Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Medici:
Godfathers
of
the
Renaissance
Medici:
Godfathers
of
the
Renaissance
tells
the
story
of
a
violent,
dramatic
and
compelling
age;
a
critical
turning
point
in
Western
history.
Travel
back
in
time
to
see
the
real
human
stories
behind
the
European
Renaissance,
and
the
family
that
bankrolled
it.
This
is
a
family
who
inspired
some
of
the
greatest
moments
in
the
birth
of
the
modern
world
and
challenged
some
of
the
greatest
thinkers
and
pioneers
of
the
age.
Filmed
on
16mm
film
entirely
on
location
in
Italy,
the
story
of
the
Medici
is
an
epic
drama
that
weaves
the
descendants
of
one
Tuscan
family
with
momentous
cultural
and
political
turning
points.
Played
out
in
the
courts,
cathedrals
and
palaces
of
Renaissance
Europe,
this
is
the
cradle
of
modern
civilization.
Their
story
is
a
bloodthirsty
mix
of
ambition
and
triumph,
murder
and
revenge.
And
it
is
a
tale
of
inspiring
achievement
and
cultural
revolution.
Through
the
eyes
of
the
Medici:
Godfathers
of
the
Renaissance,
uncover
the
history
of
the
greatest
achievements
of
the
early
modern
era.
From
the
construction
of
the
great
dome
of
Florence,
the
painting
of
the
Birth
of
Venus
and
the
sculpting
of
Michelangelo's
David,
to
Luther's
Reformation
and
Galileo's
earth-shattering
confrontation
with
the
Church.
None
of
these
would
have
happened
without
the
Medici
and
their
friends.
Combining
extraordinary
dramatic
sequences
with
interviews,
original
archive
and
special
effects
this
four-hour
documentary
series
is
a
political
suspense
thriller
and
riveting
intellectual
adventure
story,
told
through
the
lives
of
some
of
history's
most
exciting
characters.
Europe,
1400:
A
continent
torn
apart
by
war
and
plague
is
dominated
by
the
authority
of
the
Catholic
Church.
In
the
towns
and
cities
live
merchants
and
entrepreneurs
who
sense
that
their
world
is
changing.
With
increasing
trade
and
wealth
an
appetite
for
enlightenment
develops.
No
longer
neglected
in
the
shadows
of
the
Church,
classical
philosophy,
poetry,
art
and
sculpture
begin
to
reach
a
new
audience.
This
is
especially
true
in
cosmopolitan
cities
like
Florence,
home
of
Cosimo
de'Medici.
Cradle
of
the
Renaissance
Florence
in
the
year
1400
is
unlike
any
other
city
in
Europe.
A
major
trading
centre
at
the
heart
of
Tuscany,
it
is
a
republic
where
powerful
families
compete
for
political
control.
From
a
side-street
off
the
main
piazza,
Cosimo's
father,
Giovanni
de'Medici,
manages
the
up-and-coming
Medici
bank.
In
one
shrewd
move,
Medici
father
and
son
gamble
on
a
Papal
election
and
win.
The
reward
for
their
loyalty
is
the
entire
Papal
bank
account.
On
the
back
of
this
contract,
the
Medici
bank
expands
across
Europe,
elevating
the
family
to
the
Florentine
elite.
The
Dome
Florence's
leading
families
are
obsessed
by
a
humiliating
failure.
For
more
than
a
century,
an
enormous
cathedral
has
loomed
over
the
city.
It
has
no
roof
or
dome
and
is
open
to
the
elements.
The
original
planners
built
a
central
space
too
vast
to
cover.
Whoever
could
give
the
city
its
dome
would
win
everlasting
fame.
One
man
believed
he
knew
how
to
build
that
dome.
Filippo
Brunelleschi,
goldsmith
and
engineer,
had
studied
the
building
techniques
and
materials
of
ancient
Rome,
and
believed
he
could
rewrite
the
rules
of
modern
architecture.
Now,
with
the
aid
of
an
egg,
he
convinced
the
cathedral
authorities
to
let
him
loose
on
the
biggest
show
in
town.
The
Showdown
As
Medici
wealth
increases,
so
does
the
fury
of
their
rivals.
As
soon
as
Giovanni
dies,
the
Albizzi
family
launches
a
feud
against
his
Medici
heirs.
