The Family Medici: The Hidden History of the Medici Dynasty

by Mary Hollingsworth

A fresh, revelatory, and shockingly revisionist narrative of the rise and fall of the House of Medici, by the acclaimed author of The Cardinal’s Hat and The Borgias . Having founded the bank that became the most powerful in Europe in the fifteenth century, the Medici gained massive political power in Florence, raising the city to a peak of cultural achievement and becoming its hereditary dukes. Among their number were no fewer than three popes and a powerful and influential queen of France. Their influence brought about an explosion of Florentine art and architecture. Michelangelo, Donatello, Fra Angelico, and Leonardo were among the artists with whom they were socialized and patronized. Thus runs the "accepted view” of the Medici. However, Mary Hollingsworth argues that the idea that the Medici were enlightened rulers of the Renaissance is a fiction that has now acquired the status of historical fact. In truth, the Medici were as devious and immoral as the Borgias―tyrants loathed in the city they illegally made their own. In this dynamic new history, Hollingsworth argues that past narratives have focused on a sanitized and fictitious view of the Medici―wise rulers, enlightened patrons of the arts, and fathers of the Renaissance―but that in fact their past was reinvented in the sixteenth century, mythologized by later generations of Medici who used this as a central prop for their legacy. Hollingsworth's revelatory re-telling of the story of the family Medici brings a fresh and exhilarating new perspective to the story behind the most powerful family of the Italian Renaissance. Illustrated throughout

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Italy, Biography, Renaissance, Historical, Audiobook

528 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

Mary Hollingsworth is a scholar of the Italian Renaissance, and author of The Cardinal's Hat, The Borgias: History's Most Notorious Dynasty and Patronage in Renaissance Italy: From 1400 to the Early Sixteenth Century.

Reviews

[Nel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars baby
its a decent if dry overview of the Medici dynasty starting from the upstarts from Mugello to the Your Highnesses of the later generation.
im team Cosimo now and i would definitely like to read more books about him and his times. trust me it doesn't get better than that. there is a reason florentines named Cosimo Pater Patriae after his death. ironically enough the one to put the last nail in the Medici coffin was also the guy named Cosimo (III). it started with Cosimo and it ended with Cosimo, with a whole world and centuries of differences between the two.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really well done.
This book really traces the Medici rise from merchants to bankers to semi-royalty.
It's interesting, informative and easy to read.

[Daughter of Paper and Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching a family fall from its covertly won pedestal due to clear pettiness and shortsightedness is as baffling as it is a good story. In the end, there are a lot of questions that follow the lines of “What if?” and “If this hadn’t happened, then…”

Their main point of failure was forgetting their roots in every way. They forgot they were new to the royal scene, they forgot that they were bankers, and “republican,” and then Popes, and Italian. They tried to emulate foreign leaders, courts, traditions, and bloodlines. Perhaps if they had concentrated on consolidating bloodlines within Italy, they might have risen as kings of Italy. They could have done that with the Church and banking instead of trying to base their legacy on the divine purpose of a superior bloodline.

That is just my scheming. It’s rather easy to see the facts on the pages of books and point out the right course of action. It’s another thing to live through it.

The book also led to many side quests on my behalf. A household that stood out was the Orsini.

How many Orsini popes were there?
One Google search later: five popes

“The House of Orsini is an Italian noble family that was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and Renaissance Rome. Members of the Orsini family include five popes: Stephen II (752–757), Paul I (757–767), Celestine III (1191–1198), Nicholas III (1277–1280), and Benedict XIII (1724–1730).”

I would like a book to see what the Orsini did right that the Medici didn’t, except I already looked it up, and it seems that they have ignored this particular family in all aspects that did not involve their popes or feud with the Medici. I’m not above thinking about kidnapping a couple historians to do it. 🤔

Welcome to my basement, fellow intellectuals! Food will be served in accordance with answers for my hungering questions. Bathroom is in the corner.

Meh, too much work. An email to an institution or famous historian will do.

______Ratings______

Knowledge: 4 📜📜📜📜 A lot of knowledge.
Complexity: 2.5 🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏼‍♀️💫 Moderately complex. You must know old kingdoms, the gist of certain wars, an understanding of how popes are elected prior to reading. She mentions said topics, but does not go into depth.
Interest: 5 🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️ An ocean of interest.
Overall Star Rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent: great pacing, well-developed writing , and overall enjoyment.

