Catherine De Medici Research Papers

Lorenzo de Medici was born on January 1, 1449 in Florence, Italy. "Lorenzo The Magnificent” as he was called by the people of the place he resided was a statesman, ruler, and patron of the arts. "The Magnificent" was truly a common title of respect in Italy at the time, but it was Medici who raised it to special status. The merchant prince Lorenzo de' Medici, came to be the baron of florence at a young age tragically his father Piero died on Dec. 5, 1469, and 2 days later the 20-year-old Lorenzo was asked to become the newest authority figure in Florence. And In 1472 he won the hearts of all Florentines by saving the city from a famine that was imminently deadly. When there was also a bad harvest of that year, it threatened the population

Catherine de' Medici was a French lady who was married into the royal family at the age of fourteen in the sixteenth century. She was different than other women during this time period, and she enjoyed studying astrology and the arts. She was also the one who ordered the Tuileries to be built. She formed a very close relationship with the King and her father-in-law, King Francis I, and even named one of her children after him. However, her husband and the King's son, Henry, despised Catherine, and openly had an affair with another mistress named Diane. Despite this, he and Catherine still tried to have children, yet failed the first few years of their marriage. Catherine was shamed by the people for not having children at this point, and some

Marie De Medici: Marie De Medici was the daughter of Francesco I and Grand Duke of Tuscany, she was the wife of Henry IV and mother to her son Louis XIII.

For centuries there has been hostility between all different forms of religion. The Catholics and the Protestants are no exception. For many years these two branches of religion have been at each other’s throats defending their respective beliefs. Although in hindsight it is definitely wrong what these two groups did to one another, at the time they felt they were doing what was right. The question now was raised. Why did anyone need to die for their own religious beliefs? One thing lead to another and many people were put under scrutiny when the death tolls began to rise. No one was under more fire than Catherine de Medici. She became the scapegoat for what happened on Saint Bartholomew’s Day.

Food of the Elizabethan Time People’s food of the Elizabethan time period depended on their social status and their financial abilities while malnutrition, diseases, and deficiencies made it harder for them to find food. The rich and the poor both had high risks of deficiencies because of the lack of sanitary foods and places and lack of nutrients. The food consumed varied depending on wealth and social class. In the Medieval period meat was a sign of wealth which carried over into the Elizabethan era. New inventions and the rapidly growing industries contributed into the new food of this time.

The art movement was on the rise during the advent of the seventeenth century, as it was a time when the baroque movement, which was distinguished by exaggerated dynamism and clear detail, flourished. Art during this period aimed to embody clear detail to represent the drama and grandeur. Rulers such as Marie de Medici sought to captivate on this new art movement by using it as a way to promote the power they had and the legitimacy of their reign. Marie commissioned the renowned Peter Paul Rubens to paint a series of twenty-four paintings in order to vindicate her triumph as the queen of France. Rubens did just that, as he re-envisioned the entire style propaganda through art during the period, using the paintings as a way to allegorize

The middle ages in Europe was a dark time to live in. Trade and travel was not safe, people were dying of sickness, most people could not even read or write. Some people, however became heroes and role models during these dark times. One of these people was Joan of Arc. Joan had special abilities, led an army into battle, and became one of the most well known women in history.

When the Renaissance started to take traction around the mid 14th century, there came upon a change to many different areas of life within Florence. With the change of the economic system throughout Italy, the rise of a wealthy Noble Class took shape . Within that Noble Class of wealthy merchants, led to key differences in the thoughts and ideals of the perfect Florentine citizen. A key groups of individuals who fell under this veil was the Medici family. The House of Medici began to amass its wealth and political power in Florence by the mid 13th century through their success in banking commerce .

