Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici
| Giovanni de' Medici | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Portrait by Cristofano dell'Altissimo. | |
| Spouse(s) | Piccarda Bueri |
| Issue | |
| Cosimo de' Medici Lorenzo the Elder |
|
| Noble family | Medici |
| Father | Averardo de' Medici |
| Mother | Jacopa Spini |
| Born | 1360 Florence, Republic of Florence |
| Died | 20 February 1429 (aged 69) Florence, Republic of Florence |
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360 – February 20/28, 1429) was an Italian banker, the first historically relevant member of Medici family of Florence, and the founder of the Medici bank. He was the father of Cosimo de' Medici (Pater Patriae), and great-grandfather of Lorenzo de Medici (the Magnificent).
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[edit] Biography
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was born in Florence, the son of Averardo de' Medici. Though he is considered the founder of the rich Medici dynasty, he was not born into a rich family. The little money left by his father was divided between a widow and five sons, leaving Giovanni with little.
Giovanni was somewhat uninterested in politics, unless the issues pertained to his family or bank. Often when his name was put forward to participate in the Florentine government (reggimento), he chose to pay the fine rather than serve, although he did serve one term as Gonfaloniere.
Giovanni was the head of an early "multi-national" company, as the family bank, his main commercial interest, had branches throughout the northern Italian city-states and beyond. In 1410, Giovanni bet on the return of the papacy to Rome, and was correct. Rewarding Giovanni for his support, subsequent popes made use of the de' Medici banks. Giovanni was also rewarded with tax-farming contracts and the rights to many alum mines. He set his family on the path to becoming one of the richest dynasties in Europe, thereby making an essential stride towards its later cultural and political eminence. One way in which he laid the groundwork for this was by marrying Piccarda Bueri, whose family was old and respectable and who brought a dowry.[1]
When he died, he was one of the richest men in Florence. He was buried in the Old Sacristy of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence[2] and his wife was buried with him after her death four years later.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Pernis, Maria Grazia and Adams, Laurie (2006). Lucrezia Tornabuoni de' Medici and the Medici family in the fifteenth century. Peter Lang Publishing, Inc, New York.
[edit] Children
[edit] External links
- PBS - Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
- History of the Medici family
- THE MEDICI Genealogical tree from Florence Art Guide - The Renaissance
- Medici Family from The Galileo Project
- Image of Medici family tree