————————————————————————-
🚨🚨🚨MILD SPOILERS 🚨🚨🚨

~~~>The Good Chapters:
▫️I don’t like Lorenzo much, he is definitely the mom-manager (dad-manager?) of the family.
▫️2 popes back to back is amazing power move. What I would give to be inside the rooms where such machinations took place.
▫️1 Medici pope not even being related to the Medici (just having the name), it’s not a well known fact even if I feel it should be.
▫️Another Medici Pope dying immediately after being elected was another stroke of bad luck this family did not need.
▫️Cosimo (not the duke, the banker) is the jump started of this family. Lorenzo gets the credit as the flashies family member rotten does

~~~>The In-between Chapters:
🔹Cancel culture came for the Medici more than once and they still made it out. Idk if that is impressive or concerning lol.

~~~>The Bad Chapters:
▪️ before I finished this book, I told my father that the only Medicis with a brain were the Cosimo’s. Well if Cosimo III wasn’t dead already I would ask him to lower my casket (I’m getting cremated) one more time so he could let me (and the Medici family) down one more time.
I have since redacted that statement. Did it hurt? My pride, yes. My feelings? Maybe.

[Jo Walton]

As I've found before with Hollingsworth, this was shallower than I wanted. I knew it was a gossip book as opposed to an academic book, and I got a bunch of useful gossip from it, but it could easily have been one notch deeper and been brilliant. And oddly, when dealing with the period I know best, she left out some gossip it would have been worth paying attention to -- Lorenzo's joust, for instance, and Simonetta. It even skims over the Pazzi conspiracy very quickly. But maybe she didn't have room, needing to fit so much in.

The good thing about this book is that it covers a huge amount of time and a huge number of people and is very clear. I would recommend this book to a serious Medici scholar for the family trees and the pre-chapter summations of who was alive and relevant in each time period. This is stuff I have had to work out for myself, and if you care about questions like "How is Duke Cosimo I descended from Lorenzo" (via his mother, granddaughter of Lorenzo via Lucrezia Salviati) and Giovanni di Bicci (via his father, who was the son of Giovanni il Popolano and Caterina Sforza) then this book is very clear on that. I remember taking ages with Wikipedia working out Catherine de' Medici's descent.

This is the history of a family, and if you don't care about that family you won't be interested. If you do, the odds are that you care about it at some particular time. This book will therefore be useful to you for answering the questions that lurk in other periods. And it's not focused on this, but it's interesting even so on questions of power and legitimacy, just because it covers this span of time. She doesn't look back and make comparisons much, but they are there to make.

I like reading biographies for several reasons. One is the interest in daily life and details of living and human relationships. Another is the way that lives cut across periods -- history gets cut up into neat chunks, but people live across the borders. This book, following a family who live lives of different lengths across periods cut up differently, was especially good for this. (Lucrezia de' Medici, Lorenzo the Magnificent's eldest child, was born in 1470 and didn't die until 1553.) Looking at a family across time is a very interesting way to look at time and history and how things fit together. And how things fit together is one of the things that interests me most.

So on the whole, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it, even though it doesn't go as deeply as I would prefer.

It would probably be a reasonable starter book and give a reasonable overview of a whole chunk of history. Just don't think this is all there is to it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 15th century Florence it pays to be banker to the Pope. In 16th century Florence it pays even better to actually BE the Pope. Ms. Hollingsworth chronicles the Medici family from its humble beginnings at the end of the 13th century to its dramatic rise to one of the richest and most powerful and influential families of the Renaissance. She covers over four centuries and that’s a lot of Medici’s! The author does a great job in organizing all these generations. Each chapter begins with a list of the family members to be discussed. The book includes a lot of outstanding artwork as these guys were major patrons of Raphael, Michelangelo (and some of the other Ninja Turtles). We learn how they survived numerous plagues, navigated the dangerous political waters of The Great Schism of 1378 (too many Popes), how some became Cardinals and, eventually, Popes all the while falling in and out of favor with Florentine society. Some of them were saints and some of them were scoundrels and Ms. Hollingsworth shares a lot of the family’s dirty laundry (my favorite parts). In addition, the reader learns much about the history of Florence and the origin of all that beautiful architecture and works of art that we tourists love to gawk at. All in all, a fascinating, well-written account of an intriguing family. Highly recommended especially for enthusiasts of Renaissance history. Cheers!