Florence
is
not
big
enough
for
both
families,
and
on
September
7,1433,
Cosimo
de'Medici
is
arrested
and
accused
of
treason.
Cosimo
bribes
his
way
out
of
jail,
but
the
Medici
are
banished
and
the
Albizzi
triumph.
Now,
no
friend
of
Cosimo
is
safe.
Even
Brunelleschi
is
thrown
into
jail,
and
work
on
the
dome
is
halted.
Life
without
the
Medici
isn't
easy.
Business
in
Florence
dries
up,
and
within
a
year
the
tables
turn
on
the
Albizzi.
With
the
intervention
of
the
Pope,
Cosimo
secures
his
return
to
Florence,
and
assumes
his
position
as
unofficial
leader
of
the
city.
Revenge
is
sweet.
Triumph?
With
a
taste
for
art
and
an
eye
for
talent,
Cosimo
now
commissions
the
finest
craftsmen
of
his
age.
From
Donatello
and
Lippi
to
Michelozzo
and
Gozzoli,
magnificent
work
is
produced
in
the
name
of
the
Godfather.
By
1436,
the
dome
is
at
last
complete,
and
Cosimo
takes
the
credit.
He
invites
his
friend,
the
Pope,
to
perform
the
holy
consecration.
In
1439,
Cosimo
seizes
the
chance
to
bring
the
cultures
of
east
and
west
together
at
the
magnificent
Council
of
Florence.
It
is
the
height
of
his
success,
and
yet
Cosimo
fears
for
the
future
of
his
dynasty.
His
favored
son
and
grandson
die
before
him.
I
know
the
humors
of
my
city,
before
50
years
have
passed
we
shall
be
expelled,
but
my
buildings
will
remain.
On
his
death
in
1464
Cosimo
is
honored
with
the
title
Pater
Patriae
-
Father
of
the
Fatherland
-
but
who
will
lead
the
Medici,
and
Florence?
Who
will
fill
the
shoes
of
the
Godfather
of
the
Renaissance?
Florence,
August
1466:
Lorenzo
de'Medici,
the
17-year-old
heir
to
the
dynasty,
foils
a
murderous
plot
against
his
father
and
saves
his
family
from
a
coup
d'etat.
The
Medici
still
dominate
Florence,
but
now
take
extra
precautions,
picking
a
useful
bride
for
Lorenzo.
Clarice
Orsini,
a
baron's
daughter
and
cardinal's
niece,
brings
connections,
class,
and
military
muscle
to
the
Medici
dynasty.
In
the
workshops
of
Florence,
business
has
never
been
better.
Under
Medici
patronage,
artists
like
Sandro
Botticelli
go
on
to
redefine
the
Renaissance
itself.
For
now,
Botticelli's
Adoration
of
the
Magi
confirms
his
position
at
the
heart
of
Medici
power.
A
New
Leader
At
just
20,
Lorenzo
becomes
Capo
of
the
Medici
family.
The
young
Godfather
opens
his
doors
to
the
ordinary
people
of
Tuscany.
In
exchange
for
whatever
they
can
afford,
Lorenzo
offers
help
and
protection.
This
network
of
mutual
favor
is
called
the
amici
degli
amici
-
the
friends
of
friends.
Regular
salons
inside
the
Medici
Palace
bring
together
the
cream
of
Florence's
literati.
Inspired,
Botticelli
creates
an
entirely
new
genre
of
art.
Into
a
world
dominated
by
the
Church,
Lorenzo
injects
a
spirit
of
secular
freedom
yet
he
is
also
making
enemies
fast.
The
Pazzi
family
are
jealous
of
Lorenzo's
awesome
power.
With
the
support
of
the
Pope,
they
plot
to
murder
both
Lorenzo
and
his
brother.
Murder
in
the
Cathedral
Easter
Sunday,
April
26,
1478:
Thousands
pack
inside
the
great
cathedral
of
Florence.
Amongst
them,
Lorenzo,
his
brother,
and
the
Pazzi
family.
At
the
height
of
the
ceremony,
hired
assassins
swoop
on
the
Medici
brothers.
Giuliano
is
stabbed
19
times
and
dies
in
front
of
his
horrified
family.
Lorenzo
vanishes.
