the Unlucky. One can easily appreciate what heights Lorenzo de' Medici reached to be called the Magnificent during the era of the incomparable Renaissance.

Five interesting facts from the life of the “poet king”.

1. Lorenzo the Magnificent built the first public library in Europe. His collection numbered about ten thousand handwritten and printed books.

To replenish its supplies, he sent his envoys to the East, where they looked for ancient manuscripts, scrolls and books. There has been no such library anywhere since the days of Alexandria. To this day it bears his name - the Laurentian Library.

2. The famous Medici gardens, built by Lorenzo, became the prototype of the first Academy of Fine Arts in Europe. Lorenzo even opened a school for young artists and sculptors in the Medici gardens.

In the garden of the Villa Medici in Rome

Such luminaries as Giovanni Francesco Rusticci, Lorenzo di Credi, Andrea Sansovino worked here... Michelangelo Buonarotti himself also studied at the school of sculptors at the Medici Gardens.

3. Lorenzo the Magnificent became famous not only as the first founder of a public library, but also as the first owner in Europe... of a giraffe.

The giraffe was given to him by the Egyptian Sultan Keith Bey as a sign of the establishment of friendly relations between Florence and Egypt. The appearance of this strange animal in Florence caused an incredible stir.

Fragment of a painting by Francesco Ubertini. “Distributing manna from heaven.” 1540. The painting depicts a Medici giraffe

It was the first living giraffe to appear in Europe since ancient Rome. The giraffe made such an impression on Lorenzo that he even decided to use it in his political intrigues, promising to give it to Queen Anne of France.

True, this idea was not a success; the giraffe broke its neck as a result of an accident, and over the next three hundred years giraffes were not brought to Florence. By the way, the Medici giraffe is depicted in Francesco Ubertini’s painting “The Distribution of Manna from Heaven” (1540).

4. Medici was an excellent poet. This combination seems unusual even for the Renaissance with its many-sided geniuses. It already amazed contemporaries.

"Two different people lived in it, connected by an almost impossible connection.", wrote Machiavelli. Lorenzo's works go back to the neo-Platonic tradition - the poem "Dispute" and love sonnets.

His other works were based on folklore - “Falconry”, “Feast or Drunkards”, “Nencha from Barberino”. Also related to folk-realistic works is “The Novella of Jacoppo,” written in the stylistic tradition of “The Decameron.”

It depicts a foolish townsman who, having been fooled by the priest Antonio, begs his wife to give herself to her lover. The novella is sharply anti-clerical: Giacoppo’s stupidity is a direct consequence of his blind faith, and the priest Antonio is depicted in an extremely unsightly manner.

5. One of the greatest achievements of the Renaissance is the marble statue of Lorenzo de' Medici, which Michelangelo Buonarotti worked on for almost ten years (1526-1534).

The statue is part of the composition of Lorenzo's tomb in the Medici Chapel. Even during Michelangelo’s lifetime, the statue was called “il pensieroso” - “contemplative”. link

But he became the “Godfather” of perhaps the most beautiful era in human history. An era that perhaps came closest to the absolute of beauty. Renaissance.

Lorenzo family

Cosimo Medici.

Piero de' Medici.

Lorenzo's Growing Up

Lorenzo Medici

Love Lorenzo

Portrait of Clarice Orsini

Calm down, don't persist cruelly,
Eternal dreams and sighs about her,
So that quiet sleep does not pass your eyes,
Where the tears don't dry out.

Andrea Verrocchio, t. "Flora" is a supposed portrait of Lucrezia Donati, c. 1480.

The end of the date, alas, is unknown to me,
The fleeting dream melted away, and then
My reward has disappeared.

Lorenzo's cruelty

« This pope was the first to show how much power he has and how many things... can be hidden under the cloak of papal authority»…

Pope Sixtus IV

The service went according to script - the cardinal raised the Holy Gifts. The Medici brothers knelt. And then the titular killers attacked them.

Portrait of Giuliano Medici. OK. 1475.

Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

A year and a half had already passed since the conspiracy. Lorenzo was relentless in his revenge.

Lorenzo's War

Pope Sixtus IV

Lorenzo Medici "The Magnificent"

Art of Lorenzo

Lorenzo the Magnificent, having defeated internal enemies and fought off external enemies, was actually a monarch. He completely subjugated the government, and Florence gladly accepted him as master.

Sculptor Michelangelo di Buanarotti.

Lorenzo's legacy

Portrait of Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, circa 1498.

