Medici (TV series)

Medici
Genre	Historical fiction
Created by	Frank Spotnitz Nicholas Meyer
Starring	Richard Madden Stuart Martin Annabel Scholey Guido Caprino Alessandro Sperduti Ken Bones Lex Shrapnel Daniel Caltagirone Valentina Bellè Alessandro Preziosi Eugenio Franceschini Sarah Felberbaum Miriam Leone Michael Schermi Tatjana Nardone Valentina Cervi Brian Cox Dustin Hoffman
Opening theme	Renaissance (From "Medici: Masters of Florence") by Paolo Buonvino & Skin
Composer	Paolo Buonvino
Country of origin	Italy United Kingdom
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	Frank Spotnitz Luca Bernabei Matilde Bernabei
Producer	Fania Petrocchi
Running time	52 minutes
Production companies	Lux Vide Big Light Productions Rai Fiction
Original release
Network	Rai 1 (Italy)
Release	18 October 2016 (2016-10-18) – present

Medici: Masters of Florence is a television drama series about the Medici dynasty, set in 15th century Florence, starring Dustin Hoffman as Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, Richard Madden as Cosimo de' Medici, and Stuart Martin as Lorenzo de' Medici (The Elder). The series was co-created by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files and Man in the High Castle) and Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (The Pillars of the Earth) is set to direct all eight episodes. Episodes 1 and 2 aired on Rai 1 (Italian TV) on 18 October 2016. According to Italian ratings compiler Auditel, it attracted a record 7.6 million viewers. The first season consists of 8 episodes.

The show has been commissioned for a second season, and is broadcast in several countries around the world; in France on SFR's premium SVOD service Zive, and Sky 1 in Germany. Netflix will carry the show in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland and India.

Plot

The series is set in the 15th century Florence, the protagonist is Cosimo the Elder, who was elected head of the Florentine Republic in 1434. Cosimo has inherited the Bank of Medici from his father Giovanni, who has been mysteriously poisoned. Through various flashbacks (20 years ago), we are introduced to a Florence at the time of Giovanni and his relationship with his sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo.

Historical Accuracy

During an interview at the Roma Fest panel in 2015, Spotnitz stated, "the season will be more thriller than historical saga . . . we begin the show with a 'what if' because we don't know how Giovanni de' Medici died. One of the questions that haunts Cosimo, is whether his father was murdered".

Cast

Main

• Richard Madden as Cosimo de' Medici: Head of the Medici family after his father's death
• Stuart Martin as Lorenzo de' Medici: Cosimo's brother
• Annabel Scholey as Contessina de' Bardi: Cosimo's wife
• Guido Caprino as Marco Bello: Cosimo's loyal friend and ally
• Alessandro Sperduti as Piero de' Medici: Cosimo's son
• Ken Bones as Ugo Bencini: Administrator of the Medici Bank
• Lex Shrapnel as Rinaldo degli Albizzi: Cosimo's enemy
• Daniel Caltagirone as Andrea Pazzi: A powerful member of the Signoria
• Valentina Bellè as Lucrezia Tornabuoni: Piero's wife
• Alessandro Preziosi as Filippo Brunelleschi
• Eugenio Franceschini as Ormanno Albizzi: Rinaldo and Alessandra's son
• Sarah Felberbaum as Maddalena: Cosimo's lover in Venice and Florence
• Miriam Leone as Bianca: Cosimo's lover in Rome
• Michael Schermi as Ricciardo: A common man of Florence, loyal to Cosimo
• Tatjana Inez Nardone as Emilia: Contessina's maid
• Valentina Cervi as Alessandra Albizzi: Rinaldo's wife
• Brian Cox as Bernardo Guadagni: Officer of the Signoria
• Dustin Hoffman as Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici: Cosimo and Lorenzo's father

Guest Cast

• David Bradley as Alessandro Bardi: Contessina's father
• Frances Barber as Piccarda Bueri: Cosimo and Lorenzo's mother
• Luigi Diberti as Messer Cavalcanti
• Ben Starr as Donatello
• David Bamber as Pope Eugene IV
• Steven Waddington as Cossa
• Alberto Sette as Corona

Technical Details

Medici: Masters of Florence was originated in 4k video and broadcast in this format on the free Italian Satellite service Tivu whilst on the Italian Digital Terrestrial service DVB-T2 it was broadcast in Full-HD 1920x1080.

Two soundtracks were transmitted: — Rai TV gave satellite and terrestrial decoder viewers the option to watch it in Italian or English.

Locations

Apart from sets and sound stages, four noticeable locations are used repeatedly throughout the series:

• Bracciano Castle The principal courtyards and staircases of the Orsini / Odescalchi castle in Bracciano double as streets in Florence, a palace in Rome and the ancestral home of Contessina de' Bardi. The central courtyard in the Castle which features a particularly recognisable staircase with the sculpture of a bear, and with the addition of the Medici Coat of Arms, this staircase becomes the principal entrance of the Medici home in Florence.
• The Villa Farnese in Caprarola and its gardens. The frescoed, and ring-vaulted internal terrace-courtyard of Villa Caprarola doubles as a Medici villa in the series, whilst an un-frescoed terrace is used as a Vatican property in Rome. The Caprarola secret gardens with their unique fountains are used to represent the Vatican Gardens.

