The Final Report

House of Medici

 

Introduction 

 

My research project was on the Medici family and their Libraries in Florence. I took a dive into the Family’s history and family tree, as well as their rise and fall as a Dynasty. I also looked into the creation and history of their Libraries in Florence, including what those libraries contained and accomplished, as well as who was directly involved with the creation of Libraries, including the buildings, art and the information keep within them. 

The di Medici 

 

The Medici Family Tree

Medici Family Tree

 

According to The Medici Family : A brief history of the Medici Family by Albert Van Helden, The Medici family was a part of the patrician class and can be traced back to the 12th century Florence. Not of noble blood, throughout history the family was seen as friends to the common people. The family become quite wealthy through clever banking and by the 13th century had acquired great wealth. With this wealth came political influence and by the end of the 13th century a member of the Medici family served as Gonfaloniere of Florence.

Over the next century the family's wealth and political influence increased and with the rise of this influence, Salvestro de' Medici, who was Gonfaloniere at the time led the common people in a revolt against the ciompi (small Artisanate). Although, through this seemingly gallant act, Salvestro become an brutal dictator to the city and his downfall led to his banishment in 1382.

With the banishment came a fall in wealth and prestige until it was rebuilt within the next century by Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, who made the Medici family the wealthiest in Italy and maybe even Europe. Giovanni was made gonfaloniere in the year 1421.

Giovanni's son, Cosimo il Vecchio, came to be considered the real founder of the family's wealth through politics. Regardless of initially being banished during a political struggle with the Powerful Albizzi family, Cosimo was soon recalled to to power by the people and in 1434 he banished the Albizzi family in return. Cosimo occupied no political party but ruled the city as uncrowned king for the rest of his life and it was under this rule that fair Florence prospered.

Cosimo lived simply on his huge wealth and enacted many charitable acts, including the cultivation of literature and the arts. It is Cosimo who was responsible for amassing the largest library in Europe, including works of Plato.

During the rule of Cosimo and his sons and grandson, Florence was known as the cultural centre of Europe.

Things were generally peaceful in Florence until Cosimo's grandsons, Lorenzo and Giuliano ruled as tyrants. In an attack in 1478, Giuliano was killed and Lorenso wounded.  Lorenzo was known as the Magnificent, saw the city surpassed all earlier cultural achievements. Ficino, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Botticelli and Michelangelo rose during this high point in the Florentine Renaissance. But the goodwill of the Florentine people was eroded by the tyrannical styles of Lorenzo.

For some time after Lorenzo, various descendants ruled Florence in a generally ineffectual way and this was not changed until a new Cosimo, son of the original Cosmio il Vecchio's brother, ascended the throne in 1537. He known for transforming Tuscany into an absolutist nation state. Regardless of his political ruthlessness, Cosmo was cultured and promoted both the arts as well as the economy and military, as well as many other feats.

Over the next few century the family would become involved with Galileo, be ravaged by the plague, set up many prestigious and groundbreaking universities, academies and museums. The Medici managed to mix genes with most royal families in Europe.  Incompetence in ruling was not unknown and Florence was ravaged by wars and economic stagnancy.

Unfortunately, the house of Medici died with the last male heir, Gian Gastone di Medici in 1737.

The original ‘Godfathers’

 

The esteemed Medici family are well renowned as being the original 'Godfathers'.  Leading way for the more modern mafia’s of the likes of Lucky Luciana and Salvatore Raiina , the Medici family reached the top by no means of goodness or using a kind hand.   

In the 1300’s, the young son of a Merchant, Cosimo de' Medici  would go on to become the Godfather of a dynasty. Cosimo Cultivated the artists and thinkers who would  begin the Renaissance era.

The Medici climbed their way to the top, not through kindness and money alone, but often through bribery, corruption and violence. They exploited a network of friends of friends to get into politics as well as the church, where their power was often 'bought' and 'bribed'.

The following clip, The Renaissance and the Medici found on TheHistoryTV YouTube channel is rather simple and alludes to the beginning of the glory that would be the Medici family triumphs, with the initiatives of Cosimo being the central focus. 

Medici Libraries in Florence

 

History of the creation of the Library

 

As found via the Museums in Florence website, the Laurentian library began under the educated eye of Cosimo the elder, changing hands through inheritance, even being confiscated when the whole of the Medici family was banished in 1494. The collection was reclaimed in 1508 by Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici, who transferred the lot to Rome. The manuscripts were returned to Florence in 1523 by Giulio de' Medici, who immediately commissioned Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni to design an actual library to house the collection.

Michaelangelo took the job very seriously and spent much time on preparatory drawings for the building and spent ten years on the construction of the Library before he departed Rome in 1534. However, he continued to monitor the phases of building, with work being continued by his followers Giorgio Vasari and Bartolommeo Ammannati. 