Five interesting facts from the life of the “poet king”.

1. Lorenzo the Magnificent built the first public library in Europe. His collection numbered about ten thousand handwritten and printed books.

2. The famous Medici gardens, built by Lorenzo, became the prototype of the first Academy of Fine Arts in Europe. Lorenzo even opened a school for young artists and sculptors in the Medici gardens.

In the garden of the Villa Medici in Rome

Such luminaries as Giovanni Francesco Rusticci, Lorenzo di Credi, Andrea Sansovino worked here... Michelangelo Buonarotti himself also studied at the school of sculptors at the Medici Gardens.

3. Lorenzo the Magnificent became famous not only as the first founder of a public library, but also as the first owner in Europe... of a giraffe.

Fragment of a painting by Francesco Ubertini. “Distributing manna from heaven.” 1540. The painting depicts a Medici giraffe

4. Medici was an excellent poet. This combination seems unusual even for the Renaissance with its many-sided geniuses. It already amazed contemporaries.

"Two different people lived in it, connected by an almost impossible connection.", wrote Machiavelli. Lorenzo's works go back to the neo-Platonic tradition - the poem "Dispute" and love sonnets.

5. One of the greatest achievements of the Renaissance is the marble statue of Lorenzo de' Medici, which Michelangelo Buonarotti worked on for almost ten years (1526-1534).

The statue is part of the composition of Lorenzo's tomb in the Medici Chapel. Even during Michelangelo’s lifetime, the statue was called “il pensieroso” - “contemplative”. link

08.04.1492

Lorenzo Medici "The Magnificent"
Lorenzo di Piero de Medici il Magnifico

Italian Statesman

Head of the Florentine Republic

Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici "The Magnificent" was born on January 1, 1449 into the family of Pietro Medici. His grandfather, the ruler of Florence Cosimo Medici, prepared the boy for the role of ruler from an early age. Lorenzo was not even six years old when he took part in a diplomatic reception at which he welcomed the official guest of the Florentine Republic, Prince Jean d'Anjou.

The gifted boy received a varied education. He played several instruments and sang beautifully. Lorenzo's upbringing also included festivities, balls and diplomatic visits. Ten-year-old Lorenzo and his younger brother participated in the celebrations on the occasion of the stay of the Duke of Milan Sforza and the Pope in Florence.

After the death of Cosimo de' Medici, Lorenzo's father Pietro became the head of the clan. No one challenged his right to power in Florence. Louis XI appointed Pietro to his Council. The French king hoped to improve his financial affairs at the expense of the Medici banking house. But for Pietro, the alliance with Louis was very beneficial: it strengthened his reputation in the eyes of all of Europe. However, for the new head of the Medici clan, it was even more important to gain support within Italy, for this purpose Pietro sent sixteen-year-old Lorenzo on a courtesy visit to the main allies and clients of the Medici house. The most important of them is the Duke of Milan Sforza. Lorenzo's mission in Milan was successful, and his visit to Rome, to the court of the pope, was equally fruitful.

At that time, the Pope had a monopoly on the extraction of alum in the Tolfi region, necessary for dyeing fabrics, and the House of Medici had the exclusive right to sell alum on behalf of the pope. But dad limited the total production of alum, although the demand for it was very high. Lorenzo managed to agree with the papal curia that the Medici themselves would determine the volume of production and sale of this valuable mineral raw material. Their role as bankers of the papal court increased even more. The “deal of the century” concluded by the Medici aroused the jealousy of competitors.

At that moment, news came to Rome about the death of the Duke of Milan Francesco Sforza, with whom Lorenzo had recently met, and Pietro sent his son, who was in Rome, a new assignment, this time political, to obtain from the pope recognition of the rights to Milan of the son of the deceased, Galeazzo Maria. Luck accompanies Lorenzo in this too. He managed, by providing a service to Sforza, to bind Milan and Florence even more firmly with allied ties. At the same time, the Medici bankers were not at all embarrassed that young Sforza had sadistic inclinations.

But the young man’s mission did not end there: Lorenzo went to Naples, where he once again sealed the alliance of Milan, Florence and Naples. The skillful diplomacy of the Medici once again bore fruit - Florence's position on the Apennine Peninsula was stronger than ever, although the city-state itself had neither a strong army nor talented military leaders. Florence's weapons were political maneuver, diplomatic intrigue, and a skillful choice of allies.

