The Medici Influence and the Italian Renaissance Essay

Post-Middle Age Italy was afflicted by medieval wars and the bubonic plague. It needed a change to restore the vision of what Italy could become. This change revealed itself within the Medici family, who helped return glory and influence to Florence. The Medici family 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 Medicis enjoyed also extended to the political arena, which happened to be heavily influenced by the Catholic Church at the time. The Medicis capitalized on the power of the Church. Through this influence and the use of â€Å"amici degli amici,† or†¦show more content†¦With Giovanni’s death in 1429, some saw an oppurtunity to capitalize on the event by attempting to displace the Medici family from its high place in the social and political landscape of the time. One su ch opportunity was taken by a wealthy rival, the Albizzi family, who put in motion a plot to have Giovanni’s son, Cosimo de Medici, arrested on accusations of treason and banished to Venice (Kent 177). This did not happen without consequences. With Cosimo’s exile he took with him a large source of Florentine capital, the Medici Bank. The Pope intervened and restored the Medicis to power (Birth). Thus began Cosimo’s restoration of Florentine pride and his support of great artists that many still admire today. An example of the effects of the Medicis’ support of artists involves the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. The dome of this chapel was built so large that that no architect knew how to complete the rooftop structure which made it a humiliating point in Florentine history. A contest to see who could complete the dome was won when a Florentine engineer named Brunelleschi, felt he had developed the solution. With the successful completion of the chapel, s upport from Cosimo de Medici, and the holy consecration performed by the Pope, a great structure that had been a source of humiliation was now a source of pride to the Florentines and the Medicis.Show MoreRelatedThe Medici Influence and the Italian Renaissance Essay1188 Words   |  5 Pagesglory 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. 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