House of Medici Its Rise and Fall

They turned Florence into a global power center and brought light to the world with the Italian Renaissance. Then they lost it all. The Medici were a banking family with more wealth, power, and passion than any in history. Patrons of unknown artists and scientists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Galileo, the Medici influenced statesmen, builders, and even popes for more than three hundred years. The driving force behind the Renaissance, the Medici also perpetuated a legacy of self-in-dulgence and sexual dalliance that ultimately led to the inconceivable self-destruction of this amazing dynasty. Christopher Hibbert delves into the colorful lives of wily Cosimo 11 Vecchio, gifted Lorenzo, miserable Giulio, and many more. With dozens of illustrations, maps, a detailed index, and notes on Medici-influenced buildings and works of art, this is the compelling story of the family whose fame would endure long after their blood disappeared forever.Hibbert, Christopher is the author of 'House of Medici Its Rise and Fall', published 1999 under ISBN 9780688053390 and ISBN 0688053394.