Medici << MEHD ih chee >> was the name of a ruling family of Florence, Italy. Members of the family played important parts in the history of Italy and France from the 1400’s to the 1700’s. Their great wealth and influence as bankers gave them control of Florence.
Except for brief periods, the Medici ruled Florence from the early 1400’s to 1737. Their cultural interests led them to become patrons of the arts, and Florence became an art center under their rule. Michelangelo and Raphael were among the artists the Medici helped.
Giovanni de’ Medici is considered the first great Medici. He made a fortune in banking and commerce in the late 1300’s. His son Cosimo de’ Medici became the first Medici to win wide fame. He ruled Florence from 1434 to 1464 and gave large sums of money for the arts. Cosimo’s grandson Lorenzo de’ Medici was the most famous Medici. Called “Lorenzo the Magnificent,” he ruled Florence from 1469 to 1492. Under him, Florence achieved its greatest splendor and was one of Italy’s most powerful cities.
The Medici influence extended to Rome when three members of the family became popes. Leo X reigned from 1513 to 1521 and Clement VII from 1523 to 1534. Leo XI was pope for only 27 days in 1605. Two women of the Medici family became queens of France. They adopted the French spelling of the name, de Médicis. Catherine de Médicis, the wife of Henry II and mother of three French kings, was a powerful force in France from 1559 until her death in 1589. Marie de Médicis married Henry IV. After his death in 1610, Marie ruled until her son Louis XIII took over.
