Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici, also known as Cosimo the Elder, is a leading figure in the rise of Florence as the Italian Renaissance spreads influence throughout Europe. Cosimo wields great influence due to his banking acumen and strategic alliances with affluent families.
The money savvy of Cosimo contributes greatly to the start and spread of the Renaissance. The country's wealth and prosperity is a major factor. In the 14th - 16th centuries, Florence forges lucrative trade agreements in Asia and East Europe, significantly boosting its finances.
Cosimo's financial expertise solidifies the Medici family's position in Florence and secures their ascendancy as one of the most powerful dynasties in Italy. Shrewd investments and diplomacy allow Cosimo to navigate complex political dynamics with influence and authority.
Under his guidance, Florence flourishes culturally and economically, a pioneer of great art, literature, and architecture. Cosimo's patronage of renowned artists and scholars, such as Donatello and Brunelleschi establishes Florence as a center of intellectual innovation.
Cosimo is known as a patron of arts, learning, literature and architecture. His unwavering dedication to the arts is exemplified by his significant financial contributions. At this time, patrons are far more socially and economically powerful than artists who served them.
A work of art is considered a reflection of the patron's status, and much of the credit for the ingenuity or skill in creating an art object goes to the wise patron who hired well. Cosimo invests over 600,000 gold florins ($500 million) in artistic growth and development.
Despite opposition and challenges, Cosimo's unwavering determination and strategic vision allows him to steer Florence towards prosperity. His legacy as a pioneering statesman and benefactor of the arts shapes the course of the Italian Renaissance.
Although his influence in Florence is significant, his power is continually challenged. Holding a prominent position among fellow Florentine politicians, he's seen more as a primus inter pares, or first among equals, rather than an autocrat with unchecked authority.
In the years of 1433 to 1434 Cosimo de' Medici is arrested for his part in a failed conquest. He manages to have the death sentence commuted to exile although his political enemies are eager for blood. He goes to Padua and Venice.
At one point he asks to come back to Florence. His request is denied. Cosimo founds a library in Venice. With gathering speed, money begins to leak out of Florence and into Venice. Soon the Florentines are begging him to come back. He obliges. Such is the power he holds.
One of Cosimo's most outstanding contributions is that of literature. He's approached by a group of literati who want to collect and preserve books and old writings. As a youth Cosimo had only three books to his name.
By the age of thirty he has 70 volumes. This is before the printing press, which comes into use in 1454, about ten years before his death. He develops a profound appreciation for the literati movement.
He enthusiastically supports the initiative to revitalize Greek and Roman culture through literature, with book collecting at its core. He embarks on multiple journeys in search of rare books and provides financial backing for book-related endeavors.
He funds expeditions to European cities, Syria, Egypt, and Greece led by his main book scout, Poggio Bracciolini. He hires 45 copyists under the bookseller Vespasiano da Bisticci to transcribe manuscripts, and acquires 800 manuscripts by paying off the debt of an associate.
His exploits set off a major trend in book collecting, which during the European Renaissance becomes widespread, aided by the new wonder of engineering, the printing press. Many ancient and forgotten books and art are rescued to be reborn into the light of revelation.
When the ruling House of Medici dies out, their priceless art collections are given to the city of Florence under the famous Patto di famiglia negotiated by Anna Maria Luisa, the last Medici heiress (d. 1743). Open to visitors since the 16th century, the Uffizi gallery becomes an official museum in 1865.
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