Books were originally Chained to each row, to deter thieves.

  

The Elevation of the Library was built in the characteristic Florentine two-one combination of grey sand-stone elements on white plaster. Here Michelangelo's styles can be seen in the tabernacle niches, the paired columns and the portal. It consists of three flights of steps; the outer ones are quadrangular shaped, the central ones convex, and the bottom three steps are completely elliptical.

The books were orginially not to be kept in traditional bookshelves, but instead were chained to the reading seats. Each set of benches had a list on the bench entrance catalouging what books were contained in that row.

You can see a great lovely architectural overview of the library and discussion on Michelangelo’s specific styles in the following 'Smart History Video's' mini commentated documentary called 'Michelangelo, Laurentian Library, 1524 -71'.

Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana today

The Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana  contains some of the most important historical manuscripts from Florence. The Library is located in Piazza San Lorenzo – Firenze and holds a very vast collection of records which continue to charm and beguile the world.

The official Library website Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana advised that the collection consists of  11,000, 2,500 papyri, 43 ostraka, 566 incunabula, 1,681 sixteenth century printed books, 592 periodicals on related subjects and a total of 126,527 books dating from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. A very hefty collection if you think that this library began as a private family library.

Some of the treasures listed are such amazing manuscripts by Tacitus, Pliny, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Quintilian, the codex of Vergil, and the oldest extant copy of Justinian's Corpus Iuris, copied just after its promulgation.

The collection also boosts one of the three complete collections of Plato's Dialogi, the Squarcialupi codex (alleged the only existing source for the study of profane music between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries),  autographs of Petrarch and Boccaccio, the Storie by Guicciardini (including notes by the author) as well as the autographed biography of Benvenuto Cellini.

According to the website, due to the specific nature of the holdings, Access is generally only for scholars who can prove they are over 18 years and conducting scientific research requiring access to manuscripts or rare books. To view the originals you need to obtain a 'reader pass'.

Obtaining a reader pass is pretty strict, including provision of photo Identification, Application form and academic recommendation letters. If the required documents are then pronounced as available, you will be advised when the required records will be available for viewing. You will only be able to view up 10 items per day. It is also important to read up on the Library's 'how to pay royalties' pages, which discuss payment required for copyright and reproductions.

Alternately, a complete set of Black and White microfiche of most of the originals are freely available for your personal use.  There are also digital resources available through the online catalogue, but these are only accessible in Italian.

The websites Exhibition and Activities page contains historical exhibition information as well as up and coming. For example, from the 26th October 2012 until the 22nd June 2013 the Library has a new exhibition, Letters from far away - The Medici Printing House between Rome and the East. The exhibition is focuses on Eastern manuscripts of the Library which illustrates their history and close connection to the Medici Printing House. 

New Exhibition - Letters from far away

 

In Conclusion

 

The Medici family achieved great successes as well as great falls as Florence's first great family. From establishing a renaissance culture to bribing their way into politics and money, the Medici family were seemingly infalible in their need to climb their way to the top, no matter what the consequences. They mingled with great minds such as Galileo and Michelangelo and subsequently are responsible for one of the most important Libraries in Europe,emphasising their responsibility in the cultural overhaul of Florence. Sadly the family line ended 1737, but the immortality of their Library collection will live on for eternity.

Botticelli - The birth of Venus. An example of Renaissance art as cultivated by the Medici

Bibliography:

Wikipedia 2009, Coat of arms of the house of Medici,  viewed 31 October 2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_House_of_de%27_Medici.png.

Robert Terwilliger, Medici family tree, Twigdigs.com , viewed 31 October 2012, http://www.twigsdigs.com/sundials/polyhedral/medici_family_tree.gif.

Van Helden, Albert 2004, The Medici Family : A brief history of the Medici Family, Connexions, viewed 31 October 2012, http://cnx.org/content/m11975/1.2/.

 TheHistoryTV 2010, The Renaissance and the Medici, 15 March 2010, viewed 31 October 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsrRqsSM97U.

Museumsinflorence 2012, Laurentian library, viewed 31 October 2012, http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/laurentian_library.html.

 Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana 2001-2012, photograph the reading room, viewed 31 October 2012, http://www.bml.firenze.sbn.it/ing/tour_of_the_complex.htm.

Smarthistoryvideos 2011, Michelangelo, Laurentian Library, 1524 - 71, viewed 31 October 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUOKkeEOkXk&feature=share&list=PLc9rdsInrewGuTspcv_0xf8Iz1Mn76eq4

Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana 2001-2012, letters from far away, viewed 31 October 2012, http://www.bml.firenze.sbn.it/ing/le_vie_delle_lettere_ing.htm. 

PBS 2004, Boticelli : Birth of venus, PBS, 31 October 2012, PBS http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/gallery/bot_ven.html.