Lorenzo de' Medici and the Italian renaissance

from my IB history IA

by Asta

To what extent was Lorenzo de’ Medici responsible for bringing cultural and economic stability to Florence from 1469 to 1491?

Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources

This investigation aims to examine the research question: “To what extent was Lorenzo de’ Medici responsible for bringing cultural and economic stability to Florence from 1469 to 1491?”. This is significant for research because Lorenzo de’ Medici was considered to be a guiding hand of the Italian Renaissance but his lack of success as a businessman and the aftermath of the Pazzi conspiracy has led to much debate about his economic contributions to Florence during his time in power (1469-1491), thus bringing into question the cultural and economic stability brought about by Lorenzo (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia; The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). This historical investigation will use and evaluate primary and secondary sources to explore the research question.

‘Lorenzo de’ Medici and the Art of Magnificence’

The origin of Australian historian F.W. Kent’s book, ‘Lorenzo de’ Medici and the Art of Magnificence' (2004), is valuable since the writer had the benefit of hindsight, which meant the events of late 1400s Florence were seen in a balanced perspective, equally discussing Lorenzo de’ Medici’s strengths and weaknesses (Kent). However, a limitation of this origin is the lack of first-hand accounts of the late 15th-century life in Florence, as influenced by Lorenzo; whatever accounts are given have been translated from Italian to English, and may thereby have inaccurate meanings. Since the purpose is academic and the book is sponsored by Johns Hopkins University, it is factually verified and a reliable source of information about Lorenzo’s lifetime achievements, or lack of, making it of great value.

The content is valuable as seen in an extract from the book. The extract proves Lorenzo’s early interest in the patronage of the arts as he served “on several works committees, watching important commissions mature” and yet “travelled widely in Italy, bringing home from Rome precious antiquities” (Kent 45). The content is also valuable because it establishes the political pressure Lorenzo faced at the start of his reign as he “found it necessary to repress ideas and projects that were beginning to bubble to the surface” (Kent 46). Although the content here provides a limitation: it enhances Lorenzo’s developing cultural stance, but doesn’t highlight the particular economic burdens that constrained him since “he was still learning” (Kent 45).

This source is hence relevant to this investigation because it contextualises Lorenzo de’ Medici as a leader and provides an understanding of his background and identity.

‘The Life of Lorenzo De’ Medici, Called the Magnificent’

The next source by English historian and art collector, William Roscoe, is a biography called ‘The Life of Lorenzo De' Medici, Called the Magnificent’ (1865), focusing on the significance of the de’ Medici family on Italian history (Roscoe). It has a valuable origin since it was written by a famed historian who was also a politician, in English, so nothing was lost in translation. Being the eighth edition though, the origin of the source is a limitation as historical specifics may have been altered by iterations and revisions. The purpose of providing a detailed biography of the de’ Medici family is valuable in seeing the causation of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s rise and his influence on great Renaissance figures like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci (Lumen Learning). Nevertheless, being a biography, there are barely any references to the views of the Florentines during Lorenzo’s growth and decline. The content of the source is valuable, as seen in an extract that provides insight into Lorenzo’s sole intention “of humanizing and improving his countrymen”, which also displays his lack of focus on Florence’s economic development (Roscoe 405).

This source is relevant because it highlights Lorenzo’s priorities and values, though its focus barely wavers from the primary subject to give a view of Florence as a whole at this time.

Section 2: Investigation

Lorenzo de’ Medici, or Lorenzo il Magnifico, born in 1449 Florence, succeeded his father Piero de’ Medici as the leader of the Medici family in 1469 (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Initially gaining success as Florentine bankers, the Medici family later held great prestige in Italy through their patronage of the arts, humanities, and political standing, although Lorenzo de’ Medici started very young and thus drained out his funds due to inexperience (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Therefore, this essay aims to investigate Lorenzo de’ Medici’s role in bringing cultural and economic stability in Florence during his time of power.