[Alex Struble · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I peer into the deep lake of antiquity the more I am baffled at my own historical ignorance. This book did little to assuage my bafflement. The detailed approach and the accounting down to the penny of the how the Medici family earned, spent and squandered their many fortunes is astonishing. The absurd extravagance of the wealthy and avarice of the family is surpassed only by the immense corruption of the Catholic church during this time period. There are a million tragic stories contained in the history of the Medici family, not least the damage and pain the inflicted on those they were bound to protect, but as I finished the final chapter I found myself grateful. I have walked the streets of Florence; I have seen the statues, architecture and paintings that are all the remains of the Medici dynasty. I am grateful that in the sepulcher of history, amidst the decaying corpses of all the rich and powerful that have gone before, the skeleton of the Medici Dynasty casts a brilliant light on the works of the great artists and architects of Tuscan antiquity.

[Freya Nedderman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introductory overview to the rise and fall of the Medici family. However, though it's called 'The Medici', this really only seems to include the Medici men. Despite the pivotal importance of the women of the Medici family in the spread of the family's influence across Europe through their turbulent marriages, I felt they were swiftly brushed over and the spotlight placed back on the men. Obviously I understand that historical documentation usually favours men, so it may not so easy to form as colourful a history of the women, but I still feel there could have been more.
On the whole this was an enjoyable, if occasionally dry, read - would recommend to anyone looking to gain a general coherent understanding of the Medici role in Florentine/European history and politics.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t imagine many more people than myself who could check all the boxes that scream target audience for this book, and I found it dry and superficial. As it is an “hidden history” there is an expectation of picking fights, but there are a number of unnecessary and incorrect ones the author picks that detract from her credibility elsewhere. And lastly, on the point of scope, Catherine de’ Medici is present, but the story never follows her to France and measure her impact there. It is largely a history of the family in Florence, with some discussion of Rome, but that fails to capture the whole family.

Oh well, there are moments of interest but beyond needing to read it for a lit review, I can’t think of any reason to recommend it.

[Arielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

i find the history of the medici family so fascinating

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was happy with this, I listened to it as an audiobook mostly during workouts and the author speaks a ton not just about the Medici's but mostly about the era, I liked learning about medieval Europe, did you know that some actually kept Lions as pets in cages? The depictions of different festivals made me feel as if I was actually there, I quite enjoyed it.

What really encouraged me to listen in to this was that I'm re-watching the tv show The Borgias, a show that I'm seriously in love with.
Do recommend!

[Alan Addison · Rating 5 out of 5]

To begin with, this book is a pleasure to own. The hardback edition is beautifully made and it's immediately obvious that it was made by a company that cares about its product.

Anyone who has more than a passing knowledge of/interest in European History will have heard of the Medici family, although I am ashamed to admit that I was unaware of just how long they had their hands on the reins of Florentine (and wider) society. Hollingsworth has a writing style that is relatively easy to follow, and the layout of the book, giving each generation its own chapter (with a brief overview as part of the chapter heading) is a nice touch.

Having said that, this is probably not a book for the casual reader - it covers centuries of European history and developments such as the reformation, the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and the fall of Constantinople and there is a huge amount to take in.

I also feel obliged to comment on the parallels that are to be drawn with contemporary politics - there are lessons to be learned from history, especially about the perils of concentrating power and wealth in a few over-privileged and corrupt families who care more about the acquisition of power and wealth than the potential good that comes with holding it.

[Emmanuel-francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this an exemplar of the genre. The very best non-fiction can be gifted to a young reader without fear that its scope will intimidate, its story bore or its prose deter. Mary Hollingsworth is an able writer.

The book follows the Medici Dynasty from their earliest origins as immigrants to the city most associated with their name, their rise to Republican dominance, hitting the semi-royal ceiling, literal extinction and enduring legacy. On that point, cliched 'look on my works, ye mighty, and despair'. It was surprising to learn how rather overrated Lorenzo the Magnificent is. Turns out he wasn't the greatest of the Medici. Rather like Suleiman, he was more of an apres moi type of ruler.

