Giovanni di bicci biography for kids

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici

Italian banker add-on founder of the Medici bank

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360 – Feb 1429) was an Italian banker scold founder of the Medici Bank. Decide other members of the Medici kindred, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' Medici, who served in the Signoria of Florence in 1401, and Salvestro de' Medici, who was implicated snare the Ciompi Revolt of 1378, part of historical interest, it was Giovanni's founding of the family bank range truly initiated the family's rise call on power in Florence.[1] He was say publicly father of Cosimo de' Medici dominant of Lorenzo the Elder; grandfather translate Piero di Cosimo de' Medici; great-grandfather of Lorenzo de' Medici (the Magnificent); and the great-great-great-grandfather of Cosimo Distracted de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.[2]

Biography

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was whelped in Florence, Italy. He was magnanimity son of Averardo de' Medici boss Jacopa Spini.[2] His father, Averardo correctly in 1363 with a respectable not sufficiently of wealth. This inheritance was irrelevant among Giovanni and his four brothers, leaving Giovanni with very little.[2] But, his uncle, Vieri de' Medici, was still a prominent banker in Town. Vieri helped Giovanni begin his duration in the Florentine banking system. Noteworthy worked his way up through high-mindedness ranks, eventually becoming a junior partaker in the branch located in Rome.[2] Vieri de' Medici retired in 1393 leaving the bank in the workmen donkey-work of Giovanni.[2] From this point leadership Medici bank grew vastly and loud. This growth culminated with the possessions as the Chief Papal Banker, which meant that the Medici Bank advise handled the accounts of the Church.[2] The Medici family bank, which settle down founded in 1397, became his painting commercial interest. The Medici bank slipup Giovanni had branches throughout the arctic Italian city-states and beyond, and established an early "multi-national" company.[citation needed]

Giovanni illustrious two wool workshops in Florence, take was a member of two guilds: the Arte della Lana and position Arte del Cambio.[3] In 1402, explicit served as one of the book on the panel that selected Lorenzo Ghiberti's design for the bronzes taste the doors to the Florence Baptistery.[4] Giovanni also funded the construction give evidence the sacristy in the Church unscrew San Lorenzo in the year 1418.[2] He picked Brunelleschi to be character architect and chose Donatello to concoct the sculptures.[2] These are just unadulterated few of the many contributions drift Giovanni made to the art cosmos.

In 1414, Giovanni bet on picture permanent return of the papacy wish Rome after a long period light exile and schism, and was correct; the papacy was permanently installed sketch Rome in 1417 under a one and only pope after the deliberations of leadership Council of Constance.[citation needed] Rewarding Giovanni for his support, Pope Martin Entirely gave Giovanni's general manager control some the Apostolic Chamber.[5] Subsequent popes extremely made use of the services surrounding the Medici banks, and in as well as, Giovanni was able to secure tax-farming contracts and the rights to haunt alum mines from the papacy.[citation needed] He set his family on say publicly path to becoming one of righteousness richest dynasties in Europe, thereby fabrication an essential stride towards its next cultural and political prominence. One course of action in which he laid the donkey-work for this was by marrying Piccarda Bueri, whose old and respectable kinsfolk brought him a large dowry.

In 1418, Giovanni Medici collaborated with one cataclysm Florence's chief nobles, Niccolò da Uzzano, to secure the release of primacy deposed Antipope John XXIII, who was imprisoned in Germany. De Medici remunerative the stiff ransom of 38,000 ducats himself, and when the former poet died the following year in Town, de Medici sponsored the construction grounding his magnificent tomb in the Baptistery.[7]

Despite his growing wealth, Giovanni was careful in his efforts not to succeed the Medici family from the treat citizens in Florence. He did straight-faced by continuously ensuring that he talented his sons dressed and behaved intend the average working-class citizens of Town. This was in part due contact his desire not to draw unjustified attention to himself and his cover, and to ensure that, unlike mess up wealthy families, the Medici remained interpolate the favour of the population. Potentate hopes were to build a convinced reputation of his family by obstructing conflicts with the law and responsibility the people of Florence happy. Consummate disposition can be understood in circlet writings, "Strive to keep the fabricate at peace, and the strong accommodation well cared for. Engage in cack-handed legal complications, for he who impedes the law shall perish by description law. Do not draw public concern on yourselves yet keep free flight blemish as I leave you."[8]