Lorenzo de’ Medici’s Reverence of the Arts

Lorenzo was known to have great veneration for the fine arts, architecture, music and literature, also growing up to be adept in branches of science. His own multifaceted life as a poet of several sonnets and odes, building appreciation for poetic realism in his works, led Lorenzo to fill Florence with festivities and creativity, often at the cost of great expenditure but never ceasing the way of life he believed all Florentines must live (Lucchi and Knopf ; Thiem; Kent 81). This was often said by him, as expressed in the initial four lines of his poem, Trionfo (Lucchi and Knopf):

“YOUTH is sweet and well

But doth speed away!

Let who will be gay,

To-morrow, none can tell.”

Such an ideology proves Lorenzo de’ Medici’s personal motivation to reinvent Florence in all its splendour because no one could tell what the future of Florence could be. This approach of making the most of the talent and richness inherent in Florentine society is what led to a superior Renaissance environment. Similarly, according to Bonnie J. Blackburn and Frank D'Accone (American musicologists), letters between Lorenzo and his ambassador in Rome on 25 June and 8 July 1491 “attest to Lorenzo's genuine love of music”, confirming that “he was no dilettante, nor was he spurred to enrich the city of Florence musically merely by a spirit of competition” (Blackburn 20). This shows that Lorenzo’s passion for the arts was genuine and culturally motivated for the advancement of Florentine society.

Patronage

Furthermore, Lorenzo’s most esteemed role as patron of the arts is considered by many historians a catalyst to the success of Italian artists, as he sponsored renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Filippino Lippi (Lumen Learning). He raised and funded many painters, architects, sculptors like Bertoldo in his garden, alongside young Michelangelo “who loved and feared this lord” (Vasari 418, 419). The garden - with a vast collection of sculptures and a space for artistic expression on the Piazza di S. Marco in Florence - came to represent Lorenzo’s cultural stature (Fordham Art History). Italian painter and historian Giorgio Vasari noted in 1550 that Lorenzo was less interested in collecting antiques than focusing on creating “a school for excellent painters and sculptors”, which seems to lead to F.W Kent’s opinion that “Non-Florentines began to admire Lorenzo’s taste in sculpture” as well, proof of which was captured in a letter by Federigo da Montefeltro in May 1473, praising the virtù of Lorenzo’s ventures (Vasari 418, 419; Kent 76, 77). This is why, as considered by British historian Edward Lee Stuart Horsburgh, Lorenzo de’ Medici was “the physical embodiment of that which the Renaissance came to represent, more so than any of his contemporaries” (Cuozzo).

However, historians have also accounted for political and diplomatic reasons for such an elaborate patronage, along with identifying Lorenzo de’ Medici’s leniencies. For example, art historian Caroline Elam suggests that Lorenzo supplied the model for the Villa at Poggio Reale near Naples, and rumoured to have designed it himself to extend his worth as a connoisseur and gain “political goodwill” (Elam 820). Presenting an alternative perspective on Lorenzo’s character, David Rundle, a historian of the European Renaissance, highlights Lorenzo’s preference for those “born of noble blood”, believing that those born into poverty strive to avoid hardship and therefore cannot tap into their intellect or potential (Rundle 2). Altogether though, Lorenzo de’ Medici’s patronage, regardless of its motivation, certainly aided Italian culture and impacted future generations of artists.

Politics

As Lorenzo grew into a prominent political figure in Florence, following in his father’s footsteps, he maintained “the existing political infrastructure supported by Florentine citizens”, a governmental system of guilds, the Signoria (Cuozzo). This historical context of equal representation of Florentine communities, wherein Lorenzo was also treated as an equal, kept the system intact, ensuring that culture flourished as the city’s art and architecture were made for the people, by the people. This is supported by William Roscoe, who clarified the public’s view on the House of Medici: “the Florentines considered the Medici as the fathers, and not as the rulers of the republic” (Roscoe 9). Additionally, unlike his grandfather Cosimo de’ Medici, Lorenzo had grown up prepared to take the helm of the Medici’s political ideals, exposed to the already-present Medici power in the city (Gilbert). Thus, Lorenzo was “Florence’s top man and the leading untitled man in Italy” (Kent 81), as recounted by the Ferrarese chronicler Ugo Caleffini.

