Meet the Medici - Itinerary 1

As you arrive to Florence, you will undoubtedly get into the historic carousel of famous names and faces that have left their legacy in Florence. But one family stands out: and I’m talking about the Medici family. In reality, I could talk about Medici so much that I should probably write a separate guide book exploring their history more in-depth (and I will, one day!) - but being in Florence, you can’t escape the signs of their presence in the city. Medici are hugely responsible for the fame Florence has today. And it was no other than Lorenzo de’ Medici, nicknamed the Magnificent, who brought all the exceptional minds together to this city. First his father, Cosimo il Vecchio, and then Lorenzo, acted as patrons of artistic and scientific geniuses, such as Filippo Brunelleschi, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Niccolò Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci and even Galilelo among many others (remember all these names, we’ll meet them later on our walk!) - and officially inspiring the Italian Renaissance era.

An ancient Tuscan family, whose wealth was initially derived from the textile trade, the Medici rose to power after being able to fund the Medici Bank, which became the largest bank in Europe in the 15th century. While remaining citizens of Florence rather than official rulers all the way until the 16th century, the Medici family had tremendous influence in the city and dominated the Florentine government. No wonder this family has produced four popes and two queens of France, as well as acquired the hereditary titles of Dukes of Florence and Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

For inspiration: before coming to Florence, I highly recommend you to watch the Medici drama series! It’s streaming on Netflix and Prime Video (in Italy and a few other selected countries), and I promise you’ll be enchanted. This is such an underrated historical drama masterpiece, with exceptional acting, stunning Tuscan backdrops, gripping plot, and breathtaking soundtrack. It may not always be historically accurate (although it is pretty much accurate, as much as the cinema allows!) but it will be such a delight to your eyes and soul. It will change the way you look at Florence and this family (and no, I’m not being paid by the creators - I’m just a huge fan, and I believe this series is critically underrated!)

And now, get ready to get immersed in the world of the Medici family for a while - the world of splendour, intrigues, and the events that has changed the course of history.