The Medici Influence and the Italian Renaissance

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A post Middle Age Italy was afflicted by medieval wars and the bubonic plague. A change was needed to restore the vision of what Italy could become. This change was found within one family: the Medici’s, who helped to return the glory and influence to Florence. The Medici’s saw the value in contributing to the advancement of the greatest minds of the period. This was evident in their patronage of leading Artists such as Michelangelo and of renowned Teachers such as Galileo. The sphere of influence the Medici’s enjoyed also extended to the political arena, which happened to be heavily influenced by the Catholic Church at the time. The Medici’s were able to capitalize on the power of the Church and through this influence and the use of “amici degli amici” or of mutual favors from “friends of friends” the Medici family was able to usher in a new Italian era: the Renaissance (Medici).

While not the only wealthy and ambitious family in Florence, the Medici’s were driven in their pursuits and did not achieve their success in the noblest of ways. Giovanni di Bicci de’Medici, the Patriarch of the Medici Dynasty, founded and controlled one of the most influential businesses in Italy, the Medici Bank. Giovanni’s development of the limited liability concept and the establishment of a franchise system, wherein the Medici Bank expanded into branches of banks where managers became part owners, helped to make the Medici Bank a leader amongst the competitors of the time. However, a key factor in the success of Giovanni’s business was the result of a gambling bet on the return of papacy to Rome, which he won. In return for his financial assistance, the Pope installed him as the papal banker. With the Medici’s holding of the Pope’s personal bank...

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...survived the test of time, its influence on the effects of the Renaissance have survived. This is apparent in the evolution and periods of Art, Literature, Music, and Intellectual works that has been developed and has thrived across the backdrop of history. An example of how important the Medici influence was on the Renaissance can be seen at the Laurentian Library in Florence which was designed by Michelangelo. The collection of Medici family books has been called one of the most important and prestigious collections of antique books in Italy. Additionally, many of the commissioned works such the Sistine Chapel, the sculpture of David, and the Last Judgment are enjoyed by millions of tourists each year. It took a family such as the Medici’s to bring about the Renaissance and it is because of the Renaissance that the influence of the Medici family lives on.

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