Aside from marrying into royal families. The Medici family members were Grand dukes in Florence and Tuscany. Guiliano de’ Medici, Lorenzo the Magnificent’s son was Duke of Nemours. He was awarded with the title by the French king Francis I. Lorenzo de’ Medici, son of Piero the Unfortunate was Duke of Urbino. After the family’s exile he accepted the government role from his uncle Pope Leo X and took over after his uncle, Guiliano de’ Medici. Alessandro the duke of Florence, he was the illegitimate son of Pope Clement VII but Lorenzo de’ Medici was his real father. He was named as Duke of Florence in 1532. Cosmso I was made to be Grand duke of Tuscany after Alessandro was murdered. Francesco I, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the second duke of

“Do you know if you are in the grace of god?” They asked Joan during her trial for heresy and witchcraft. “If I am not, may God place me there; if I am, may God so keep me. I should be the saddest in all the world if I knew that I were not in the grace of God,” She told her accusers. “But if I were in a state of sin, do you think the Voice would come to me? I would that everyone could hear the Voice as I hear it…”(Pettinger). With her faith, determination and patriotism Joan of Arc proved herself as one of the most influential female leaders of her time.

The Medici family earned their status by commerce rather than warfare, marriage or inheritance, and they were the first princely dynasty to do so. Cosimo de Medici never held office, but ran Florence through his wealth and strategic mind from 1434-1537. He played a large part in the patronage of the arts and the political development of the city. His patronage allowed men to achieve such impressive architecture. Brunelleschi, for example, who restored the church at San Lorenzo. Cosimo centered the city around cultural and creative achievements. He allowed Florence to enter the age of the Renaissance by proving himself and his policies to the people, and making the citizens of Florence proud.

Europe had powerful families in the fifteenth century. Two of these families were the dukes of Burgundy and the Medici were the most powerful in this era. According to Marilyn Stokstad, the Burgundies ruled land that combined current day “east-central France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands” (564). This family had dominance in Northern Europe. The Medici family were the most powerful family in Southern Europe. Marilyn Stokstad describes that the Medici controlled Florence because of wealth from being merchants and bankers (596). These two dynasties advanced their influences in different ways. These families can be compared by how they gathered influenced by economically, geographically, and politically; these two families influenced

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

The powerful Medici family controlled Florence, Italy, from late-14th to mid-18th centuries. The person who placed this family in power was Cosimo de’ Medici. He was able to gain influence because of the wealth he earned through the Medici bank. His wealth allowed him to be a major influence in various aspects of society. Early in his career, in the 1430s, he became a significant patron of learning. Cosimo sponsored artists from different parts of Italy and with a wide variety of styles, and paid to represent his family through paintings, sculpture, and architecture. Many of those works of art were placed in places for lower classes of people to observe, and thus admire him. Works of art in his palace were primarily intended for the admiration of people of high status. In addition, through his support of the guilds and their artistic commissions, he gained recognition as a good citizen and supporter of the arts. Much of the art that Cosimo sponsored aimed to show his greatness that of the Medici family. The “Adoration of the Magi” was a fresco that Cosimo commissioned for the monastery of San Marco, and was on one of the wall of his cell. The artist who created the fresco was Benozzo Gozzoli, who incorporated the portraits of the family and their allies in scene of the artwork. Cosimo had his own cell where he went to pray very frequently. Because religion played a very

The focus of this investigation will be “The Medici family supported the artists of the Renaissance era by providing them financial support, throughout mentorship and because of the prevailing philosophy and humanism.” This investigation will focus on the background of the Medici family and how they supported artists of the Renaissances era. This investigation will use a primary source from an artist's work and a secondary source relating to the Medici family uprising.San Lorenzo (church). Medici chapel. Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici which held Sculptures by Michelangelo and Adrien, De Roover Raymond. The Rise and Decline of the Medici Bank, 1397-1494. Norton Library, 2012.Both sources provide background to the Renaissance time period and how the Medic family treated artists with their power. The two sources are examples of how the Medicis changed the renaissance era through their money and power to pursue artists for their own benefit and for the time periods.