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A dazzling history of the modest family that rose to become one of the most powerful in Europe, The Medici is a remarkably modern story of power, money, and ambition. Against the background of an age that saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family in Florence, as well as the Italian Renaissance which they did so much to sponsor and encourage. Interwoven into the narrative are the lives of many of the great Renaissance artists with whom the Medici had dealings, including Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello, as well as scientists like Galileo and Pico della Mirandola.In his enthralling study, Strathern also follows the fortunes of those members of the Medici family who achieved success away from Florence, including the two Medici popes and Catherine de' Medici, who became queen of France and played a major role in that country through three turbulent reigns.… (more)
User reviews
So, all the men, men, men when the most influential and powerful of the Medici was a woman and to my mind this books stands or falls on its analysis and assessment of this most influential of queens. Catherine, deserving and recipient of full books in her own right, is the most fascinating of the Medici and I feel that the scant chapter she gets in this book will do little more than whet your appetite.
Finally, the book could have done with some tighter editorial input. If we were told once in the early chapters that Cosimo was a conservative banker we were told four times; my memory is quite good, especially when a point was made only a few pages back. The same point made repeatedly began to grate after a while and, unfortunately, this reoccurs with other themes throughout the book (though not with the same pernicious effect on my harmony. Pity ‘cos the point was pertinent.
But these are mere quibbles; this is a well written, enjoyable broad brush canvas of the, mainly, Medici men whose sexual preferences eventually saw the end of the line.
My personal belief is that my Dad carries a lot of the responsibility for my multi-faceted trove of trivial knowledge; because for several years he was the one who planned our family summer vacations. They often had Southern Europe as their final destination, but it wasn't your average, easy-going recreational sojourn. Oh no. This was hardcore, full-on Grand Tour for the modern era. And seeing how he is quite fond of Andrea Palladio - and Renaissance art and architecture in general - it was only natural that we spent A LOT of time in Northern Italy (and Tuscany in particular).
So when I spotted this Medici biography at my trusty old D-A haunt, I pounced on it immediately. It took some time for me to get started on it, however, because I misplaced it. Yep, again-again. But once I got started with it, it was damn near glued to my hands. It is frankly enthralling. So many characters, plot threads, names and dates - all exquisitely researched and conveyed. Strathern doesn't pull any punches from the get-go - the reader is dropped straight in the middle of the Pazzi conspiracy, at the point where the assassins pounce on Lorenzo and Giuliano.
And from there, it's a roughshod ride through the colourful history of Tuscany's most (in)famous clan/dynasty. From the shrewd, discreet bankers/moguls Giovanni Di Bicci and Cosimo the Elder, past the iconic Lorenzo il Magnifico and the Medici Popes, all the way to the ignominious end with the grotesque glutton Gian Gastone. And yet, this book is more than just a biography of this influential family. It's also a collection of biographies - of the people that fell into the sphere of the Medici. Botticelli, Da Vinci, Vasari, Galilei, Cellini, Poliziano, Macchiavelli - you get acquainted with all of them. On top of this, the tone and language is accesible, enjoyable and fluent throughout.
One of my few grievances with this tome is the fact that one of the colour plates fell out about halfway through. But, then again, it WAS a second-hand purchase. This turned out to be one of my longest reviews to date, but this book really struck a chord with me. I genuinely loved it.