The
city
descends
into
chaos.
Word
spreads
of
assassination,
and
the
Pazzi
try
to
seize
control.
Suddenly,
at
the
windows
of
his
palace,
Lorenzo
emerges,
blood-soaked
and
wounded,
but
alive.
The
city
turns
on
the
Pazzi,
and
its
vengeance
is
brutal.
Il
Magnifico
Giuliano's
murder
shocks
Italy.
Allies
of
the
Pazzi
want
to
finish
the
job
that
they
started,
and
declare
war
on
Florence.
Lorenzo
travels
alone,
to
negotiate
with
the
godfathers
of
the
south.
Perhaps
God
wills
that
this
war,
which
began
with
the
blood
of
my
brother
and
myself,
should
be
ended
by
my
means.
He
returns
to
Florence
triumphant,
having
bribed
the
King
of
Naples
and
foiled
the
Pope.
Hailed
il
Magnifico
(magnificent)
by
his
grateful
city,
Lorenzo
eliminates
all
opposition.
He
adopts
his
dead
brother's
bastard
son,
and
brings
the
entire
government
under
his
personal
control.
Lorenzo
is
now
a
dictator.
The
Renaissance
continues
to
flourish.
Botticelli
is
commissioned
to
paint
a
wedding
present
for
the
Godfather's
cousin,
The
Birth
of
Venus.
Leonardo
da
Vinci
is
discovered
and
brought
into
the
Medici
fold.
In
the
world's
first
art-school,
Lorenzo
discovers
a
boy-genius,
Michelangelo
Buonarotti
and
adopts
him
into
the
family.
The
Prophet
of
Doom
Lorenzo's
appetite
for
material
culture
and
his
taste
for
high-living
offends
a
zealous
young
monk.
Girolamo
Savonarola
believes
Lorenzo
is
leading
Florence
on
a
decadent
path
to
destruction.
He
begins
to
preach
against
the
Medici,
Go
and
tell
Lorenzo
to
repent
of
his
sins,
for
God
will
punish
him
and
his
family!
In
1492,
Lorenzo
falls
ill.
Savonarola's
predictions
are
coming
true,
and
his
support
in
Florence
grows.
The
fortunes
of
the
Medici
bank
collapse
and
the
family's
network
of
influence
begins
to
fall
apart.
Lorenzo
dies
aged
42.
Savonarola
spreads
his
breed
of
fundamentalism
throughout
Florence.
All
traces
of
extravagance
are
consumed
in
the
Bonfire
of
the
Vanities.
Prostitutes
are
beaten,
homosexuals
burned
to
death.
The
Medici
are
banished.
Florence,
in
search
of
salvation,
has
become
a
vision
of
Hell.
Florence,
1501:
26-year-old
Michelangelo
carves
a
giant
masterpiece
which
will
come
to
symbolize
his
struggle
against
a
family
he
once
adored.
Raised
from
a
young
age
alongside
the
Medici
heirs
he
watched
as
they
were
cast
into
exile
with
a
price
on
their
heads.
Now
they
are
searching
for
a
path
back
to
power.
David
January
26,
1504:
Michelangelo
exposes
David
to
the
scrutiny
of
the
outside
world.
It's
hailed
as
a
triumph.
Michelangelo
has
created
the
ultimate
symbol
of
resistance
to
the
overbearing
Medici.
Giulio
de'Medici
has
been
ordained
as
a
priest
and
a
prior.
His
cousin
Giovanni
is
already
a
cardinal,
but
their
clerical
connections
mean
little,
without
Florence.
Pope
Julius
II,
also
from
a
powerful
family,
is
sympathetic
to
their
plight.
With
his
help,
the
cousins
assemble
an
army.
They
head
for
Florence.
Battlelines
Florence
without
the
Medici
is
thriving.
Against
the
wishes
of
the
church,
Leonardo
da
Vinci
dissects
corpses
for
private
anatomical
study.
With
the
city
under
threat
of
invasion,
he
and
Michelangelo
are
invited
to
produce
frescoes
of
famous
Florentine
battles.
It
is
an
intriguing
competition.
By
1512,
thousands
of
troops
are
marching
on
Tuscany.
Florence
calls
on
Niccolo
Machiavelli,
political
genius,
to
prepare
its
defense.
