Cosimo de' Medici
1389 – 1464 · aged 75
First ruler of the Medici political dynasty (1389–1464)
- Born
- 1389 · Florence
- Died
- 1464 · Villa Medici at Careggi
Life timeline
Their life from birth to death. On the timeline, world events of the time are shown faintly.
- 1389BornBorn in Florence
- 1464DiedDied in Villa Medici at Careggi
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Meanwhile in the world
Major world events during their lifetime (1389 – 1464).
- c. 1440Gutenberg’s printing press
- 1453Fall of Constantinople
- 1455 – 1487Wars of the Roses
Biography
Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who became the de facto ruler of Florence during the Italian Renaissance, and was the first to establish the Medici family as its effective leaders for generations.
His power derived from his wealth as a banker and intermarriage with other rich and powerful families. He was a patron of arts, learning, and architecture. He spent over 600,000 gold florins (approx. $500 million inflation adjusted) on art and culture, including Donatello's David, the first freestanding nude male sculpture since antiquity.
Despite his influence, his power was not absolute; he was viewed by fellow Florentine politicians as first among equals rather than an autocrat. Florence's legislative councils resisted his proposals throughout his political career, even sending him into exile from 1433 to 1434.
Text from the Wikipedia article Cosimo de' Medici, CC BY-SA 4.0
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