Why was Lorenzo so Magnificent
Lorenzo the Magnificent, or Lorenzo il Magnifico, who has been labelled as one of the greatest leaders of his time, was not only a politician, but also a diplomat and a patron of scholars, artists and poets.
Lorenzo the Magnificent, or Lorenzo il Magnifico, who has been labelled as one of the greatest leaders of his time, was not only a politician, but also a diplomat and a patron of scholars, artists and poets.
You will have undoubtedly heard of the famous and incredibly powerful Medici family of Florence, and it’s likely that you will also be familiar with one the family’s most important members: Lorenzo the Magnificent. He lived from 1449 to 1492, and was the de facto ruler of the city during the wonderful period that was the Italian Renaissance. But what was so ‘magnificent’ about this famous Florentine?
Lorenzo the Magnificent, or Lorenzo il Magnifico, who has been labelled as one of the greatest leaders of his time, was not only a politician, but also a diplomat and a patron of scholars, artists and poets. When he was only a boy, he was considered to be the brightest amongst his siblings and as well as being brought up in a highly cultured atmosphere, he was also tutored by a diplomat. Even as a youth, he went on many diplomatic missions, and at the age of twenty, he already had a leading state role.
Lorenzo lead Florence through desperate times, which included wars, conspiracies, financial problems and prickly Papal relations. He possessed the ability to keep his head in trying circumstances and successfully dealt with ruthless enemies who tried to challenge his power. He himself was the victim of the famous Pazzi Conspiracy, which took place in the grand Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which you’ll have the opportunity to see on one of our guided tours of Florence. This event left Lorenzo excommunicated and highly unpopular, but due to his demonstrations of diplomacy, he managed to resolve all of this. He went on to pursuing peaceful policies in order to maintain peace and the balance of power.
Perhaps one of his most noteworthy contributions however, was to the art world. Under his rule, Florence saw an artistic revolution that was unparalleled in the rest of Europe. Lorenzo gave large amounts of money to artists so that they could create the masterpieces that are world-famous today; artists like Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Botticelli. Florence flourished intellectually, and not simply in the artistic field; Lorenzo patronized several famous musicians and also opened the Medici Library, which was available to the general public.
Whilst on one of our tour in Florence, you will have the opportunity to see Lorenzo’s Florence, from the Medici Chapel to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and the Palazzo della Signoria; constructed during the Medici rule and the political centre of the city at this time. Your private tour in Florence will also lead you to many sculptures and works of art that were commissioned under Lorenzo’s rule. So why not discover more about this magnificent man, and explore the palaces, churches and grand art collections of this incredible Renaissance city?