The
soldiers
he
trains
are
no
match
for
the
troops
of
the
Medici.
The
Sack
of
Prato,
just
outside
Florence,
is
a
bloodbath.
Giovanni
pronounces
the
massacre
a
deterrent
to
those
who
would
resist
him.
He's
right,
the
leaders
of
Florence
surrender.
Through
violence
and
terror
the
Medici
regain
control
of
their
city,
but
not
the
loyalty
of
the
people
of
Florence.
Papa
Leone
With
the
death
of
Pope
Julius,
the
cardinals
gather
in
Rome.
They
take
so
long
to
elect
a
new
pope,
that
their
meals
are
reduced
to
a
single
unappetizing
dish.
Giovanni
de'Medici
is
announced
as
the
winner.
From
now
on,
he
will
be
known
as
Pope
Leo
X.
Michelangelo
is
frightened
for
his
future.
Can
his
recent
success
inside
the
Sistine
Chapel
save
him
from
the
wrath
of
the
Medici?
The
cousins
make
the
artist
an
offer
he
can't
refuse
when
they
ask
him
to
build
tombs
for
their
dead
fathers,
Lorenzo
the
Magnificent
and
Giuliano
de'Medici.
Even
Machiavelli
now
lobbies
for
a
job
inside
Leo's
regime.
But
his
plan
backfires
and,
trapped
in
exile,
he
composes
a
manifesto
for
ruthless
dictators.
Over-indulgence
Pope
Leo
X
builds
a
reputation
for
lavish
excess,
with
his
love
of
65-course
banquets
and
extravagant
parties.
Desperate
for
cash,
he
turns
to
the
ultimate
money-spinner,
the
sale
of
forgiveness.
Agents
of
Pope
Leo
X
flog
Papal
Indulgences
across
Europe,
incurring
the
fury
of
many
including
a
German
monk.
In
1517,
Martin
Luther
publishes
the
95
Theses
and
sparks
a
religious
revolution.
Sack
of
Rome
Leo
tries
to
silence
the
heretic,
but
succumbs
to
a
simple
winter
chill.
His
cousin,
Giulio
is
subsequently
crowned
Pope
Clement
VII
and
has
to
pick
up
the
pieces.
It's
a
hard
task.
The
fall-out
from
Luther's
reformation
brings
furious
armies
to
the
gates
of
Rome
itself.
Many
are
Lutherans
and
hate
the
Pope.
On
May
7,
1527
rampaging
German
soldiers
sweep
into
Rome.
Clement
escapes
the
carnage,
but
the
Sack
of
Rome
becomes
the
blackest
moment
of
the
Renaissance.
Back
to
Florence
After
months
under
siege,
Clement
bribes
his
way
out
of
a
ruined
Rome.
His
enemies
in
Florence
have
rebelled,
taking
captive
the
only
legitimate
heir
to
the
Medici
line.
Catherine
de'Medici
is
11-years-old.
Her
uncle
Clement
agrees
to
enter
Florence
in
peace,
in
return
for
her
safety.
Within
four
years
he
marries
her
off
to
the
son
of
the
French
King,
guaranteeing
a
future
for
the
Medici.
But
Clement's
own
days
are
numbered.
Last
judgment
A
dying
Clement
summons
Michelangelo
to
complete
his
work
in
the
Sistine
Chapel.
The
extraordinary
Last
Judgment
will
be
the
final
twist
in
Michelangelo's
relationship
with
the
Medici.
But
Clement
does
not
live
to
see
it
finished.
In
1534,
exhausted
by
the
turmoil
of
his
reign,
he
dies.
The
disastrous
reign
of
the
Medici
popes
is
over.
Florence,
1537:
Alessandro
de'Medici
the
Duke
of
Florence,
lies
murdered
in
his
bed.
His
cousin
is
plucked
from
obscurity
to
lead
Florence.
He
is
just
17.
His
rivals
think
he's
a
puppet,
but
despite
his
youth,
Cosimo
de'Medici,
the
new
Duke
of
Florence,
is
ambitious.
A
Man
Reborn
Cosimo
strikes
a
deal
with
Giorgio
Vasari,
a
versatile
artist
who
believes
the
young
Duke
has
potential.