The book also provides a view of the exercise of power among the States of Europe from the Mediaeval to the Early Modern Era. There is a cavalcade of political machinations, assassinations, arranged marriages, war and disputes over precedence and rank. Other than Florence, Rome is the city that features the most. A testament to the Eternal City's importance to the political manoeuvres of Europe's dynasties.

I have no complaints. Read if you're curious about the Medici or the Europe they helped birth.

[Jaime K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an extensive history of the Medici family, from before they were in charge of banking (including when Florence adopted Arabic numerals) to the end of the main string of the family.

I've listened to another book on the Medici and found that this one was much more dry and boring. Granted, it was fascinating to learn about their influence on the Duomo as well as the history of how and why they came into all their power, but I felt like the info as a whole dragged on.

[Rosemary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Laborious

[Romulus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jedyną wadą tej książki jest podtytuł (oryginalny i polski). Nie ma w tej historii niczego tajemnego, co należało odkryć lub ujawnić.

To fascynująca opowieść o rodzinie Medyceuszy. Od XIII po XVIII wiek. Od szybkiego wzrostu kupieckiej rodziny, bo bankierstwo, walkę o władzę, zależność od Cesarstwa, tytuł książęcy, wpływy na europejskich dworach aż po smutny, dekadencki upadek. To również opowieść o tym, jak wiele zależało od charakteru władcy - zarówno dla pomyślności rodu, jaki i losów kraju - w tym przypadku Toskanii. Nic nowego, ale warto to sobie raz za razem uświadamiać takimi lekcjami historii.

Książkę świetnie się czyta. To zasługa autorki. Świetnie pisze, nie zadręcza akademickim stylem. Lubię wracać do Toskanii, nawet w książkach historycznych. A dzięki tej kolejny, rzeczywisty powrót do niej będzie ciekawszy. Niektóre znajome miejsca i ulice widzę teraz w innym świetle. Jestem bogatszy o znajomość kontekstu.

A sama dynastia Medyceuszy nie była jakoś specjalnie wybitna ani wyróżniającą się na tle innych. Przez wielu współczesnych była uważana za parweniuszowską, szczególnie przez inne arystokratyczne rody Italii. Ale mimo wzlotów i smutnego upadku pozostawiła po sobie historyczną perłę jaką po dziś dzień pozostaje Florencja. Już po upadku Medyceuszy, od XVIII wieku po dziś dzień pozostaje "must see" dla każdego turysty. Kiedyś etap Grand Tour dla każdego obytego lub chcącego za takiego uchodzić gentlemana oraz dla młodych dam. Dziś jest bezlitośnie zadeptywana przez wszystkich, w tym przez piszącego te słowa, który łącznie spędził w niej i Toskanii ponad miesiąc życia. A to nie koniec. I to właśnie jest spuścizna Medyceuszy, która trwa od wieków.

[Tin Wegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

After having visited Florence, I came across this book at a book sale and thought: Why not? Let’s see what I may learn about the Medici family. Hollingsworth provides an overview of the rise and fall - and end - of the Medici family by mixing historical accounts with what feels like “and they are just like us” and “what on earth were they thinking” stories into a mostly enjoyable read. The main, partly unsurprising, takeaways include: money buys you anything, no sons no luck, a healthier lifestyle could have prevented those diseases, and politics have always been a game of backstabbing.

[Matilda · Rating 4 out of 5]

made me obsessed with the Medici family. Great writing and historical timeline, with interesting (and sometimes funny) remarks and comments

[Grace Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
i guess one of the lessons here is that you can never be too comfortable in your position of power

[Riq Hoelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just terribly dry

[Clay Kallam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a hard one to review, because for a certain type of reader "The Family Medici" is a very good read -- and I happen to be that kind of reader.

But for others, the simple recitation of the Medici family's history in Florence might seem almost aimless, for there's no attempt by Mary Hollingsworth to draw any grand conclusions about history, or the Renaissance, or art patronage. "The Family Medici" is the story of this fascinating Italian family's journey through the complex politics and ugly realities of medieval life, and Hollingsworth does nothing to gloss over the less savory aspects of the time.

For example, she pretty much destroys any sense that the famed Lorenzo was anything like "magnificent," laying out his profligate spending, persistent public relations and autocratic tendencies in detail. She also spares no mercy for the popes of that time, chronicling their corruption, secular interests and of course, their focus on their families to the detriment of the Church itself.

And as this sumptuously illustrated book moves on -- it's a miracle it's only $20 -- it also becomes clear how fragile life was at the time, even without the occasional outbursts of plague. Yes, poisoning was common around the papal court, but people died young from disease, accident (banging a head on a doorway, for example) and simple bad luck. The dynastic plans of the Medici, the Hapsburgs, the Bourbons, the Borgias and every other powerful family were at the mercy of death in childbirth or lack of male offspring, which turned the wheels of history in a different direction.

