Italian Studies 339 - The Medici

Although the term 'Renaissance' wasn't invented until centuries later, Florence's fascination with bringing the ancient world back to life ushered in one of the most meaningful intellectual and artistic revolutions of world history. After the Black Death took half of Florence's population and its large banking families had caused and then suffered through ? one of the worst financial disasters in history, Florence was set to spring back to life as well. In those lean years, a rather ordinary man named Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici began a small business that would become an empire and a family that would produce three popes and European royalty. Authors to be studied include fascinating characters like Lorenzo de' Medici, Niccolo Machiavelli, Giovanni Boccaccio, Cosimo de' Medici, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and many more. You'll discover, as you read, that almost everything you thought was modern has actually been around a long, long time.