Banking Failures

Though a strong patron, il Magnifico did not show equal capacity as a businessman, though banking was the Medici family’s original area of success. In fact, according to historian Janet Ross, “Lorenzo was much inferior to his grandfather Cosimo in commercial talent” (Ross 144). Neglecting the Medici family’s main source of income has often been considered a mistake made by Lorenzo de’ Medici, but then again, it has been clear even to economists like Richard Sylla that Lorenzo was “much more interested in art and politics than in banking” (Sylla). Lorenzo himself remarked in his Ricordi di Lorenzo de' Medici that from 1434 to 1471, incredible sums of “663,755 florins for alms, buildings, and taxes, let alone other expenses” were spent, before also confessing the problematic nature “on account of my [Lorenzo de’ Medici] youth and the great responsibility and perils arising therefrom” (Ross 155, 154). But this timeline is perhaps not an entirely accurate depiction of de’ Medici’s expenses as it also takes into account the outflow of capital thirty five years before Lorenzo’s leadership (Ross 155). Moreover, there has also been an incident of “direct embezzlement of public funds from the Monte (city treasury) for personal use by Lorenzo” (Stephenson). Therefore, Lorenzo’s failure to maintain his family’s banking legacy and manipulation of political power resulted in economic downfall that would last for generations.

The Pazzi Conspiracy

Within the Cathedral of Florence in April, 1478, due to the contempt of Florentine noble families, an ambush followed Lorenzo and his brother (who was killed) (Cuozzo). According to an Art History thesis from Rutgers University, the Pazzi plot of assassination failed but the Medici family was demerited when Pope Sixtus IV excommunicated Lorenzo, seizing the opportunity to ally with Naples and occupy Tuscany for two years - this worsened the economic situation in Florence (Cuozzo). Not to mention, Lorenzo had defied Giovanni di’ Bicci's (founder of the Medici bank) dying wish: “Stay out of the public eye” (Cuozzo). This later incited political instability following Lorenzo’s untimely death, destroying all that The Magnificent had put in place artistically, philosophically, and diplomatically (Cuozzo).

In conclusion, evidence shows that Lorenzo de’ Medici was by far a better politician than businessman and is incomparable to Cosimo de’ Medici in this respect. However, Lorenzo’s true commitment to the progress of Renaissance art and culture is undeniable, as historiography and further artistic analysis proves the significance of this one individual during the Italian Renaissance. Hence, Lorenzo de’ Medici was indeed responsible for bringing cultural stability to Florence from 1469-1491, but lacked the training and will to bring about economic stability as well.

Section 3: Reflection

Throughout this investigation, the selection and evaluation of both primary and secondary sources, identifying biases, reliability of information, loss of evidence, and presenting multiple perspectives were all relevant factors impacting the examination of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s power in Florence.

The primary sources used in this investigation were mainly Lorenzo’s poetry along with his Ricordi di Lorenzo de' Medici, and these were used more as confirmatory evidence to the analysis of Lorenzo’s patronage and banking problems rather than to create further historical debate, which is why autobiographical references were selected as evidence. The secondary sources were mostly chosen from renaissance historians and art historians in order to give both a retrospective and immediate view of Florence under Lorenzo. Collecting relatively recent work from research papers and dissertations helped build an argument that gave insight to de' Medici’s decline, while evaluating Vasari’s and Roscoe’s older accounts highlighted the appreciation shown to Lorenzo’s uncompromising attitude to the Florentine people's way of life.

As this investigation was an exploration of both culture and economics, it was necessary to have varied secondary sources to provide a multitude of perspectives on late 1400s Florence. Thus, perspectives of an economist and musicologist were emphasised on, confirming how a historian’s argument can never be one-sided. Hence, balancing these individual biases and the context which they presented added to the variety of challenges.

Another challenge was of the secondary sources, since the books or manuscripts published in later editions rather than the original edition may have resulted in critical information unavailable now. Similarly, several letters exchanged between Lorenzo and others have been lost over time and much has gone untranslated. Linguistically, this is a volatile timeline too, since the 15th century was the time when Vulgar Latin or colloquial Latin was gradually turning into what we know as Italian today - this has affected the accuracy of the translation and for a historian, also makes primary sources challenging to unravel.

