Workshop of Bronzino on Wikimedia

Few families have shaped a city and a civilization quite like the Medicis. Known for being patrons of the arts, they funded many of the most famous Renaissance art pieces and scientific advancements. When you go to Florence, you see their influence everywhere. Their story is one of ambition, art, power, scandal, and eventual decline—a centuries-long story that still defines Italy’s cultural identity.

The rise

The Medici dynasty began in the 14th century with Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, who emigrated to Florence from Tuscany and founded the Medici Bank, which would become Italy's largest bank. This established the family as a financial powerhouse. After gaining wealth from banking, he transitioned to trading spices, silk, and fruit, accumulating an absurd amount of wealth by the end of his life. However, it was his son, Cosimo de’ Medici, who became the true architect of the dynasty’s influence. 

A brilliant strategist and visionary, Cosimo started quietly playing a role in Florentine politics while funding architects, scholars, and artists. He helped Florence become the birthplace of the Renaissance. He sponsored the likes of Brunelleschi, who built the iconic dome that still crowns the city, and the revolutionary sculptor Donatello. 

Under Lorenzo de’ Medici (known as Lorenzo the Magnificent), the family's influence grew even more dramatically. A master diplomat and cultural tastemaker, Lorenzo nurtured talents that would define Western art like Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci. As the de facto ruler of Florence, he transformed the city into a symbol of human achievement. 

Many of Europe's most influential people of the time were of Medici blood. The dynasty produced four popes—Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leo XI—and two French queens—Catherine de’ Medici, who married Henry II, and Marie de’ Medici, who married Henry IV. 

The fall

Jonathan Körner on Unsplash

But of course, power attracts enemies. The family faced conspiracies, exile, and assassination attempts, including the Pazzi Conspiracy, in which the Pazzi family tried to displace the family through violent means. Lorenzo survived the attack inside the Florence Cathedral, but his brother Giuliano was murdered. After Lorenzo the Magnificent's death in 1492, his son Piero mismanaged the family's finances, leading to the fall of the Medici Bank, a French invasion, and his expulsion. 

However, this wasn't the end of the Medicis; they returned to power in the 16th century, taking advantage of Girolamo Savonarola, the tyrannical preacher who ruled Florence's execution. However, the later Medicis became increasingly authoritarian and dependent on political titles rather than financial or cultural leadership. 

By the 17th century, the family was nearly bankrupt and was running out of male heirs.  Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the last of the line, died in 1743, ending the Medici dynasty. However, she left behind one remarkable legacy—she willed the Medici art collections to Florence on the condition that they never be removed from the city. Because of this, the world can still experience the treasures inside the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, and countless Florentine landmarks.