Lorenzo de' Medici

Lore & Background

Lorenzo was the most promising of five children of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. He was tutored by a diplomat and bishop, Gentile de' Becchi, and the humanist philosopher Marsilio Ficino, and trained in Greek by John Argyropoulos. In 1469, aged 20, he won first prize in a jousting tournament sponsored by the Medici, carrying a banner painted by Verrocchio. He was described as plain of appearance, with a squashed nose, short-sighted eyes, and a harsh voice, but his face was so full of dignity as to compel respect.

Upon his father's death in 1469, Lorenzo assumed a leading role in the state. He ruled Florence indirectly through surrogates in city councils via payoffs and strategic marriages until 1490. On 26 April 1478, the Pazzi conspiracy saw an attack on Lorenzo and his brother Giuliano in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Giuliano was killed, but Lorenzo escaped with a minor wound. The conspiracy was brutally put down, leading to the wrath of Pope Sixtus IV, who excommunicated Lorenzo and placed Florence under interdict. Lorenzo resolved the crisis by personally traveling to Naples and becoming a prisoner of the king for several months, securing constitutional changes that enhanced his power.

Reader's Guide

Lorenzo de' Medici's significance lies in his role as a stabilizer of Italian politics through the Italic League and as the central patron of Renaissance culture. His sponsorship of artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo helped define the artistic achievements of the 15th-century Renaissance. On the foreign policy front, he stemmed the territorial ambitions of Pope Sixtus IV to maintain the balance of the Italic League. The Peace of Lodi of 1454, which he supported, collapsed with his death. His legacy includes the expansion of the Medici Library and the collection of classical works from the East. However, his reputation was marred by the sack of Volterra after an insurrection over alum mining revenues. He is buried in the Medici Chapel in Florence.

Did You Know?

• Lorenzo won first prize in a jousting tournament in 1469, carrying a banner painted by Verrocchio.
• His brother Giuliano was assassinated in the Pazzi conspiracy of 1478, while Lorenzo escaped with a minor neck wound.
• Lorenzo personally traveled to Naples and became a prisoner of the king for several months to resolve a military crisis.
• He maintained good relations with Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire, as Florentine maritime trade with the Ottomans was a major source of wealth.