Pazzi Conspiracy

The Medici Famiglia

The Medici were an old Florentine family, of non-noble origin, who rose to prominence in the 14th century. They were successful businessmen who took an active part in the Ciompi revolt and were steady opponents of the nobility. The prospered particulary after 1386 and by 1400 were among the richest families in the city.

Cosimo

Their political fortunes were established by Cosimo de' Medici. I recount his adventures elsewhere in more detail. In brief, he was in the government, suffered reverse and exile, only to return in such complete triumph that he found himself effectively in control of Florence. Holding public office directly only rarely, Cosimo directed matters from behind the scenes, doing so with such skill and tact that he ruled perhaps more completely than if he'd held office.

Piero

Cosimo's son was conscientious but without flair for leadership. His chief virtue was the ability to avoid serious mistakes. Even so, by continuing to keep the Medici and their friends in positions of power, those who were excluded from power continued to nurse resentment.

Piero suffered from chronic gout. His health problems seriously handicapped him and led to an early grave. When he died, his son Lorenzo was only twenty-one years old.

Lorenzo

With Piero's death, surely other families could again seek a share in the city's growing wealth and power. But the day after his father died, Lorenzo received a delegation of Florence's leading men, all of whom begged him to take up his family's by-now-traditional reins of power. Lorenzo, a man of great pride and ambition, humbly agreed.

Lorenzo was one of the great figures of Florentine history, called Il Magnifico even in his own day. Here, though, I have to emphasize his negative qualities. He could be ruthless to his enemies. He had an arrogance that let him slight others without worrying about consequences. And he was absolutely determined to keep all power in his own hands.

In other words, two generations of Medici rule had already created conditions in which there were families in Florence who believed deeply that the city would be better off with the Medici out of power. Perhaps it is unfair to say that Lorenzo could have changed this, but it is indisputable that he did not try. Indeed, if anything, he made matters worse by becoming "magnificent" and thereby utterly dwarfing everyone else. A man of ambition in Florence, not fortunate enough to be in the Medici golden circle, what was he to do? For what could he hope?

Well, for one thing, he could hope for some misfortune to the Medici. And he could, perhaps, do more than hope.

Giuliano

Lorenzo is the one who gets all the attention, but at the time Giuliano was a great favorite. He was more out-going than his big brother and was more handsome. He was much-loved by Lorenzo, and was just getting to the point where he could start taking part in family matters in a serious way.