As
a
boy,
Vasari
rescued
the
broken
arm
of
Michelangelo's
David.
Now,
with
Cosimo's
approval,
he
oversees
its
repair.
Florence
is
a
dangerous
city,
and
the
last
thing
Cosimo
wants
is
to
meet
his
cousin's
fate.
He
embarks
on
a
rigorous
training
regime
to
guard
against
assassination.
Cosimo's
shrewd
marriage
to
an
eligible
Spanish
princess
brings
an
army
as
a
dowry.
With
it,
he
sets
out
to
conquer
his
neighbors.
The
republic
of
Siena
falls,
and
the
rest
of
Tuscany
soon
capitulates
to
the
Medici.
The
image-maker
Cosimo
isn't
slow
to
publicize
his
success.
Across
the
walls
of
the
old
government
building,
he
commissions
monumental
frescoes
from
Vasari.
An
army
of
workers
fill
the
walls
of
the
medieval
palace
with
tales
of
courage
and
achievement.
Cosimo
ensures
every
generation
of
his
family
has
their
place,
turning
the
headquarters
of
the
old
republic
into
a
shameless
temple
to
the
Medici
dynasty.
It
still
isn't
enough
to
satisfy
his
Duchess.
Hungry
for
grandeur,
Eleonora
pays
9,000
florins
for
the
Pitti
Palace,
a
huge
fortress
on
the
south
side
of
the
Arno.
The
security
is
welcome.
Florence
still
bristles
with
murderous
intent,
and
Cosimo
goes
nowhere
without
knives
down
his
pants,
and
body
armor
beneath
his
clothes.
Cosimo
the
control
freak
now
has
another
problem.
He
is
the
master
of
a
complex
administration,
managed
by
myriad
offices
scattered
throughout
the
city.
Vasari
is
ordered
to
provide
facilities
for
a
centralized
administration.
His
buildings
are
constructed
along
two
sides
of
a
street
with
a
corridor
linking
the
two
wings.
They
are
known
by
the
Italian
word
for
offices,
Uffizi.
Cosimo's
cultural
campaign
is
capped
with
a
book,
written
by
Vasari,
which
seals
the
reputation
of
the
Medici
forever.
The
Lives
of
the
Artists
is
the
first
ever
work
of
art
history.
Triumph
Cosimo
is
at
last
secure,
I
am
a
ruler
who
accepts
the
authority
of
no-one,
apart
from
God.
Not
even
the
emergence
of
the
terrifying
Roman
Inquisition
can
dampen
his
success.
He
organizes
a
token
public
book
burning,
to
satisfy
their
edicts
on
censorship.
In
return,
he
is
crowned
Cosimo
I,
Grand
Duke
of
Tuscany,
by
the
Pope
himself.
Under
Cosimo
I,
the
Medici
have
scaled
the
heights
of
international
royalty.
They
seem
unassailable.
The
Choice
Following
Cosimo's
reign,
scientific
enlightenment
collides
with
Catholic
doctrine,
in
the
shape
of
the
greatest
scientist
of
the
age,
Gaileo
Galilei.
For
three
generations
Galileo
teaches
the
Medici
Grand
Dukes,
informing
the
world
about
astronomy,
gravity,
momentum,
buoyancy
and
time.
But
when
he
dares
to
suggest
that
the
Earth
travels
around
the
sun,
the
Pope
has
had
enough.
Galileo
is
summoned
to
appear
before
the
Inquisition
in
Rome
and
threatened
with
torture.
The
Medici
are
forced
to
choose,
between
their
allegiance
to
the
church
and
their
loyalty
to
the
values
of
the
Renaissance.
They
choose
the
path
of
least
resistance,
and
Galileo
is
betrayed.
They
have
failed
to
sustain
what
had
set
them
apart
from
their
rivals
and
the
Renaissance
in
Italy
is
over.
Though
the
reign
of
the
Medici
has
faded,
the
movement
they
started
in
Florence
goes
on
to
launch
the
enlightenment,
the
Age
of
Reason,
and
the
Modern
World.
Many
patrons
would
try
to
follow
in
their
footsteps,
but
none
would
ever
match
the
legacy
of
the
Medici,
Godfathers
of
the
Renaissance.
