Florence and the Medici Family

Study Notes

Florence, Italy: City of Renaissance and artistic revolution
Michelangelo Buonarroti, a sculptor, creates "David" for the city's town hall as a symbol of resistance
Medici family, once rulers of Florence, are exiled due to a civil war sparked by resentment of their wealth and power
Giovanni and Giulio de Medici, cousins and former heirs to the Medici dynasty, seek to regain control of Florence
Leonardo da Vinci, a contemporary artist, studies human anatomy using corpses from city hospitals, causing controversy
Artist competition: Leonardo and Michelangelo each decorate a wall of the Florence council chamber with frescoes of famous battles
The Medici cousins return to Florence with papal support and regain control, but face resistance from the people
Pope Julius II dies, and Cardinals elect Giovanni de Medici as his successor, Papa Leone X
Giovanni de Medici strengthens the Medici family's power by appointing his cousin, Giulio, as Archbishop and Cardinal of Florence
Machiavelli, a political advisor who once defended Florence against the Medici, is imprisoned and exiled after being accused of conspiracy
Machiavelli writes "The Prince," a handbook for aspiring dictators, separating ethics from politics
Cardinals conspire to assassinate Pope Leo X, but he is warned and the conspirators are killed
Medici family takes control of the Vatican, selling indulgences to raise money and infiltrating various spheres of power.- Martin Luther, a German monk, publicly criticized the Catholic Church for selling indulgences, which he believed only increased greed and avarice.
Luther's manifesto reached Pope Leo X, who dismissed it as the ramblings of an insignificant monk.
Leo X, a wealthy and powerful Pope, saw no reason to care about the complaints of a monk from the "land of the barbarians."
Luther's refusal to repent triggered a battle for the soul of Europe, leading to the Protestant Reformation and the division between Catholic and Protestant.
Pope Leo X died in 1521, leaving his cousin Giulia de Medici to deal with the crisis.
The sack of Rome in 1527 saw the city ravaged and destroyed, with an estimated 8,000 people killed and countless buildings damaged or destroyed.
Pope Clement VII, the new pope, feared for his life and fled to the safety of Florence.
The Medici family, who had supported the Pope, faced riots in Florence, culminating in the destruction of Michelangelo's David.
Catherine de Medici, the last legitimate heir to the Medici line, was threatened with being thrown into a soldier's brothel unless the Pope called off his troops.
Catherine was later married off to the son of the French King, bringing religious hate to France.
Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Clement VII to create a fresco, The Last Judgement, expressing the anxiety and oppression of the time.
The corrupt and disastrous reign of the Medici Popes ended in 1534 with the death of Giulio de Medici.
The Renaissance would continue to evolve beyond art and sculpture, changing man's understanding of the universe.