It was in medieval Italy that the states that formed it, for the first time in European history, began to master the subtle art of maintaining a balance of power, creating coalitions and friendly alliances. Not one of them could stand alone against enemies, be they external or internal; all needed partners who needed to be brought to their side with something - a promise of political support, money or military assistance. The art of political balance was the first to be mastered by the Italian sovereigns, and all of Europe would later learn from them, whose rulers would also understand that the strongest of them cannot achieve their goals alone, without reliable allies.

Following the customs of that time, Lorenzo's parents sought to marry him favorably. The eighteen-year-old heir was well aware of the political importance of this step. His parents chose Clarissa Orsini as his wife, from a noble Roman family who had close ties with the papal throne. Clarissa gave birth to three sons and four daughters. But she was not in good health - at the age of 37, tuberculosis took her to the grave.

After his father's death in 1469, Lorenzo became head of the Medici clan. The Florentine delegation knelt down and asked Lorenzo to take charge of the welfare of the state. “I agreed without enthusiasm,” he wrote in his memoirs. - These duties seemed to me inappropriate for my age and too dangerous. I agreed only to save our friends and our wealth, because in our Florence, if you are rich, it is difficult for you to live if you are not protected by the state.”

Lorenzo was aware that intrigues, intrigues, and quarrels awaited him ahead. And therefore, following the traditions of the family, he began his activities by strengthening the traditional alliance with Milan and Naples. And he succeeds. Young Sforza, supported at one time by the Medici family, returns his political debt and welcomes Lorenzo as the legitimate ruler of Florence. The appeal to the Neapolitan court was equally successful.

But Lorenzo’s power suddenly begins to be challenged by the Tuscan residents themselves. Citizens of the small town of Prato, incited by opponents of the Medici, organized a conspiracy. Lorenzo brutally punished the rebels. The main conspirator and eighteen of his accomplices were hanged by their feet. Now the Florentines had no doubt about who their true ruler was. The young poet and lover of the arts also turned out to be a strong politician, merciless to his enemies.

Lorenzo began to worry about financial problems. The once prosperous house of the Medici suffered huge losses. Its largest borrowers were European monarchs, who were always in need of money. The debtors were not reliable, but the Medici sought their patronage. With the ascension of the new Pope Sixtus IV, relations with Rome, so valuable to the Medici, began to deteriorate. Sixtus IV decided to create a small secular estate in the center of Italy for his nephew. Unexpectedly, he met resistance from Lorenzo, who rightly feared that this would upset the Italian balance in favor of Rome.

Sixtus IV tried to replace the ruler he disliked. Those close to the pope incited him to deal with the Medici forever. Sixtus IV transferred the privilege of managing the papal treasury to the rich Florentine Pazzi family, even more ancient than the Medici. Fearing the excessive rise of his competitors, Lorenzo passed a law according to which the Pazzi were deprived of the inheritance of a distant relative. After this, it was not difficult for the pope to provoke the Pazzi to revolt against the Medici.

In order to control the situation in Florence, the pope, despite Lorenzo's protests, appointed his nephew cardinal of the city of Imola, located near Florence. The pontiff then made Francesco Salviati archbishop of Florence. Moreover, he revoked the Medici's monopoly on the alum trade. Thus, war was declared on the house of Medici. In search of allies, the pope became close to the king of Naples.

All that remained was to place representatives of the Pazzi clan in power in Florence. However, this could not be done using legal methods. Then, in 1477, an assassination attempt was organized on Lorenzo and his younger brother Giuliano. Giuliano Medici died, and his brother Lorenzo, despite being wounded, managed to escape. The direct inspirer of the crime, Archbishop Salviati, and his accomplices were captured by Medici supporters. The outraged Florentines dealt with the conspirators on the spot. Lorenzo mercilessly executed two hundred and sixty-two people from Pazzi's entourage without trial. The authority of the Medici rose to unprecedented heights.

Lorenzo began political reform. Preserving republican forms, in 1480 he created the Council of 70, on which all senior positions depended entirely. Then two new boards emerged - one, of 8 members, was in charge of political and military affairs, the other, board 12, was in charge of state credit and jurisdiction. The old organs of the Signoria were preserved, but essentially became fiction.

