Why medici family famous

They, along with other families of Italy, such as the Visconti and Sforza of Milan, the Este of Ferrara, and the Gonzaga of Mantua, fostered and inspired the birth of the Italian Renaissance. The biggest accomplishments of the Medici were in the sponsorship of art and architecture, mainly early and High Renaissance art and architecture. The Medici were responsible for the majority of Florentine art during their reign.

Their money was significant because during this period, artists generally only made their works when they received commissions in advance. The most significant addition to the list over the years was Michelangelo Buonarroti — , who produced work for a number of Medici, beginning with Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was said to be extremely fond of the young Michelangelo, inviting him to study the family collection of antique sculpture.

This made it vulnerable to conquering in a period when Italian city-states would fight for power between each other. However, the Medici family were also astounding diplomats. Cosimo the Elder believed war was bad for trade and negotiated the end to a series of wars in Lombardy. This helped establish a mutual territory agreement between the states. Lorenzo also earned the love of Florentine citizens by doing acts such as freeing and clothing galley slaves. In fact, Sandro Botticelli is said to have made the piece Pallas and the Centaur for him.

On top of being a powerful political figure, he was one of the greatest Medici patrons. He funded several major artists, including Botticelli and Michelangelo.

Lorenzo met Michelangelo when he was a young teenager studying at the Academy of San Marco. So Michelangelo knocked off a few teeth and showed Lorenzo the piece again.

This mixture of quick skill and talent charmed Lorenzo, so he invited the young artist to live in his palace from to There, Michelangelo studied under the great Renaissance artist Donatello. There was a break of 25 years before Michelangelo would touch it again. He intended to place it in the Palazzo Medici courtyard in Florence. This was a major piece because it was the first freestanding bronze cast statue of the Renaissance era. It was also the first nude male statue in the area since those of Ancient Greece.

Donatello created Judith and Holofernes for the garden fountain of the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, as well. Likewise, Florence viewed itself as tyrant slayers , standing powerful against their neighboring city states.

Donatello effectively captured the core values of Florence and the Medici family through his work. As a teenager, he became an apprentice of Andrea del Verrocchio. Under him, da Vinci learned about painting, sculpture, engineering, and metalwork.

He stayed working with Verrocchio for a decade. In a diary entry from , da Vinci wrote ,. Scholars are unsure if he meant to reference the Medici family, or physicians [the literal translation of medici].

The statues in their garden are a reminder that it was in Florence that art was first commissioned simply to be enjoyed by a wealthy elite. With the Renaissance you had art not just to teach Bible stories or to glorify kings. The art-loving Medici hosted lots of famous artists, philosophers, and poets.

A teenage Michelangelo lived with them almost as an adopted son. Leonardo da Vinci played the lute at their parties. And Botticelli actually studied the classical statues that dotted their gardens. Today the plush world of the Medici is on display in their palaces. This lavishly frescoed family chapel takes you back to Florence — at least the Florence of its aristocratic class — in the s. Showing no shortage of ego, a Medici prince portrays himself as one of the Three Kings. This is an idealized image of Lorenzo the Magnificent — leading a parade of Florentines through a rocky landscape.

At one point, the Medicis managed the majority of great fortunes in Europe, from merchants to members of royalty. For a time, the currency issued by the Medici bank, the florin, was the preferred currency for business through Europe. Michelangelo is considered the greatest Renaissance artist and the David statue is widely known as his masterpeice. Join our English speaking guide as you skip the line to Accademia and see David.

Then venture out to see the center of Florence including the Duomo outside , Baptistry Doors, Leather Market, and more. Admissions included. The Uffizi Gallery is the most visited museum in Florence for good reason. Join our English speaking licensed Uffizi guide for a journey through the Medician Renaissance. Learn all the stories behind the very art that brought our world out of the darkness.

All admissions included. Art came at high prices, even during the Renaissance.