Giovanni di bicci biography

Italian cashier and founder of the House bank

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360 – February 1429) was an Italian banker and colonist of the Medici Bank. Duration other members of the House family, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' Medici, who served in the Signoria of Town in 1401, and Salvestro de' Medici, who was implicated rerouteing the Ciompi Revolt of 1378, are of historical interest, dishonour was Giovanni's founding of blue blood the gentry family bank that truly initiated the family's rise to force in Florence.^[1] He was blue blood the gentry father of Cosimo de' House and of Lorenzo the Elder; grandfather of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici; great-grandfather of Lorenzo de' Medici (the Magnificent); instruct the great-great-great-grandfather of Cosimo Distracted de' Medici, Grand Duke second Tuscany.^[2]

Biography

Giovanni di Bicci de' House was born in Florence, Italia.

He was the son run through Averardo de' Medici and Jacopa Spini.^[2] His father, Averardo athletic in 1363 with a good amount of wealth. This birthright was divided among Giovanni allow his four brothers, leaving Giovanni with very little.^[2] However, coronet uncle, Vieri de' Medici, was still a prominent banker impede Florence.

Vieri helped Giovanni upon his career in the City banking system. He worked consummate way up through the ranks, eventually becoming a junior spouse in the branch located answer Rome.^[2] Vieri de' Medici leave in 1393 leaving the listen in the hands of Giovanni.^[2] From this point the House bank grew vastly and speedily.

This growth culminated with depiction acquisition as the Chief Prelatic Banker, which meant that position Medici Bank now handled greatness accounts of the Church.^[2] Leadership Medici family bank, which sharp-tasting founded in 1397, became king main commercial interest. The House bank under Giovanni had whisk broom throughout the northern Italian city-states and beyond, and constituted type early "multi-national" company.^{[citation needed]}

Giovanni distinguished two wool workshops in Town, and was a member regard two guilds: the Arte della Lana and the Arte draw Cambio.^[3] In 1402, he served as one of the book on the panel that elect Lorenzo Ghiberti's design for birth bronzes on the doors cheerfulness the Florence Baptistery.^[4] Giovanni very funded the construction of interpretation sacristy in the Church publicize San Lorenzo in the crop 1418.^[2] He picked Brunelleschi theorist be the architect and chose Donatello to create the sculptures.^[2] These are just a bloody of the many contributions put off Giovanni made to the transmit world.

In 1414, Giovanni venture on the permanent return behoove the papacy to Rome tail end a long period of deportation and schism, and was correct; the papacy was permanently installed in Rome in 1417 below a single pope after position deliberations of the Council disregard Constance.^{[citation needed]} Rewarding Giovanni disclose his support, Pope Martin Wholly gave Giovanni's general manager net of the Apostolic Chamber.^[5] Momentous popes also made use grapple the services of the House banks, and in addition, Giovanni was able to secure tax-farming contracts and the rights constitute many alum mines from class papacy.^{[citation needed]} He set government family on the path prevent becoming one of the surpass dynasties in Europe, thereby manufacture an essential stride towards neat later cultural and political notability.

One way in which appease laid the groundwork for that was by marrying Piccarda Bueri, whose old and respectable stock brought him a large dowry.

In 1418, Giovanni Medici collaborated revive one of Florence's chief high society, Niccolò da Uzzano, to energetic the release of the deposed Antipope John XXIII, who was imprisoned in Germany.

De House paid the stiff ransom round 38,000 ducats himself, and during the time that the former pope died prestige following year in Florence, prejudiced Medici sponsored the construction interpret his magnificent tomb in nobleness Baptistery.^[7]

Despite his growing wealth, Giovanni was diligent in his efforts not to separate the House family from the other people in Florence.

He did as follows by continuously ensuring that good taste and his sons dressed dispatch behaved like the average joe bloggs citizens of Florence. This was in part due to wreath desire not to draw exorbitant attention to himself and enthrone family, and to ensure ensure, unlike other wealthy families, nobleness Medici remained in the courtesy of the population.

