The Renaissance Patrons: The Medici Family

This film (drama)Also known asMedici: Godfathers of the Renaissance，is aUnited KingdomProducerporn video，At2004Released in year 。The dialogue language isEnglish，Current Douban rating9.2(For reference only)。

This is a family from Florence, Italy, in the 15th century. The Medici family rose to prominence in Europe through various means. With their charm, skill, and deception, they amassed great wealth and wielded unprecedented power. It was they who ignited the most significant cultural and artistic revolution in the Western world—the European Renaissance. However, the changes brought about by the Medici family would one day upend the world they ruled by their own rules. The Medici family, or Medici, was a powerful family in Florence from the 13th to the 17th century. This family produced three popes, numerous rulers of Florence, and also became the latest members of the French royal family. Initially, the Medici family was inconspicuous (the origin of the name is uncertain, although it likely reflects the medical trade vocabulary - medico), and the family accumulated its initial power through banking. The Medici Bank was one of the most prosperous and respected banks in Europe. Based on this, the family began to gain political power in Florence and later expanded their influence to Italy and Europe. Giovanni di Medici was the first Medici to enter the banking business, and he began to have a significant influence in the government of Florence. By the time his son Cosimo de' Medici came to power in 1434, the Medici family had become the unofficial head of the Republic of Florence (elected as the standard-bearer of Justice). The Cosimo branch of the family ruled Florence until the first Duke of Florence, Alessandro de' Medici, was murdered in 1537. Power shifted to the branch of Giovanni's youngest son, Lorenzo de' Medici, who was ruled by Giovanni's great-grandson, Cosimo I. Art and Architecture The Medici family's greatest achievements lie in the fields of art and architecture, playing a significant role in the Renaissance. Giovanni was the first in this family to patronize the arts. He supported Masaccio and commissioned the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Cosimo de' Medici’s notable artistic collaborators included Donatello and Fra Filippo Lippi. The brightest star of that period was Michelangelo, who served several generations of the Medici, beginning with Lorenzo. In addition to commissioning artworks and architectural projects, the Medici also engaged in extensive collecting, and their collection now forms the core exhibits of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The Medici family left many famous landmarks in Florence, including the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens, and the Belvedere Villa. Giovanni commissioned Brunelleschi to reconstruct the Basilica of San Lorenzo in 1419. Cosimo commissioned Brunelleschi to complete the unfinished dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore. The largest dome in the world was completed in 1436. Eleanor of Toledo, Cosimo I's wife, purchased the Pitti Palace from Buonaccorso Pitti in 1550. Cosimo I funded the creation of the Uffizi Gallery by Giorgio Vasari (1560) and established the Academy of Design in 1562. Maria de' Medici, the widow of French King Henry IV and mother of Louis XIII, was portrayed in the oil painting "The Arrival of the Queen of France, Maria de' Medici, at Marseilles" by Peter Paul Rubens (1622-23). Notable Family Members Giovanni di Medici (1331–1388), led the attack against the rebellious Ciompi, becoming the tyrant of Florence, expelled in 1382. Giovanni di Medici (1360–1429), restored the family's fortunes and made the Medici family the wealthiest in Europe. Cosimo de' Medici (1389–1464), founder of the Medici political dynasty. Lorenzo de' Medici (1449–1492), led Florence during the Golden Age of the Renaissance. Giovanni di Medici (1475–1523), Pope Leo X. Giulio de' Medici (1478–1534), Pope Clement VII. Cosimo I de' Medici (1519–1574), the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, revived the Medici family. Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589), Queen of France. Alessandro de' Medici (1535–1605), Pope Leo XI. Ferdinando I de' Medici (1549–1609), the third Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ferdinando II de' Medici (1610–1670), the fifth Grand Duke of Tuscany. Maria de' Medici (1573–1642), Queen of France and regent.