Lorenzo himself directed foreign policy, received ambassadors, and often hired non-Florentines of simple origin as personal secretaries. He relied on his personal guard and, if circumstances required, brutally suppressed uprisings, such as in Volterra in 1472. The triumph of the Medici and the defeat of the Pazzi were perceived by the Pope as a personal insult. Sixtus IV was especially outraged by the execution of the archbishop and the fact that the other mastermind of the conspiracy, his nephew, was still in the hands of Lorenzo, who refused to grant him freedom. Unable to deal with the Medici with the help of hired killers, the pope excommunicated Lorenzo and the entire ruling elite of Florence. Moreover, the pope began to threaten an interdict with the entire Tuscan state if the Medici and their supporters were not handed over to the papal court within a month.

Despite the terrible threat, the Signoria took Lorenzo's side, even allowing him to create a personal guard. Nevertheless, everyone understood the need for reconciliation with the pope. The pope's nephew received freedom. But it was impossible to appease the pontiff with this alone. Florence begins to prepare for war and turns to its allies for help. They are ready to provide, first of all, political assistance. The German emperor, the king of France, the Duke of Milan, and other European rulers informed the pope of their dissatisfaction with the position he had taken. But Rome, having secured the support of Naples, nevertheless began hostilities.

The war between the pope and Florence lasted a year and a half with varying success, but in the end, the skillful diplomat Lorenzo managed to destroy the alliance of the pope with the king of Naples and win the latter to his side. For this reason, the Medici goes to Naples to meet with the king, rightly revered as one of the most cruel and treacherous rulers of Europe. Lorenzo demonstrates extraordinary personal courage and brilliant political instincts. He managed to convince the Neapolitan that Florence under the rule of the Medici was a more reliable ally than Rome, where power changes with each new pope.

Lorenzo experienced real triumph. However, he did not seek official positions. The Medici was never elected as a member of the Signoria, that is, the government, and if a conflict arose between the branches of the Florentine government, he behaved as an independent arbiter. But in fact, he had his own proteges in all republican institutions. Contemporaries were amazed by Lorenzo's intellectual strength. Alone, without an army, without an official rank, he managed to maintain political balance in Italy only through his ingenious diplomatic abilities and a wide espionage network.

The Medici interfered in the personal lives of citizens. He sought to control the process of merging the Florentine clans and forbade all wealthy citizens to marry without his permission. He feared that the unification of powerful families would lead to the birth of new competitors to the Medici. There were practically no beggars or homeless people in Florence. The state took care of all the infirm. Even the peasants, unlike other regions of Italy, prospered. People of low rank, but talented, enjoyed the support of Lorenzo, who placed them in the highest government positions.

Florence was experiencing its golden age. Lorenzo's enemy, Pope Sixtus IV, died; the new pope, on the contrary, favored the Medici. Lorenzo used the pope's favor for diplomatic purposes. In 1488, the pope's natural son, forty-year-old Francesco Cibo, married Lorenzo's sixteen-year-old daughter Magdalena. According to the standards of that time, the union for the Medici was extremely flattering. The Pope even fulfills the Magnificent's insistent request and gives his thirteen-year-old son a cardinal's hat. This is the future Pope Leo X.

From now on, the core of Lorenzo's foreign policy is the alliance of Florence with Rome. Of course, Lorenzo has no illusions about the papacy. He gives parting words to his young cardinal son, going to Rome: “You are embarking on a very dangerous path. I know that when you go to Rome, the seat of all evil, you will find it difficult to follow my advice. But I remember that among the cardinals I met several people who led a decent life. Follow their example, although at present you will find very little virtue in Holy College.”

Lorenzo patronized the outstanding masters of his time - Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Verrocchio, the young Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and many others. He was generous to philosophers and poets. The city-state of Florence was rightly considered the most brilliant in Europe. Lorenzo built an exquisite villa, reminiscent of the palaces of the Roman patricians. A huge hunting park and a luxurious garden complemented Lorenzo's possessions. Here he wrote poetry and indulged in lovemaking.

Lorenzo sought to use the strengthening of the prestige of Florence and his own dominion over it for the benefit of all of Italy. He united Italy in the face of foreign invasions. Of course, the unity of Italy seemed to him as a triumph of Florence, as a triumph of the Medici. Every year Lorenzo spent more and more personal money to maintain his prestige. He emptied the public treasury intended to provide dowries to poor Florentine women.

The Medici forced the city authorities to pay for military expenses through the bank where he owned a share, and eventually appropriated 8 percent of the military budget! In the last years of his reign, the tax burden increased significantly - direct taxes from 100 thousand florins increased to 360 thousand. Sometimes direct taxes were levied 10-12 times a year. The trading and banking houses were dissatisfied with the tutelage of the Medici, the population was outraged by taxes.

