Cosimo de' Medici: Difference between revisions
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'''Cosimo de' Medici''' (1389–1464) was an Italian statesman, ruler of the [[Florence|Florentine Republic]] during the Italian Renaissance and head of the [[House of Medici]]. He was a close friend of [[Ilario Auditore]], who served as Gonfaloniere to Cosimo during his reign, and grandfather to [[Lorenzo de' Medici]]. He also founded the Medici Bank. | '''Cosimo de' Medici''' (1389–1464) was an Italian statesman, ruler of the [[Florence|Florentine Republic]] during the Italian Renaissance and head of the [[House of Medici]]. He was a close friend of [[Ilario Auditore]], who served as Gonfaloniere to Cosimo during his reign, and grandfather to [[Lorenzo de' Medici]]. He also founded the Medici Bank. | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medici, Cosimo de'}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Medici, Cosimo de'}}Born in Florence, Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in business from his father,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_di_Bicci_de%27_Medici Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici]. In 1415 he accompanied the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipope_John_XXIII Antipope John XXIII] at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Constance council of Constance], and in the same year he was named Priore of the Republic. Later he acted frequently as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambassador ambassador], showing a prudence for which he became renowned. | ||
His power over Florence stemmed from his wealth, which he used to control votes. As Florence was proud of its '[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy democracy]', he pretended to have little political ambition, and did not often hold public office. Aeneas Sylvius, Bishop of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena Siena] and later [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_II Pope Pius II], said: "Political questions are settled in [Cosimo's] house. The man he chooses holds office...He it is who decides peace and war...He is king in all but name." ''Quoted by C.Hibbert in'' The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici'', 1974.''<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosimo_de'_Medici#cite_note-0 [1]]</sup> | |||
In 1433 Cosimo's power over Florence, which he exerted without occupying public office, began to look like a menace to the anti-Medici party, led by figures such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palla_Strozzi Palla Strozzi] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinaldo_degli_Albizzi Rinaldo degli Albizzi]: in September of that year he was imprisoned, accused for the failure of the conquest of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca Lucca], but he managed to turn the jail term into one of exile. He went to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padua Padua] and then to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice Venice], taking his bank along with him. Prompted by his influence and his money, others followed him: within a year, the flight of capital from Florence was so great that the ban of exile had to be lifted. Cosimo returned a year later in 1434, to greatly influence the government of Florence (especially through the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luca_Pitti Pitti] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_Soderini Soderini] families) and to lead by example for the rest of his long life. | |||
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[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]] | [[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]] | ||
[[Category:Historical Characters]] | [[Category:Historical Characters]] | ||
Revision as of 12:49, 27 November 2010
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Cosimo de' Medici (1389–1464) was an Italian statesman, ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance and head of the House of Medici. He was a close friend of Ilario Auditore, who served as Gonfaloniere to Cosimo during his reign, and grandfather to Lorenzo de' Medici. He also founded the Medici Bank.
Born in Florence, Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in business from his father,Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici. In 1415 he accompanied the Antipope John XXIII at the council of Constance, and in the same year he was named Priore of the Republic. Later he acted frequently as ambassador, showing a prudence for which he became renowned.
His power over Florence stemmed from his wealth, which he used to control votes. As Florence was proud of its 'democracy', he pretended to have little political ambition, and did not often hold public office. Aeneas Sylvius, Bishop of Siena and later Pope Pius II, said: "Political questions are settled in [Cosimo's] house. The man he chooses holds office...He it is who decides peace and war...He is king in all but name." Quoted by C.Hibbert in The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici, 1974.[1]
In 1433 Cosimo's power over Florence, which he exerted without occupying public office, began to look like a menace to the anti-Medici party, led by figures such as Palla Strozzi and Rinaldo degli Albizzi: in September of that year he was imprisoned, accused for the failure of the conquest of Lucca, but he managed to turn the jail term into one of exile. He went to Padua and then to Venice, taking his bank along with him. Prompted by his influence and his money, others followed him: within a year, the flight of capital from Florence was so great that the ban of exile had to be lifted. Cosimo returned a year later in 1434, to greatly influence the government of Florence (especially through the Pitti and Soderini families) and to lead by example for the rest of his long life.