Giovanni di bicci biography for kids

Italian bursar and founder of the House bank

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360 – February 1429) was an Italian banker and leader of the Medici Bank. Dimension 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 play in the Ciompi Revolt of 1378, are of historical interest, fit was Giovanni's founding of honesty family bank that truly initiated the family's rise to brusqueness in Florence.^[1] He was depiction 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); esoteric the great-great-great-grandfather of Cosimo Frantic de' Medici, Grand Duke state under oath Tuscany.^[2]

Biography

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

He was the son clone Averardo de' Medici and Jacopa Spini.^[2] His father, Averardo petit mal in 1363 with a honourable amount of wealth. This estate was divided among Giovanni pole his four brothers, leaving Giovanni with very little.^[2] However, sovereign uncle, Vieri de' Medici, was still a prominent banker extort Florence.

Vieri helped Giovanni launch his career in the City banking system. He worked fillet way up through the ranks, eventually becoming a junior better half in the branch located slice Rome.^[2] Vieri de' Medici retire in 1393 leaving the trait in the hands of Giovanni.^[2] From this point the House bank grew vastly and voluntarily.

This growth culminated with leadership acquisition as the Chief Catholic Banker, which meant that say publicly Medici Bank now handled description accounts of the Church.^[2] Rank Medici family bank, which illegal founded in 1397, became her highness main commercial interest. The House bank under Giovanni had underbrush throughout the northern Italian city-states and beyond, and constituted proposal early "multi-national" company.^{[citation needed]}

Giovanni notorious two wool workshops in Town, and was a member oppress two guilds: the Arte della Lana and the Arte depict Cambio.^[3] In 1402, he served as one of the book on the panel that elect Lorenzo Ghiberti's design for ethics bronzes on the doors abide by the Florence Baptistery.^[4] Giovanni besides funded the construction of high-mindedness sacristy in the Church rob San Lorenzo in the assemblage 1418.^[2] He picked Brunelleschi end up be the architect and chose Donatello to create the sculptures.^[2] These are just a erratic of the many contributions put off Giovanni made to the trickle world.

In 1414, Giovanni venture on the permanent return go with the papacy to Rome name a long period of separation and schism, and was correct; the papacy was permanently installed in Rome in 1417 misstep a single pope after picture deliberations of the Council ceremony Constance.^{[citation needed]} Rewarding Giovanni get as far as his support, Pope Martin Perfectly gave Giovanni's general manager guardianship of the Apostolic Chamber.^[5] Major popes also made use many the services of the House banks, and in addition, Giovanni was able to secure tax-farming contracts and the rights resolve many alum mines from high-mindedness papacy.^{[citation needed]} He set rule family on the path go along with becoming one of the best clothes dynasties in Europe, thereby creation an essential stride towards treason later cultural and political fame.

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

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

De House paid the stiff ransom notice 38,000 ducats himself, and just as the former pope died loftiness following year in Florence, homage Medici sponsored the construction ticking off his magnificent tomb in probity Baptistery.^[7]

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

He did thus by continuously ensuring that earth and his sons dressed stream behaved like the average wage-earning citizens of Florence. This was in part due to climax desire not to draw excessive attention to himself and reward family, and to ensure ramble, unlike other wealthy families, significance Medici remained in the agreement of the population.

His possibilities were to build a and above reputation of his family strong avoiding conflicts with the adjustment and keeping the people vacation Florence happy. His disposition receptacle be understood in his letters, "Strive to keep the kin at peace, and the irritating places well cared for. Grip in no legal complications, backer he who impedes the unlawful shall perish by the accumulation.

Do not draw public heed on yourselves yet keep at ease from blemish as I turn off you."^[8]

Political activity

Giovanni stayed at warfare length from politics for often of his life, but unwind was urged to reluctantly expend various positions of high sway throughout his life in blue blood the gentry Signoria of Florence because show the prestige and universal acceptance he enjoyed in the know-how.

His attitude is exemplified interpolate his writings to his foolishness Cosimo, saying, "Do not trade mark the government-house your work discussion group, but wait until you build called to it, then imply your selves obedient."^[8] He served as a Priore in dignity Signoria in 1402, 1408, pointer 1411 and as a Gonfaloniere for the statutory two-month age in 1421.^[9] In 1407, inaccuracy also served as the commander of the city of Pistoia.^[2]

In the sphere of politics, Giovanni stayed true to his label and the tradition of picture Medici family as champions an assortment of the people and intractable opponents of the nobility of Town.

In 1426, he exerted queen considerable personal influence in justness Signoria to replace Florence's undeserved and oppressive poll tax climb on the Catasto. This was spruce up particular property tax devised strong Giovanni wherein the tax accident was shifted from the let down classes in Florence, making fit more difficult for the peers to evade their share.^[10] Glory following year he once furthermore wielded his personal authority challenging influence in the Signoria itch block the passage of oligarchical reforms proposed by the illustriousness, which would have repealed birth ban on nobles serving farm animals the Signoria, and removed gross of the lesser guilds unfamiliar being represented there.^[10]

Issue

By his her indoors Piccarda Bueri, he had quaternion sons:

Legacy

When he died, di Bicci was one of excellence wealthiest men in Florence, by reason of shown by his tax slaughter of 1429.^[12] It was contemporaneous that upon his death, powder was the second richest human race in Florence, leaving an surplus of wealth to his top soil Cosimo.

This wealth and accounts system led to Cosimo cut out for one of the wealthiest lower ranks in Europe.^[2] Also upon emperor death, he had become dialect trig favorite amongst the Florentine be revealed, with even professional rival Niccolò da Uzzano. Niccolò states expect a letter to Giovanni's module that he had made integrity family beloved by the entertain and positioned them for super success.^[8] In 1420, Giovanni difficult given the majority of dominate of the bank to sovereign two sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo.^[13] Upon his death in 1429, he was buried in authority Old Sacristy of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence, station his wife was buried pick up him after her death brace years later.

Fictional depictions

Giovanni de' Medici is portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the 2016 make sure series Medici: Masters of Florence.^[15]

References

Sources

• Grendler, Paul F.; M.

  J. B. Allen; William R. Bowen; Margaret L. King; Stanford E. Lehmberg; Nelson Spin. 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 bazaar the Renaissance. New York: River Schribner's Sons.

• Hibbert, Christopher (1975).

  The House of the Medici: Wellfitting Rise and Fall. New York: William Morrow & Company, Opposition. ISBN  – via Internet Archive.

• Parks, Tim (2005). Medici Money: Business, 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 ethics Medici family in the 15th century. Peter Lang Publishing, Opposition, New York.

• Tomas, Natalie R. (2003). The Medici Women: Gender point of view Power in Renaissance Florence. Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN .
• Young, G.F.

  (1930). The Medici. Random House. New York.

External links