Medici
The Renaissance begins when Cosimo de Medici and his friends search Europe for ______
____________. Simply reading pagan authors like Socrates and Plato was punishable by
excommunication from the church.
2.
Popes could excommunicate (throw from the church and damn forever) Christians guilty of
_____________, which was believing anything other than what the church preached.
3.
_____________________ , who built the dome of the Florence Cathedral, was both
architect and engineer.
4.
Brunelleschi used __________ as supports for first time in 1000 years, creating a
revolution in architecture.
5.
Florentines came to watch the construction of the dome. One of the things that amazed
them was Brunelleschis use of the classical orders of _________________, which
hadnt been used since the fall of Rome.
6.
Although Brunelleschi examined the construction of the dome of the Roman Pantheon, he
couldnt use the same techniques because of the size of the dome and because the recipe for
making _____________ had been lost.
7.
Brunelleschi also devised a way to alter the __________ on pulleys so the oxen could
pull the 1700-pound sandstone beams 250 feet into the air and return them to the ground
without changing direction.
8.
Brunelleschi personally lay some of the ___________ on the dome because what he
proposed was so revolutionary that the brick masons were afraid the technique would fail
and they would die.
Medici
9.
10.
The ______________ banking family, who resented the power of the Medici, had _____
_______ arrested.
11.
Brunelleschi was jailed and forced to stop work on Il Duomo (the dome) when his patron
was found guilty of treason against _____________________.
12.
Cosimo escaped from the tower that was his prison by ___________ the guards.
13.
When Cosimo was finally asked to return to Florence, he had even more power and prestige.
The Medici banks became the most important banks in Europe as they collected money for
the ___________.
14.
Cosimo de Medicis patronage of Baldesari Cossa paid off when Cossa became Pope _____
___________.
15.
Marcello Fantoni: Patronage is great for the production of art but totally irrational from an
economic view. ______________ is a political strategy. . . .high political competition. . .
.
16.
Florence was proud to be the only _______________ in Europe; but the government
was often corrupt.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
When Cosimo died in 1464, the Florentines declared him ________________, father of
the fatherland.
Medici
Name _________________________
1. All of the artists that the Ninja turtles were named after (Leonardo, Michelangelo,
Raphael, Donatello) worked for the Medici family.
2. The system of patronage used by the Medici family to operate Florence and Tuscany,
in which people are personally loyal to a family that looks out for them in return, was
similar to the system used by the Mafia to control Southern Italy.
3. The frescoes in the chapel of the Medici Palace advertised the familys power.
4. Lorenzo de Medici ruled Florence through influence rather than by law or elected
position.
5. Lorenzo de Medici married Clarice Orsini because she was beautiful and he was in love
with her.
6. The Pazzi, a rival banking family, tried to have Lorenzo and his sister killed Easter
Sunday 1478 in the Florentine cathedral.
7. The current pope, Pope Sixtus, was in on the plot against the Medici.
8. Monks hired by the Pazzi killed Guiliano by shooting him to death.
9. Lorenzo survived, and his supporters hanged the conspiratorsincluding two relatives
of the popefrom the government building windows.
10. The Pazzi were killed or run out of Florence, but Pope Sixtus sent an army against
Florence to avenge the death of his relatives.
11. Lorenzo visited his enemies in Naples alone, bribed them, and defeated the Popes
attempts to destroy Florence.
12. When Lorenzo returned to Florence, he was named Il Magnifico and asked to take
over the government of Florence; he agreed.
13. For 20 years, the Florentines benefited from Lorenzos public generosity, his spending
virtuously on buildings, art, festivals, and entertainments
Medici
10
14. _____
15. _____
16. _____
17. _____
18. _____
19. _____
20. _____
21. _____
22. _____
23. _____
24. _____
25. _____
Name _________________________
Medici
11
Name _________________________
MATCHING. Write the letters of the statements that describe each person listed below. The number of blanks indicates the number of
letters that identify that person. Use each letter only once.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Guilio de Medici
___ ___ ___ ___
f.
g.
i.
j.
k.
l.
