The Medici of Florence, ItalyThe First Renaissance Family

• The House of Medici was an Italian merchant family that got rich through trading wool cloth.

• They established the Medici Bank, the largest bank in Europe during the 15th century (1400s).

• Through their wealth, they gained political power and became the ruling family of Florence, later dominating Rome and then Europe.

Cosimo de Medici1389-1464

Piero de Medici1416-1469

Lorenzo, “Il Magnifico”1449-1492

Florence, Italy in the 15th Century

Masaccio’s Holy Trinity

Gozzoli’s Journey of the Magi

Michelangelo Tomb of Lorenzo de Medici