Again, I enjoyed this book, as Hollingsworth is a good writer, but it is more a chronicle of events than a novelistic version of history. Still, if Renaissance Italy holds much fascination for you, "The Family Medici" will broaden and deepen your knowledge of that complex and complicated historial era.

[Jim McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a great summary of the entire history of the Medici and debunks some of the myth they created about their role in the renaissance. There are more interesting and detailed books about the individual members of the Medici but I would definitely recommend this as a first read on the subject.

[JodiP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great preparation for my trip to Florence. It describes the seamier side of the family's actions, which of course there were some. Lorenzo isn't quite the artist many other sources make him out to be, for example. It was wonderful visiting their first little house and seeing how they used frescoes to signifiy their importance through the use of Greek and Roman myth.

[Wendel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book runs you through the rise and fall of the Medici dynasty. Starting as simple bankers, working arduously to obtain a noble status, navigating their way through the European nobility and eventually falling into vanity and eventually extinction.

With such a long time span it is ambitious to write an informative and compelling story. As such, Hollingsworth only did the former. We go through each era of Medici rulers, and the (very) necessary historical landscape of Europe at times is presented too. I must admit, for someone who lacks knowledge here this part is done very well. The book is relatively easy to follow, compared to how dense it is.

On top of that the book does well in reminding the reader of the sources of some of the information. At the start of the book some ideas are largely built on ledgers of the government administration of Florence. This unique insight into what I can only image is the way historians work daily was a refreshing way of valuing the information of the book. Of course, not all Medici lineages and eras are documented as well as others, but Hollingsworth does a good job at giving each period enough space despite sources being more limiting here and there.

And while this book had both comprehensive structure and clever use references, it is an otherwise dry tale with lifeless writing. The Medici family's tale is filled with extravagant characters and incredible stories, but Hollingsworth sticks to her strict structure and dedicates even to the maddest of Medici only one or two paragraphs. I suppose that simply says something about the scope of the book: documenting an entire family's history spanning almost 6 centuries in 300 pages is bound to be rushed. That said, a little more enthusiasm in the writing would have gone a long way.

In any case I was tempted to score this book higher since the stories presented are genuinely interesting. They led me to delve deeper into the Italian renaissance, its art and its politics. Unfortunately I think many different books could have exploited this part of my own interest much better.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars if that were possible.

Note: I haven't finished this book. I start to lose interest in Florence after the Medici become pawns of greater actors (after Guilio's siege), so I haven't read beyond this point. The political gravity shifts away from Florence here and events just become somewhat lesser.

The book started off wonderfully. I was truly gripped by the prologue, detailing the siege mentioned above and how it progressed. This set up extraordinary hopes, which honestly weren't quite fulfilled by what came next.

The history was enjoyable and Mary paints an immersive picture of Florentine life, and certain events are similarly well told.

The overall theme for the book (the "revisionist" history), seemed to be somewhat lacking however. Perhaps this gets going in the latter part which I have not read.

I was excited to read this and the prologue heightened this sense even further, however, I did find myself less drawn back with each subsequent chapter.

From memory, Cosimo's story was the most well done and interesting.

Worth reading if you are a fan of the period. But don't expect anything revolutionary if you are already acquainted with Florence in the 15th century.

[Supriyo Chaudhuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty readable history of Europe's one of the best known families, picking the story from the time when the family moved to Florence, through Giovanni di Bicci's business successes, Cosimo's undermining of the republic, through the more well known Medicis and right to the very end, when the male line ended. Written with an intent to debunk the 'Medici Myth', the book chooses to focus on the endless intrigues, tales of bribery, advantageous marriages and the murders of Medici princesses, and somewhat less on the familiar stories of Medici brilliance. Michelangelo only makes flitting appearance, as does Botticelli, though Vasari and later Gallileo have greater roles. Instead, the endless streams of Popes, royal houses of France, Spain and Austria get greater attention. It's a fascinating story though the names and families becomes somewhat tedious in the end. Also, in a way, it's a tale of personalities - not really my thing - rather than ideas and everyday Florence or Rome. Hence, four stars rather than five, but otherwise, someone interested in tracing the rise and fall of the Medici will find a lot here.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