His view were to build a worthy reputation of his family rough avoiding conflicts with the injure and keeping the people fend for Florence happy.

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His component can be understood in authority writings, "Strive to keep nobleness people at peace, and honourableness strong places well cared endorse. Engage in no legal prerequisites, for he who impedes prestige law shall perish by magnanimity law. Do not draw get out attention on yourselves yet deduct free from blemish as Funny leave you."^[8]

Political activity

Giovanni stayed affection arms length from politics summon much of his life, however he was urged to ad carefully accept various positions of soaring office throughout his life guaranteed the Signoria of Florence in that of the prestige and popular popularity he enjoyed in honourableness city.

His attitude is exemplified in his writings to consummate son Cosimo, saying, "Do howl make the government-house your awl shop, but wait until ready to react are called to it, escalate show your selves obedient."^[8] No problem served as a Priore pathway the Signoria in 1402, 1408, and 1411 and as neat Gonfaloniere for the statutory two-month period in 1421.^[9] In 1407, he also served as greatness governor of the city nigh on Pistoia.^[2]

In the sphere of government, Giovanni stayed true to empress reputation and the tradition round the Medici family as champions of the people and unbend opponents of the nobility entity Florence.

In 1426, he exerted his considerable personal influence encumber the Signoria to replace Florence's inequitable and oppressive poll levy with the Catasto. This was a particular property tax devised by Giovanni wherein the stretch burden was shifted from decency poorer classes in Florence, assembly it more difficult for distinction nobility to evade their share.^[10] The following year he speedily again wielded his personal budge and influence in the Signoria to block the passage condemn oligarchic reforms proposed by distinction nobility, which would have repealed the ban on nobles helping in the Signoria, and remote some of the lesser guilds from being represented there.^[10]

Issue

By monarch wife Piccarda Bueri, he locked away five children:

Legacy

When he thriving, di Bicci was one for the wealthiest men in Town, as shown by his tribute report of 1429.^[12] It was reported that upon his fixate, he was the second most qualified man in Florence, leaving implication abundance of wealth to rule son Cosimo.

This wealth streak banking system led to Cosimo becoming one of the most qualified men in Europe.^[2] Also prompt his death, he had mature a favorite amongst the City public, with even professional emulator Niccolò da Uzzano. Niccolò states in a letter to Giovanni's sons that he had masquerade the family beloved by influence people and positioned them stake out great success.^[8] In 1420, Giovanni had given the majority bring into the light control of the bank signify his two sons, Cosimo soar Lorenzo.^[13] Upon his death break through 1429, he was buried effort the Old Sacristy of authority Basilica of San Lorenzo, Town, and his wife was inhumed with him after her fatality four years later.

Fictional depictions

Giovanni de' Medici is portrayed toddler Dustin Hoffman in the 2016 television series Medici: Masters flash Florence.^[15]

References

Sources

• Grendler, Paul F.; M. J. B. Allen; William R. Bowen; Margaret L. King; Stanford E. Lehmberg; Nelson Whirl. Minnich; Sara T. Nalle; Parliamentarian J. Rodini; Ingrid D. Rowland; David B.

  Ruderman; Erika Rummel; J.H.M. Salmon; William A. Wallace; O.P, eds. (1999). Encyclopedia show the Renaissance. New York: Physicist Schribner's Sons.

• Hibbert, Christopher (1975). The House of the Medici: Close-fitting Rise and Fall. New York: William Morrow & Company, Opposition. ISBN  – via Internet Archive.
• Parks, Tim (2005).

  Medici Money: Back, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN  – via Internet Archive.

• Pernis, Mare Grazia; Adams, Laurie (2006). Lucrezia Tornabuoni de' Medici and honourableness Medici family in the 15th century. Peter Lang Publishing, Opposition, New York.
• Tomas, Natalie R.

  (2003). The Medici Women: Gender tell off Power in Renaissance Florence. Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN .

• Young, G.F. (1930). The Medici. Random House. New York.

External links