Villalobos Period C
Eamon Barkhordarian 9/16/08
Bibliography Saari, Peggy. "Culture And Recreation: Why Was The Medici Family Important To The Renaissance?." History Fact Finder. Ed. Julie L. Carnagie. UXL-GALE, 2001. eNotes.com. 2006. 11 Sep, 2008 BIBLIOGRAPHY of http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/medici.html 1.) Chase, Marilyn. The Italian Renaissance. St. Louis, Milliken Publishing Company, pp. 3-4. 2.) [http://galileo.imss.firenz.it/museo/b/emedicif.html]."The Medici Family." 1996. 3.) [http://www.settingsun.com/medici/page8.html]. 4.) Martin, Geoffrey John. "Mercator, Gerardus." Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc., 1995. 5.)"The Medici Family." The World Book Encyclopedia.1991, vol.13 p. 362. 6.) Van Helden, Albert. [http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoci/Galileo/people/medici.html]. "The Medici Family." 1996.
Villalobos Period C
Eamon Barkhordarian 9/16/08
The Medici Family Renaissance: the European revival of classical Greek and Roman culture.
The family was made up of merchants whom amassed enormous wealth, turning the family into possibly the richest family in Italy. These members of the family became financial supports, patrons, of the arts as they funded many of the buildings, statues, and paintings. These objects funded by the Medici Family were what made Florence a center of art during the Renaissance. One member of the Medici family, Lorenzo Medici, ruled all of Florence from 1478 till his demise in 1492. Even though the man was a tyrant, he was a generous patron of the arts and literature none the less. Another member of the family, Savestro de Medici, led people in the Revolt of the Ciompi , in which the lower class revolted for better rights and power. This helped Savestro become so popular that he became the unofficial dictator of Florence. But in 1383 he was banished and the family’s wealth as a result. Fortunately, Giovanni Bicci de Medici regained power by making the family the richest in all of Italy, and possibly the richest in Europe. He also increased his political power when he became gonfalero (bearer of a high ceremonial office). Giovanni’s son, Cosimo de Medici would later surpass what his father had accomplished. He successfully stopped the constant battles between city states by establishing the Peace of Lodi. The Peace of Lodi was an alliance that held the peace until the invasion of King Charles VIII. For sixty years he unofficially ruled Florence. Later on, he fought a political battle with another powerful family, the Albizzi.
Villalobos Period C
Eamon Barkhordarian 9/16/08
Unfortunately, he lost and was banished, but the fact that he was well supported by the people helped him be recalled back later, and in return the Albizzi family was exiled. All these famous and powerful people that made up the family were the reasons why the Medici family came to be known as the “Godfathers of the Renaissance.”