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Cosimo de' Medici
I was born in Florence, Italy on September 27th 1389.I inherited great wealth, both in money and business expertise, from my father, Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici. I used these assests to accumulate even more wealth and power by establishing a successful banking empire in Northern Italy. As an important member of both the business and political communities, I was able to participate in a number of significant events. In 1414 I attended the council of Constance, and was an important contributor to the process. The council was assembled to determine which of the supposed Popes should have legitimacy in the church and what course of action we should take against critics of the church, such as Jan Hus. As a committed Roman Catholic, I believe that although man should actively pursue material wealth, he must always respect the divine rule of the church. In 1433 I was wrongfully imprisoned for my involvement in the conquest of Lucca and returned one year later with a greater desire to lead Florence down a righteous path of political stability. I began to study the constitution of our great state and facillitate change through logical and legal reasoning. I worked to create peace in Northern Italy through the creation of a balance of power between Florence, Naples, Venice and Milan during the wars in Lombardy, and discouraged outside powers (notably the French and the Holy Roman Empire) from interfering. As an avid supporter of the arts, I have spent large portions of the family fortune funding various projects. I hired the young Michelozzo Michelozzi to create what is today perhaps the prototypical Florentine palazzo, the austere and magnificent Palazzo Medici. I enabled the eccentric and bankrupt architect Brunelleschi to complete the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, and the dome was perhaps my crowning achievement as a sponsor. My son Piero was born in 1416 and will one day take my place as head of the family.
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Santa Maria del Fiore