Lorenzo de' Medici "The Magnificent" died on April 8, 1492, on the island of Careggi. He was only forty-three years old.

Lorenzo Medici (The Magnificent) - (born January 1, 1449 - death April 8, 1492) - ruler of Florence, statesman, banker, writer, poet.
Origin. early years
Lorenzo, the most famous ruler of the Medici family, was an example of an enlightened despot who cared about the welfare of the people. He was born in 1449 into the family of the ruler of Florence (Tuscany) Pietro Medici. Lorenzo's grandfather, Cosimo Medici, began preparing his grandson for the role of ruler of Florence from an early age. Lorenzo received an excellent education and became one of the most enlightened rulers of the Renaissance. Representatives of the Medici family, which entered the public scene back in the 13th century, were the largest bankers of their era, lending not only to Italian rulers, but throughout Europe.
Lorenzo sang well, played several musical instruments, and tried his hand at poetry. Already at the age of 16, he began to carry out diplomatic assignments from his father, visiting the Duke of Milan Sforza and the Pope.
At the age of 18, Lorenzo married Clarice Orsini, who was from a noble Roman family close to the papal throne. Claricia gave birth to Lorenzo 3 sons and 4 daughters. At the age of 37, she died of tuberculosis.
Ruler of Florence
Since 1469, Lorenzo began to rule Florence together with his brother Giuliano. After Pietro's death, the Florentines asked Lorenzo to take charge of the good of the city. He himself hypocritically stated in his memoirs: “I agreed without enthusiasm. The burden seemed quite dangerous and inappropriate for my age. I agreed only to save our friends and the wealth of our family. After all, in Florence it is possible to be rich only if the state protects you.” While engaged in government affairs, Lorenzo did not stop his banking activities. He had banking offices in Venice, Milan, London, Bruges, Geneva and other important cities in Western Europe.

As a ruler, he was able to achieve rapid recognition from his allies - Milan and Naples. But suddenly the city of Prato in Tuscany rebelled against him. Lorenzo brutally punished the rebels; 19 of the main rebels were hanged by the feet. After this, no one began to risk challenging his power.
At that time, the financial situation of the House of Medici became more complicated. His debtors were the monarchs of the largest European states, but getting them to pay was not an easy task. And when the new Pope Sixtus IV came to power, relations with the Roman throne also became complicated. The Pope tried to carve out a new state in the center of Italy for his beloved nephew, which did not please Lorenzo at all. Sixtus responded by attempting to overthrow Lorenzo with the help of the Pazzi banking family, to whom he transferred the right to manage his treasury. Lorenzo was then able to pass a law that disinherited the Pazzi from one of his distant relatives.
Lucrezia Tornabuoni is the mother of Lorenzo and Piero Gouty is the father.
Lorenzo the Magnificent and art
Despite the existence of the Florentine constitution and the preservation of republican institutions, the rule of the brothers was more like an absolute monarchy. But the Medici dictatorship was very soft. The ruler contributed greatly to the fact that Florence became a city of cheerful holidays, brilliant balls, a center of sciences, arts and literature, and for his penchant for the fine arts he was nicknamed the Magnificent. Lorenzo wrote the lyrical poem “Forests of Love”, the mythological poem “Apollo and Pan”, a book of poetry with a prose “Commentary to some of his sonnets”, the mystery “Saints John and Paul” and a number of other works. His hometown became the most important cultural center of Italy.
The ruler surrounded himself with great poets and artists, among whom were such famous names as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Pica della Mirandola, Verrochio. At the same time, with all the breadth of his intellect, he at times stooped to the petty regulation of the lives of citizens. So, in order to prevent excessive strengthening of the financial power of individual families, the ruler forbade Florentines who had any significant wealth to marry without his personal permission.
Assassination attempt. Massacre
The Pazzi wanted to use the dissatisfaction of some Florentines with the Medici dictatorship to achieve their goals, not being satisfied with the fact that they were able to take away control of papal finances from Lorenzo and Giuliano. 1478 - They, supported by Pope Sixtus IV, plotted to kill the rulers of Florence in the cathedral during the Easter service on April 26. The conspirators were able to stab Giuliano, but Lorenzo managed to hide in the cathedral sacristy. The people of Florence came to the defense of the Medici. The conspirators were literally torn to pieces. Lorenzo ordered the leader of the conspirators, Archbishop of Pisa Francesco Salviati, to be hanged in full ecclesiastical vestments. In total, 262 Pazzi supporters were executed.