Lastly, extracting and assimilating the appropriate information from extensive content provided in most secondary sources further conveyed the difficulties of producing convincing evidence for analysis. Additionally, another challenge faced was connecting Lorenzo de’ Medici to his family line, because he cannot be kept separate from the House of Medici as it was the entire lineage that influenced Florence. This thus established the historical challenge of treating events devoid of their past and future.

Works Cited

Blackburn, Bonnie J. “Lorenzo de' Medici, a Lost Isaac Manuscript and the Venetian Ambassador.” Musica Franca: Essays in Honour of Frank A. D'Accone.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. “Medici, Lorenzo de.'” Infoplease, Columbia University Press, 2012, https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/history/italian/medici-lorenzo-de-1449-92-italian-merchant-prince. Accessed 2021.

Cuozzo, Nicholas J. “The Florentine House of Medici (1389-1743): Politics, Patronage, and the Use of Cultural Heritage in Shaping the Renaissance.” Graduate School—New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, May 2015, https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/47346/PDF/1/play/.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pazzi conspiracy | Italian history.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 May 2011, https://www.britannica.com/event/Pazzi-conspiracy. Accessed 2 April 2021.

Elam, Caroline. “Art and Diplomacy in Renaissance Florence.” RSA Journal, vol. 136, 1988, pp. 813-826. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41377296 .

Fordham Art History. “Lorenzo De' Medici's Sculpture Garden.” Lorenzo De' Medici's Sculpture Garden and the Florence of Michelangelo's Youth, Omeka., https://michelangelo.ace.fordham.edu/exhibits/show/michelangelosyouth/sculpturegarden. Accessed 10 04 2021.

Gilbert, Kelly A. “Medici Power and Patronage Under Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent.” Senior Honors Thesis, Eastern Michigan University, Honors Program, 25 04 2005, http://www.andallthat.co.uk/uploads/2/3/8/9/2389220/thes_hon_05_gilbertk_1.pdf.

Kent, F.W. Lorenzo de' Medici and the Art of Magnificence, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004.

Lucchi, Lorna de', and Alfred A. Knopf. “Lorenzo de' Medici, Poems, Italian text and English translation with biographical Notes by Lorna de' Lucchi, from An Anthology of Italian Poems 13th-19th century Matthew: capitolo; poetry, Renaissance Italian literature online text; 15th 16th century poet. New York, Nabu Press, 1922. elfinspell, https://elfinspell.com/MediciPoem.html. Accessed 5 April 2021.

Lumen Learning. “Ch. 10 The Renaissance, Arts and Patronage.” Western Civilization, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-herkimer-westerncivilization/chapter/art-and-patronage/. Accessed 10 04 2021.

Roscoe, William. The Life of Lorenzo de' Medici, Called the Magnificent. Eighth Edition ed., London, J. E. ADLARD, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE., 1865.

Ross, Janet. Lives of the Early Medici. London, Chatto & Windus, 1910.

Rundle, David. “Giorgio Vasari on Pietro Torrigiano (1472-1528).” Seminar 9: Set Reading – Primary Source, 2014. Accessed 10 04 2021.

Stephenson, Harry Don. ““Unlucky in affairs of business….” Turning Points in the life of Lorenzo de Medici Harry Don Stephenson, Jr.” DukeSpace, https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/11158/Unlucky%20in%20affairs%20of%20business%20(final%20version).pdf;sequence=1. Accessed 12 February 2022.

Sylla, Richard. “History of the Medici Bank: Connoisseurs and Corruption.” FORA.tv, 28 March 2013, https://youtu.be/g-3nYqxgH50. Accessed 09 April 2021.

Thiem, Jon. “Lorenzo de’ Medici Selected Poems and Prose.” Penn State University Press, The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1992, https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-00772-9.html. Accessed 2021.

Vasari, Giorgio. The Lives of the Artists. New York, Oxford University Press, 1991.

[subject to plagiarism]