At nearly 500 pages long, this book is definitely a commitment. It's an easy read, very informative, and I loved all the pictures. I really felt like I learned a lot and there are some aspects of Medici history that have continued to make me ponder the nature of power and wealth long after I finished the book. I like books that give me a lot to think about.

However, I do think the book felt formulaic after a while. Each chapter was, "Here's this generation's patriarch. This is how he made his money. He married this woman. He arranged these marriages for his sisters and children. These are the wars he got involved in. He patronized the arts in this way. He died." I wanted more. A deeper delve. Which I realize isn't really possible with this much history and that it would serve me better to discover if there are books out there just about the specific Medicis I found most interesting.

It's amazing how Medieval Europe was such a different world from our own in so many ways and yet in others, things haven't changed at all.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What an epic trip!

This book goes through the rise and fall of the Medici through the centuries with such intriguing detail and thoughtful investigation into the cast of characters. Through the course of reading this book I’ve written 14 points of history or people that deserve looking into more deeply. The marriage of Ferdinando II to Vittoria delle Rovere, for example - what a disaster of merging a weak character with a horrible character that ultimately led to the downfall of the dynasty. Or the back-and-forth of anti-Semitic policies, such as when it was instituted that Jews in Florence had to wear a yellow O on their hats. Or the assassination of Duke Alessandro d’Medici by his cousin Lorenzino d’Medici. Not to mention the Pazzi Conspiracy - there must be an epic book on that shebang someone can recommend.

All in all, absolutely loved devouring this. An absolute must for my fellow history buffs.

[Will Waller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family Medici was given to me by a church member who thought that I would be interested. Note, I know next to nothing about Italian history, about city-states on the peninsula, or about this family.

The book offers a summary of the different individuals in this highly researched and readable book. What strikes me about the family is just how different each individual's approach to power was. Also, each leader blends their Roman Catholicism with their grab for power. Finally, I was intrigued by their relationship to science and specifically Galileo, who was sponsored by one of the Medici's.

This was not a book I would have ever picked up to read on my own, so I am thankful that someone lent it to me to study and learn. That's the benefit of my rules (that I have to read any book that someone gives to me - I'm reading far beyond the scope of my personal preference).

[Dayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning for the first time about the powerful works of art brought and made in Florence due to the Medici Family during the Renaissance, I am grateful. Such artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Buonarroti sculptured the David statue. now seen in the Uffizi Art Museum in Florence. And counterintuitively, the statue of David (of David and Goliath fame) does not represent the Medici Family. No, the citizens felt so "put upon" by the continual wars and taxes, they identified with David, and felt that the Family Medici was the Goliath.

I also learned that the plural of Medici is NOT Medicis. It is Medici (same as singular).

Florence's gold coin, the florin, became a standard currency across Europe in the 14th century). And the Medici bank grew into the most powerful in Europe in the 15th century, with branches in Rome, Venice, Naples, Milan, London, Geneva. Even the Vatican was a major client.

Lorenzo, the Magnificent, was a self-promoter, and wasn't all that magnificent afterall

Galileo was a family tutor, and Michelangelo lived in the Medici Palace.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first started learning about the Medici family in 1994, when I was tasked to write up the informational itinerary for my study abroad group in college for our visit to Florence. I was entranced by Lorenzo and the power he wielded and the art that came at his patronage. The family's lack of scruples in gaining power and the intrigue surrounding their marriages and accumulations of papal power is no secret. They are fascinating, but also mostly abhorrent.

This compendium is comprehensive, but lacking in soul in the telling. It is a gathering of facts and figures and dates that one could just as easily gain by reading the Wikipedia articles of each family member. Good for resourcing; not great reading.