Consolidation of power
The popularity of Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence reached unprecedented heights. Having the desire, he could easily proclaim himself king or duke, having achieved recognition of this title from the pope and European monarchs. But Lorenzo chose to strengthen his power in another way. He dispersed the former Cento parliament and in 1480 replaced it with the Council of Seventy, where the influence of the Medici family was limitless. Lorenzo also had complete control over two boards - for political and military affairs (of 8 people), and for finance and law (of 12 people). As a military force, he relied on a large personal guard, with the help of which he suppressed all rebellions.
War with the Pope
Sixtus, whose nephew the cardinal was captured by the ruler of Florence, excommunicated Lorenzo and his closest associates from the church. The pope did not even think of condemning the murder of Giuliano, but began to demand that the Florentines hand over Lorenzo to him for the execution of the archbishop. He threatened with excommunication all residents of Tuscany if they did not hand over the Medici and their supporters to the papal court within a month. But the Signoria - the government of Tuscany - took the side of Lorenzo. Concessions to the pope on the part of the ruler of Florence were limited to the release of the papal nephew. The Pope was not satisfied with this and, supported by the Kingdom of Naples, began a war against Florence.
Lorenzo went to Naples to meet with King Ferdinand I, which was very risky: the monarch was famous for his treachery. However, a peace agreement was reached with him. After which the pope was forced to retreat. Lorenzo was able to attract the Neapolitan monarch to his side, explaining that the political stability provided in Florence by the house of Medici was much better than the leapfrog with the election of popes, who changed almost every ten years, and with them the direction of Rome's politics.

Foreign and domestic policy
Although the ruler did not hold any official position, no decision in Florence was made without his approval, and his proteges predominated in the Signoria and the Council of the Seventy. Although Florence did not have a large army, its ruler managed to maintain its influence in Italy through financial power, diplomatic skill and a wide network of informants and “agents of influence” in all Italian states.
Lorenzo de' Medici was almost able to create a welfare state in Tuscany. There were no beggars or homeless people in Florence. The state took care of all the weak and wretched. The peasants, who were not oppressed by feudal duties and taxes, prospered, creating an abundance of products in the state. Lorenzo placed people in high positions, taking into account only their abilities and personal devotion to the Medici, and not their nobility. Florence under Lorenzo experienced its golden age, where the greatest artists and scientists of Italy and all of Europe worked.
After the death of Sixtus IV, relations between the Medici and Rome improved. Lorenzo even became related to the new dad. 1488 - the pope’s illegitimate son, forty-year-old Francesco Cibo, married the 16-year-old daughter of the Florentine ruler Magdalene. And the pope, to celebrate, elevated his 13-year-old son Lorenzo to the dignity of cardinal. And the young cardinal justified his high trust, becoming Pope Leo X in the future.
1) Pope Sixtus IV; 2) Pope - Leo X (son of Lorenzo).
Last years. Death
The head of Tuscany dreamed of the unification of Italy under the leadership of Florence. But in this case the ruler was too ahead of his time. In the last years of his reign, Lorenzo did not make much of a distinction between public and personal finance. Using government money, he organized holidays and performances that strengthened the popularity of the Medici. And he made public payments through Medici-controlled banks and received his own commercial interest. By the end of Lorenzo's reign, direct taxes increased from 100 thousand to 360 thousand florins, which did not arouse the enthusiasm of the Florentines. The banking houses were also dissatisfied with the preferences enjoyed by the Medici house. But things never came to the point of open expression of dissatisfaction.
Oddly enough, the ruler also supported the Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola, who on August 1, 1490 for the first time proclaimed from the pulpit of St. Mark’s Cathedral his preaching of asceticism and a return to the ideals of primitive Christianity. Perhaps he hoped that by supporting Savonarola, he would be able to keep the fanatic within certain limits and prevent the situation from reaching the point of social explosion. Moreover, Lorenzo shared the preacher’s condemnation of the morals that reigned at the papal court.
But the Medici themselves suffered from the fanatic monk, who were mired in luxury, debauchery and the practice of magic and alchemy. Towards the end of his life, the ruler’s extravagance began to irritate the Florentines. But when he died on April 8, 1492, almost the entire city came to his funeral. We can say that almost all of Italy mourned his death. According to legend, before his death, Lorenzo called Savonarola for a final confession, but the frantic monk demanded that Lorenzo first return freedom to Florence, but the dictator left this demagoguery unanswered and died without absolution.
Only Lorenzo de' Medici, with his unsurpassed ability for political compromise, managed to maintain a balance of interests both in Tuscany and in Italy as a whole. Florence soon plunged into many years of turmoil associated with the activities of Savonarola, and Lorenzo's son Piero the Unfortunate was expelled from the city. Only in 1512 was the son of Piero the Unfortunate and grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent Lorenzo the Younger able to establish himself in Florence with the help of papal troops.

Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici the Magnificent - statesman of the Florentine Republic, its head. He is known as a patron of science and art and a talented poet.

Origin

Lorenzo de' Medici was born in early January 1449. The grandfather’s famous surname gave the child every chance for a wonderful future. His father Piero, whom the people nicknamed Gout because of his illness, was not considered as a potential heir, although he was the eldest son of Cosimo de' Medici, the founder of the dynasty. Grandfather Lorenzo preferred Piero, Giovanni's youngest son, who was handsome and intelligent. However, he died unexpectedly.

Pierrot, despite his disability, married early. His wife was the ugly Lucrezia from the noble Tornabuoni family. She had remarkable intelligence and wisdom. Four children were born into their family. Lorenzo dei Medici was the eldest.

The Medici family was reputed to be the richest and most powerful in all of Florence. Cosimo was a famous moneylender, and the king himself was forced to take loans from the Medici. Of course, this caused him a lot of anxiety, and it was as if a sword was hanging over the noble family. The Medici were in constant struggle with envious people and competitors and invariably emerged victorious, becoming more and more powerful.

Growing up

When Cosimo died, his grandson Lorenzo was barely 15 years old. Piero became the ruler. His poor health and mediocre abilities allowed the enemies of the Medici family to get closer to the coveted power. A murder plot was drawn up against Pierrot. However, it was revealed in time thanks to the ruler's faithful secretary.

All those four years that Piero was in power, Florence was torn apart by conspiracies and discord among ordinary citizens. When he died, his eldest son Lorenzo de' Medici was 20 years old, and it was he who had to deal with the disorder in his native land.

The political situation on the Italian peninsula was turbulent. The Papal States, the Kingdom of Naples, Genoa, Venice, the Florentine Republic - they all dreamed of great power. In addition, there was a threat from large states - France and Spain. Young Lorenzo had to decide which path his republic should take.

During Piero's reign, the Medici family lost almost all of their allies and friends. Bernardo Nardi, the head of the military opposition, hastened to take advantage of this. He marched straight towards Florence, from which he had been expelled several years earlier, but was met by the militia of the city of Prato. The instigators were captured and then hanged.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo, thanks to the wisdom inherited from his mother, the knowledge gained from the best teachers, and the wealth of his grandfather, entered into new alliances and established relationships with old family friends. As a result, over the course of several years of his reign (together with his mother Lucrezia and brother Giuliano), Lorenzo gained unprecedented popularity among the entire population of the republic.

CONSPIRACY

Lorenzo had reigned for ten years, and his republic flourished. This could not help but anger the enemies of the Medici family - representatives of the noble families of Pazzi and della Rovere. The latter included Pope Sixtus the Fourth. He wanted to eradicate all the Medici, and put his nephew in their place.

The conspirators decided to kill two brothers - Lorenzo and Giuliano - during a prayer service. They were alone in the cathedral without security, and the service was led by Cardinal Riario, one of the conspirators. The killers, among whom were only noble people known throughout the country, jumped out of their hiding places unexpectedly. They attacked the brothers with daggers. Giuliano died immediately, and Lorenzo, thanks to his decisive actions, was able to escape from his pursuers.

The ruler's revenge was cruel. His comrades captured more than half of the conspirators. For many days, hanged murderers hung from the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio. For another year and a half, Lorenzo searched for the scoundrels who killed his brother. The reprisal against them was just as merciless.

Struggle

Lorenzo Medici, who miraculously escaped death, became the main enemy of the Pope. He was able to excommunicate first the entire Medici family, and then the republic, from the church, and confiscated some of the fortune of an influential family. Then he completely started a war, convincing the king of Naples to attack Florence.

The war lasted two years. It wasn't too bloody. The papal troops managed to win several battles only because the Florentines were completely without support. Both Venice and Milan refused to side with Lorenzo de' Medici.

However, the ruler was as smart and wise as his mother. He decided to resolve this conflict diplomatically. Having gone to negotiate with Ferdinand, King of Naples, he emerged victorious. Lorenzo managed to convince him of the pointlessness of military action and the danger of the pope's growing influence. Naples left the war.