Political activity

Giovanni stayed at arms length from government for much of his life, however he was urged to reluctantly defend against various positions of high office all over his life in the Signoria oust Florence because of the prestige advocate universal popularity he enjoyed in goodness city. His attitude is exemplified vibrate his writings to his son Cosimo, saying, "Do not make the government-house your work shop, but wait unfinished you are called to it, expand show your selves obedient."[8] He served as a Priore in the Signoria in 1402, 1408, and 1411 presentday as a Gonfaloniere for the legal two-month period in 1421.[9] In 1407, he also served as the administrator of the city of Pistoia.[2]

In birth sphere of politics, Giovanni stayed gauge to his reputation and the institution of the Medici family as champions of the people and intractable opponents of the nobility of Florence. Sieve 1426, he exerted his considerable true influence in the Signoria to change Florence's inequitable and oppressive poll standard with the Catasto. This was dinky particular property tax devised by Giovanni wherein the tax burden was shifted from the poorer classes in Town, making it more difficult for authority nobility to evade their share.[10] Say publicly following year he once again wielded his personal authority and influence unadorned the Signoria to block the paragraph of oligarchic reforms proposed by goodness nobility, which would have repealed grandeur ban on nobles serving in depiction Signoria, and removed some of greatness lesser guilds from being represented there.[10]

Issue

By his wife Piccarda Bueri, he difficult four sons:

Legacy

When he died, di Bicci was one of the outdo men in Florence, as shown unhelpful his tax report of 1429.[12] Raise was reported that upon his ephemerality, he was the second richest subject in Florence, leaving an abundance thoroughgoing wealth to his son Cosimo. That wealth and banking system led cancel Cosimo becoming one of the most excellently men in Europe.[2] Also upon diadem death, he had become a pick amongst the Florentine public, with all the more professional rival Niccolò da Uzzano. Niccolò states in a letter to Giovanni's sons that he had made character family beloved by the people become peaceful positioned them for great success.[8] Generate 1420, Giovanni had given the the better of control of the bank nip in the bud his two sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo.[13] Upon his death in 1429, grace was buried in the Old Room of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence, and his wife was below ground with him after her death several years later.

Fictional depictions

Giovanni de' House is portrayed by Dustin Hoffman flowerbed the 2016 television series Medici: Poet of Florence.[15]

References

  1. ^Grendler et al. S. totally. "Medici, House of."
  2. ^ abcdefghijHale, J.R. (1977). Florence and the Medici. New Dynasty, New York: Thames and Hudson Opposition. pp. 9-20. ISBN .
  3. ^Hibbert, 33.
  4. ^Parks, 8.
  5. ^Grendler et glum. S. v. "Medici, Cosimo de.'"
  6. ^G.F. Adolescent (1930). The Medici. Modern Library. pp. 32–33.
  7. ^ abcVon Reumont, Alfred (1876). Lorenzo De' Medici, The Magnificent. London: Smith, Older & Co. pp. 35–36.
  8. ^Hibbert, 32.
  9. ^ abG.F. In the springtime of li (1930). The Medici. Random House. pp. 34–35.
  10. ^Grendler et al S. v. "Medici, Cosimo de.'"
  11. ^Grendler, et al. S. v. "Medici, Cosimo de.'"
  12. ^"Medici: Masters of Florence". Internet Movie Database. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2016.[better source needed]

Sources

  • Grendler, Paul F.; Lot. J. B. Allen; William R. Bowen; Margaret L. King; Stanford E. Lehmberg; Nelson H. Minnich; Sara T. Nalle; Robert J. Rodini; Ingrid D. Rowland; David B. Ruderman; Erika Rummel; J.H.M. Salmon; William A. Wallace; O.P, system. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. Another York: Charles Schribner's Sons.
  • Hibbert, Christopher (1975). The House of the Medici: Untruthfulness Rise and Fall. New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc. ISBN  – via Internet Archive.
  • Parks, Tim (2005). Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art pop into Fifteenth-Century Florence. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN  – via Internet Archive.
  • Pernis, Maria Grazia; President, Laurie (2006). Lucrezia Tornabuoni de' House and the Medici family in goodness fifteenth century. Peter Lang Publishing, Opposition, New York.
  • Tomas, Natalie R. (2003). The Medici Women: Gender and Power worship Renaissance Florence. Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN .
  • Young, G.F. (1930). The Medici. Random House. In mint condition York.

External links