Religion was spoken of disparagingly only every now and then, especially when making reference to Michelangelo's zeal or how Leonardo was greater than all the others because he was agnostic/atheistic, though even he could "fall prey" to the thinking of the church. Again, this could have been an interesting contrast and way of speaking on art patronage, where artists may not necessarily have believed in what they were creating or even the church they worked for. But once more, we were left feeling like the author just wanted to disparage anyone who believed, especially someone like Michelangelo, who could have been maligned because of his sexuality. These things are not mutually exclusive and certainly weren't in the age of the Renaissance. 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. Jedyną wadą tej książki jest podtytuł (oryginalny i polski). Nie ma w tej historii niczego tajemnego, co należało odkryć lub ujawnić. 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.

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. 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. Godfathers of the Renaissance, chronicles the life, rise and fall of the De Medici dynasty from the 15 century through the renaissance and the prominence of Florence on the European and world stage. A family heritage deeply rooted in banking, Finance and Commerce, are elevated to become a prominent family in Italian politics. The story is interwoven with the greatest renaissance artists Leonardo DaVinci, Donatello, Michelangelo who were nurtured and championed by Lorenzo De Medici earning him the title of patron of arts and Godfather of the renaissance.

3 Top Books about the Medici family

Strathern does an excellent job of writing a popular history in a way that is simultaneously engaging and informative. I feel like I have a much better understand of the Medici than I did previously. It is an excellent popular history to introduce centuries of a fascinating family. 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. Having gotten pretty hooked on the history of the Roman Republic and Empire, it was a natural progression to want to understand the later history of the Italian Renaissance, along with all the warring city-states and complicated power struggles of them with the Papal States, European Powers, and Eastern Orthodox Church. It’s just such a convoluted and fascinating mess, and yet despite all the power struggles and brutality and violence, it also gave birth to this incredible flowering of intellectual creativity that eschewed the narrow and dogmatic Medieval Christian mentality, and produced such artistic geniuses as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and the stunning architecture, much inspired by classical Greek and Roman culture. I се случват малко интересни и заслужаващи споменаване факти, като сред тях е присъствието на Галилео Галилей, забележителен математик и астроном, музеят му във Флоренция е събрал невероятна колекция от научни открития променили света. If you want to know who the Medici really were, these are the books you should start with.They are filled with vivid details and well-told stories and are indispensable reads for fans of the Medici family. They also paint a picture of Renaissance life in Florence which is interesting if you’re planning a visit to the city. 3 Top Books about the Medici family

While the Medici influence in painting, sculpture and architecture is widely known, the book explores Medici influence on music, poetry, philosophy and science particularly through patronship of Gallileo. 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. Third, anyone writing a popular history should know to keep themselves out of their work, but Strathern constantly injects his views on religion and politics. It's fine to hold and share one's opinions on these topics, but this is not the place. 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. After a Prologue on events of April 1478, the book begins with Giovanni di Bicci de Medici (1389-1464), who founded what was to become the most famous bank of Italy, and his son Cosimo who expanded the bank’s geographical footprint and laid the political foundation for growing the family’s influence. As Cosimo was groomed for leadership, he groomed his sons. Strathern poses that because the Medici’s were not nobles and Florence was a republic the family built its political position by bonding with the people through buildings, public art, hosting dignitaries with large community events and presenting a modest demeanor.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. The Medici: Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance" tells the story of Medici, from the family's early days to the last Medici ruler of Florence. Inevitably, Medici's story is also the story of Florence, Renaissance and lots of fascinating characters with whom Medici interacted, from Donatello, Brunelleschi, Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo to Benvenuto Cellini, Giorgio Vasari and Galileo Galilei, to name just a few. For those who haven’t watched the series or read the book, I would highly recommend that you combine. The book provides more detail than the series, particularly around the events in Europe and the rest of Italy, but the televised series brings the characters to life in a way a history book will not, and what a great cast they were. 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. In some ways (in strange ways, for that matter), this book came across homophobic and in some instances, anti-religion. Neither are things I would have expected to deal with when reading about Renaissance Italy or Florence in particular, which was a haven of artists, many of whom we would now place somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Michelangelo was given the worst treatment in this regard because he was looked down upon by the author for being both homosexual and highly religious. Aspects and "flaws" of his character, as well as of other big names like Leonardo, Donatello, and members of the Medici family itself, were explained by their sexuality being "abnormal."

Also what’s his deal with seeing women only as prostitutes or mothers - apart from the two Medici queens which I guess he had to include? Also what’s his deal with focusing so much on the weight of the Medici rulers?? And calling Bacchus a Greek god?!?! More to the point, these things had nothing directly to do with the Medici family and he could have moved past them entirely. Mention the names of the great artists they worked with and move on. There was no need to delve into the details of their personal lives and beliefs as it didn't need to talk about them at all. Every bit of focus could have gone to members of the family. Perhaps, if Catholicism and homosexuality are topics you dislike, Renaissance Italy may not be the proper focus. This is a particularly difficult story to tell as it spans several centuries, a huge range of characters from the Medici themselves to foreign royalty as well as all the great artists of the era and a fundamentalist preacher in Savonarola who would nearly bring them down. 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.

Inspire Me

First, the time spent on the significant Medici women was next to nothing. I feel like I barely know anything about Catherine de' Medici, even though she was one of the most influential people in Europe during her lifetime. More time and description was devoted to non-Medici men, such as Machiavelli and Galileo, important as they were. That being said there are a few aspects to his writing that take it down a few stars from where it could have been. But. There’s no avoiding the homophobia so evident throughout the book. It’s somewhat interesting how Strathern manages to do what more historians should, aka recognise that gay people have existed always and some relationships truly are more than “a close friendship” - but he does it in such a cringey uncomfortable way. Furthermore, it seems like he blamed all the faults of people on their sexuality?? Not cool. I was able to ignore it at first but the more the book progresses the more it started to bother me. 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. What we have in this book is a spotlight shone on a family who either ruled or influenced events in Florence for nearly four centuries and all the events which, through their patronage, they helped shape and which in turn moulded each generation of the family as they took over.