Sixtus the Fourth undertook several more campaigns against the Florentine Republic, but after he learned about the impending alliance with France (they say that Lorenzo deliberately started such rumors), he agreed to peace. According to the agreement, Lorenzo was obliged to send 15 ships to the war with the Turks, which was waged by Italy.

In 1482, Lucrezia, Lorenzo's mother, dies. The ruler met this blow of fate steadfastly, but more than once said that the terrible grief changed his inner world.

Patron of the Arts

Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent (this nickname was given to him by the people) was a famous benefactor and patron of the sciences and arts. It was for this that the inhabitants of the Florentine Republic accepted and loved him, the de facto king.

Prince Lorenzo de' Medici was not just a philanthropist, but a poet and philosopher. He invited many famous sculptors, artists and architects to the capital, giving them large orders. He sponsored art schools and developed the talents of young people.

It was he who, during one of the lessons, drew attention to a fifteen-year-old guy doing sculpture. His name was Michelangelo. Lorenzo Medici took the promising boy under his protection. From him grew the genius of the Renaissance, sculptor, artist, thinker Michelangelo Buonarroti. Until the death of the ruler, he worked at court along with Botticelli, a great painter whose brushes included several portraits of the Medici.

Indirectly, Lorenzo became the reason for the discovery of such a master as Leonardo da Vinci to the world, who studied in the workshop of the court artist Florence Verrocchio.

The era of Lorenzo's reign was considered the most calm, peaceful and spiritually rich in the entire history of Florence.

Creation

Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent was a very enlightened man. All his life he collected books from different parts of the world. After his death, this legacy became Laurentian's library.

The statesman was fond of poetry and was the author of many poems and sonnets. He himself spoke of this activity as a way to escape from worldly worries and politics. Many literary scholars agree that Lorenzo was an amateur poet. He did not seek to formalize his own specific style. He wrote sacred chants and obscene carnival songs with equal zeal.

The main feature of the Medici's work can be called realism in his works. His poetry is considered eclectic and multifaceted. Some works are written in popular language, while others gravitate towards the language of humanists.

Lorenzo wrote the poems “Falconry”, “The Feast”, “Amber”, “Forests of Love” and many others.

Love

While his father was still alive, Piero Lorenzo married Clarice Orsini. It was an allied marriage. The mother chose the bride. Clarice did not become Lorenzo's ally and love of his life. She was quiet and pious, indifferent to the arts. But she had beautiful facial features. Traveled a lot. She died four years before her husband from tuberculosis.

Lorenzo's love was Lucrezia Donati, to whom he dedicated poems. She was two years older than him and married. According to contemporaries, the love of these two people was platonic. He called her a goddess, she wove flower wreaths for him. At every ball, Lucrezia and Lorenzo were nearby, and he read his new poems to his beloved.

Lucretia died in 1501, outliving her lover.

Death

Lorenzo de' Medici, whose biography is described in this article, died in 1492. He inherited a serious illness from his father - gout. The Palace of Lorenzo de' Medici became his last refuge. Towards the end of his life he no longer left the house. Only the servants carried him out on a special stretcher to get some fresh air.

Until the last minute, the ruler maintained a strong mind, although the pain that tormented him was unbearable. He retired from government affairs and read a lot. He passed away on the night of April 8-9. The tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici is located in the Church of San Lorenzo. He is buried in the Chapel next to his brother Giuliano.

Descendants

Ten children were born from his marriage to Clarice. Only seven lived to adulthood. Lorenzo's first-born daughter Lucrezia. She is depicted as the baby Jesus in Botticelli's Madonna del Magnificat.

The second son Pierrot was born, who became his father's successor. People called him Unlucky.

The third child was daughter Maddalena. She lived a long life.

Giovanni, the fourth child in the family, later became Pope Leo Tenth.

Lorenzo was the father of daughters Luisa, Contessina and son Giuliano. He also took in raising his brother's son Giulio, who became Pope Clement the Seventh.

Lorenzo built the first public library in Florence and Europe.
His educational activities influenced the opening of the first Academy of Fine Arts in Europe.
The Sultan of Egypt gave Lorenzo a giraffe as a sign of friendship. Many people came to Florence to admire this miracle. And F. Ubertini captured it in his painting.
Michelangelo created a statue of Lorenzo de' Medici (the photo does not convey all the beauty) specifically for the composition of the tombstone. He worked on it for ten years. Now this work is called the greatest achievement of the Renaissance.