Medici
12
Name _________________________
q. Used as a pawn by the Florentines, traded for the safety of the city when they
surrendered to the army of Giovanni and Guilio; married to French prince at 14
r. Helped de Medici cousins get army to invade Florence after their exile
s. Wrote to his brother, God has given us the papacy; let us enjoy it.
t. Employed nepotism when he made Guilio cardinal of Florence
u. Was excommunicated; started protestant revolution called The Reformation
v. After the cardinals attempted his assassination, he created hundreds of jobs in the
Vatican and sold them to his friends--to make money and protect his position, much
like a mafia don
w. Completed what his cousin began: splitting the church & starting war in Europe
Medici
13
Truth
A. Allessandro, Duke of Florence and illegitimate son of a pope, is murdered in his bed by
Florentines who are sick of being under the thumb of the Medici. The Florentine Signoria elects
Cosimo, a 17-year-old cousin, to succeed the murdered duke because they believe they can
control him.
B. Cosimo abolishes the Signoria, becomes de facto king of Florence and Tuscany, andbeing
basically uneducatedbegins to train himself to be both a warrior and a politician.
C. The new pope hires an artist laughingly referred to as Braggatoni (large underpants man) to
cover up the privates of the nudes in Michelangelos painting The Last Judgment.
D. Michelangelo dies after living in Rome for the last 30 years of his life to avoid the Medici.
E. The Florentine government steals Michelangelos body and sneaks it back to Florence for a
huge burial, claiming him as the greatest of Florentine artists.
F. Cosimo II marries a Spanish aristocrat who brings him important allies, then conquers the
territory between Florence and the coast and builds a navy.
G. Vasari and Cosimo fix the arm of Michelangelos David that had been broken during the
Savonarola frenzy.
H. Vasari and Cosimo form an alliance to promote the Medici family and the arts: Vasari paints
frescoes with the Medici insignia all over Florence and helps Cosimo form a new art school.
I. In his book Lives of the Artists, Vasari states that the world had been dark for 1000 years, until
the renasciamento, rebirth, or renaissance occurred in Florence under the Medici.
J. Cosimos wife buys the Pizzi Palace, a fortress, because the Medici Palace is not impressive or
large enough.
K. Cosimo must pay 300 bodyguards to protect himself and his family.
Medici
14
L. Cosimo appoints Vasari to build the Uffizi Palace, centralizing all of the offices and providing
protection from assassins.
M. Following the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church faces a growing clamor for individual
freedom from the dictates of the church. As a response, the church begins the Counter Reformation
including the Inquisitionin an attempt to salvage its power and make people obedient.
N. The Inquisition bans 583 heretical works, many of which are in Cosimos library; Cosimo
organizes a token public book burning when the Inquisition comes to Florence.
O. Galileo invents the astronomical telescope and discovers sun spots, the weird shape of Saturn,
the Milky Way, the moons of Jupiter and demonstrates that Copernicus is right: the earth
revolves around the sun not the sun around the earth. He also discovers the law of buoyancy
and establishes the basis for Newtons theory of gravity.
P. A priest named Giordano Bruno publishes his theory that the universe is infinite.
Q. Bruno is burned at the stake for his scientific beliefs.
R. Galileo publishes his heliocentric theory as a dialogue between two friends because his theory
contradicts the Bible and church doctrine. The book becomes very popular, the first book of
popular science.
S. Galileo is summoned to the Inquisition and threatened with excommunication and death if he
does not deny Copernicuss theory that the earth revolves around the sun.
T. The pope tells the Duke of Florence to stay out of the controversy with Galileo, that it will
not help Galileo and will hurt the dukedom. Duke Ferdinand II stops financially supporting
Galileo.
U. Galileo has to deny the truth to avoid torture and save his life.
V. Galileo is sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life. When he dies, the church refuses to
let the Florentines have a big funeral for him.
W. In 1992, the Catholic Church finally restores Galileos good name.
X. August 23, 1572, Catherine de Medici, Queen Mother of France, has the gates of Paris locked and
thousands of French Huguenot Protestants killed in what becomes known as the St. Bartholomews Day
Massacre.
Y. In a letter to Grand Duchess Christina, Galileo Galilei says this: Some years ago, as your
Serene Highness well knows, I discovered in the heavens many things which had not been seen
before. The novelty of these things stirred men up against meas if I had placed these things
in the sky with my own hands in order to upset nature! But I do not believe that the same God
who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. He
would not require us to deny sense and reason. To ban Copernicus now would seem in my
judgment to be a contravention of truth. . . .