Editing House of Medici (section)

===15th century===
[[Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici]] (c. 1360–1429), son of [[Averardo de' Medici]] (1320–1363), increased the wealth of the family through his creation of the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence. Although he never held any political office, he gained strong popular support for the family through his support for the introduction of a [[proportional tax|proportional system of taxation]]. Giovanni's son [[Cosimo de' Medici|Cosimo the Elder]], {{lang|it|Pater Patriae}} (father of the country), took over in 1434 as [[gran maestro]] (the unofficial head of the Florentine Republic).<ref name=godfathers1>{{cite video|people=Bradley, Richard (executive producer)|date=2003|title=The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance (Part I)|medium=[[DVD]]|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] Home Video|url=https://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/}}</ref>
[[File:Cosimo Pater Patriae.jpg|thumb|left|Cosimo ''Pater patriae'', Uffizi Gallery, Florence]]

The Medici additionally benefited from the discovery of vast deposits of [[Potassium alum|alum]] in [[Tolfa]] in 1461. Alum is essential as a [[mordant]] in the dyeing of certain cloths and was used extensively in Florence, where the main industry was textile manufacturing. Before the Medici, the Turks were the only exporters of alum, so Europe was forced to buy from them until the discovery in Tolfa. [[Pope Pius II|Pius II]] granted the Medici family a monopoly on the mining there, making them the primary producers of alum in Europe.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gHtQBAAAQBAJ&q=Pius+II+granted+the+Medici+family+a+monopoly+on+the+mining+there%2C+making+them+the+primary+producers+of+alum+in+Europe.&pg=PT46|title=The Renaissance: All That Matters|last=Halvorson|first=Michael|date=2014|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|isbn=9781444192964|language=en}}</ref>

Three successive generations of the Medici—Cosimo, Piero, and Lorenzo—ruled over Florence through the greater part of the 15th century. They clearly dominated Florentine [[representative government]] without abolishing it altogether.<ref name=Adams1>''[[The Prince]]'' [[Niccolò Machiavelli]]. A Norton Critical Edition. Translated and edited by Rober M. Adams. New York. W.W. Norton and Company, 1977. p. viii (Historical Introduction)</ref> These three members of the Medici family had great skills in the management of so "restive and independent a city" as Florence. When Lorenzo died in 1492, however, his son Piero proved quite incapable of responding successfully to challenges caused by the [[Italian War of 1494-98|French invasion of Italy in 1492]], and within two years, he and his supporters were forced into exile and replaced with a republican government.<ref name=Adams1/>

[[Piero di Cosimo de' Medici|Piero de' Medici]] (1416–1469), Cosimo's son, was only in power for five years (1464–1469). He was called "Piero the Gouty" because of the [[gout]] that pained his foot and led to his death. Unlike his father, Piero had little interest in the arts. Due to his illness, he mostly stayed at home bedridden, and therefore did little to further the Medici control of Florence while in power. As such, Medici rule stagnated until the next generation, when Piero's son Lorenzo took over.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fpQlBgAAQBAJ&q=Piero+de%27+Medici+stagnant+rule&pg=PA56|title=Ulwencreutz's The Royal Families in Europe V|last=Ulwencreutz|first=Lars|year= 2013|publisher=Lulu.com |access-date=20 September 2018|isbn=9781304581358}}</ref>

[[Lorenzo de' Medici]] (1449–1492), called "the Magnificent", was more capable of leading and ruling a city, but he neglected the family banking business, which led to its ultimate ruin. To ensure the continuance of his family's success, Lorenzo planned his children's future careers for them. He groomed the headstrong [[Piero the Unfortunate|Piero II]] to follow as his successor in civil leadership; Giovanni<ref>15th century Italy.</ref> (future [[Pope Leo X]]) was placed in the church at an early age; and his daughter [[Maddalena de' Medici (1473-1528)|Maddalena]] was provided with a sumptuous dowry to make a politically advantageous marriage to a son of [[Pope Innocent VIII]] that cemented the alliance between the Medici and the Roman branches of the [[Cybo]] and [[House of Altoviti|Altoviti]] families.<ref>Hibbard, pp. 177, 202, 162.</ref>

The [[Pazzi conspiracy]] of 1478 was an attempt to depose the Medici family by killing Lorenzo with his younger brother [[Giuliano de' Medici|Giuliano]] during Easter services; the assassination attempt ended with the death of Giuliano and an injured Lorenzo. The conspiracy involved the [[Pazzi]] and [[Salviati (bankers)|Salviati]] families, both rival banking families seeking to end the influence of the Medici, as well as the priest presiding over the church services, the [[Francesco Salviati (archbishop)|Archbishop of Pisa]], and even [[Pope Sixtus IV]] to a degree. The conspirators approached Sixtus IV in the hopes of gaining his approval, as he and the Medici had a long rivalry themselves, but the pope gave no official sanction to the plan. Despite his refusal of official approval, the pope nonetheless allowed the plot to proceed without interfering, and, after the failed assassination of Lorenzo, also gave [[Dispensation (Catholic Church)|dispensation]] for crimes done in the service of the church. After this, Lorenzo adopted his brother's illegitimate son Giulio de' Medici (1478–1535), the future Pope [[Clement VII]]. Lorenzo's son Piero II took over as the head of Florence after Lorenzo's death. The Medici were expelled from Florence from 1494 to 1512 after Piero acceded to all of the demands of invader [[Charles VIII of France]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Hibbert|first=Christopher|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5613740|title=The House of Medici: Its rise and fall|publisher=William Morrow and Company|year=1974|isbn=0-688-00339-7|location=New York|oclc=5613740}}</ref>

{{Quote box|quote=In the dangerous circumstances in which our city is placed, the time for deliberation is past. Action must be taken... I have decided, with your approval, to sail for Naples immediately, believing that as I am the person against whom the activities of our enemies are chiefly directed, I may, perhaps, by delivering myself into their hands, be the means of restoring peace to our fellow-citizens. As I have had more honour and responsibility among you than any private citizen has had in our day, I am more bound than any other person to serve our country, even at the risk of my life. With this intention I now go. Perhaps God wills that this war, which began in the blood of my brother and of myself, should be ended by any means. My desire is that by my life or my death, my misfortune or my prosperity, I may contribute to the welfare of our city... I go full of hope, praying to God to give me grace to perform what every citizen should at all times be ready to perform for his country.|source= — ''Lorenzo de' Medici, 1479''<ref>Hibbert, ''The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall'', 153.</ref>|align  = center}}