The creators took significant liberties with sets often showing interior decorations, works of art and exterior landscapes that were created many years after the events described in the series that occur in mid-1430s. For example, the Medici Palazzo was built in 1440s-1480s and the Benozzo Gozzoli frescoes of Magi Chapel that are shown in the Cosimo study were executed by in 1459-1461. The Lorenzo rooms are decorated with Giulio Romano fresco "Mars and Venus" which was painted in 1520s in Palazzo Te in Mantova. During exile in Venice the church of Santa Maria della Salute built in 1630's is repeatedly shown as part of Venice city landscape. Villa Medici contains work by Perugino "Fortitude and Temperance with Six Antique Heroes" painted in 1497.

• Pienza, as the Palazzo Medici, streets of Florence and background for Cosimo's wedding
• Montepulciano, outside the Duomo there are several scenes filmed using the unfinished façade of the cathedral as a backdrop. These scenes often (and incorrectly) show the Duomo of Florence rising in the background to the north. The Communal Palace, also in Piazza Grande is part of several scenes as is the Church of San Biagio.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Italy viewers (millions)
1	"Original Sin"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Frank Spotnitz, Nicholas Meyer	18 October 2016 (2016-10-18)	8.04
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici is poisoned by a mysterious figure. His son, Cosimo di Medici, is elected head of the Florentine Republic and asks his friend, Marco Bello, to look into the murder. Meanwhile war seems imminent with the Republic of Lucca, with Cosimo's greatest rival, Rinaldo degli Albizzi, being it's biggest proponent. 20 years earlier, Cosimo had had notions of becoming an artist. He had accompanied his brother, Lorenzo, and his father to Rome after the passing of the Pope, where he'd met Donatello, who had later introduced him to the world of art, and to the woman he would fall in love with.
2	"The Dome and the Domicile"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Frank Spotnitz	18 October 2016 (2016-10-18)	7.14
The war with the Republic of Lucca is costly and is drying the funds of the Medici Bank, while the atmosphere in Florence seems to be worsening since trade (because of the war) has become nonexistent. In a desperate attempt, Cosimo sends his brother Lorenzo to Rome to ask the Pope to use his spiritual sway to stop the war. 20 years earlier, Giovanni arranges Cosimo's marriage with a daughter of a noble house, to which Cosimo mostly feels resentment since his father made the woman he had fallen in love with, back in Rome, disappear.
3	"Pestilence"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Sophie Petzal	25 October 2016 (2016-10-25)	6.73
Florence is hit by the Black Plague. Cosimo decides to move his family to the safety of his estates outside the city. In his absence, his rival begins to sway the common people's opinion of him, by accusing him of bringing the wrath of god upon Florence in the form of the plague. 20 years earlier, a young Cosimo marries Contessina de' Bardi, daughter of the count of Vernio.
4	"Judgment Day"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Alex von Tunzelmann	25 October 2016 (2016-10-25)	6.32
Cosimo is accused of being a tyrant and is imprisoned. Tensions seem to rise between Lorenzo and Contessina de' Bardi (Cosimo's wife) as they differ from opinion on how best to safe Cosimo from execution. 20 years earlier, at his father's behest, a young Cosimo befriends his now rival, Rinaldo degli Albizzi, only to learn later on that he'd become his father's pawn in the ruination of Rinaldo's father.
5	"Temptation"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Francesca Gardiner	1 November 2016 (2016-11-01)	6.50
Cosimo is exiled to Venice, where he petitions them to intercede on his behalf in Florence so that he may return home sooner. He meets Maddalena with whom he forms a relationship.
6	"Ascendancy"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Mark Denton, Jonny Stockwood	1 November 2016 (2016-11-01)	6.02
A year after his exile, Cosimo is welcomed back to Florence, where he at once begins to solidify his power, while Rinaldo is imprisoned for the crimes of tyranny. Cosimo's wife reminds Cosimo that he is neglecting his duties as husband ever since his father died. The Signoria demands Rinaldo's execution, much as they had done at Cosimo's trial. Cosimo, at the behest of the Pope, urges and then commands the Signoria mercy (in the form of exile) for Rinaldo. In the end it is revealed that Rinaldo and his son were slain by the hands of the mercenaries.
7	"Purgatory"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	Emilia di Girolamo	8 November 2016 (2016-11-08)	6.42
Cosimo feels guilt for Rinaldo and his son's murder. After facing pressure from the singoria, Cosimo chooses a local olive merchant as his candidate for the seat which succeeds as Rinaldo's replacement. Few days later, when Cosimo arrives at the meeting,it is revealed that the merchant was murdered and Andrea Pazzi has replaced him with himself as the member of singoria. Marco Bello reveals to Cosimo where his investigation of Giovanni's murder has led him. Ugo reveals to the Medici family the information about Lorenzo's lover Rosa and her son (Lorenzo's son).
8	"Epiphany"	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	John Fay	8 November 2016 (2016-11-08)	6.26
Rumors of Cosimo's hand in Rinaldo degli Albizzi's murder leads to the threat of the Medici Bank losing the papal accounts -- their largest and most important account. Lorenzo investigates Ricciardo's murder, and whether the Pazzi's had anything to do with it, while Cosimo looks for a way to retain the papal accounts. All of it leads to some shocking twists and revelations.

External links

• Medici at IMDb
• Richard Madden, Italy & the 'Medici'. Show Patrol. 17 November 2015.
• Trailer on YouTube (English with French Subtitles). Posted 8 October 2016.
• Medici: Masters of Florence Dedicated Website
• Review Medici : Master of Florence on Bulles de Culture