A dazzling history of the modest family that rose to become one of the most powerful in europe, the medici is a remarkably modern story of power, money, and ambition. The story reminds us of lorenzo the magnificent italian. However, mary hollingsworth argues that this is a fiction that has now acquired the status of historical fact. Heres your allaccess pass into the ultimate historical fiction guide. The tv show recommended in the other comment is very good. When catherine arranges the marriage of her beautiful catholic daughter margot to huguenot king henry of. What are some good books on the medici family or others. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Seven novels youll enjoy after watching medici on netflix. A young blind girl flees paris carrying a precious jewel while an orphan joins the hitler youth.
He died in 1429 in florence and is buried alongside his wife in the old sacristy of the church of san lorenzo. Lorenzo il magnifico, 14491492 as the greatest of the medici. Has anyone read any fiction that includes the medici family. Heres a list of great books you may have missed about the medici family. Historical novels set in italy candida martinellis. Go past the biographies and history books to learn firsthand what made. Whilst on the face of it, this is a biography of one of the worlds most significant historical families, stratherns account of 400 years of the medici family ends up in turn charting the course of european history through the various branches of florences most illustrious family. Her love for tuscany and the medici family eventually prompted her to become a city and museum guide in florence. Medici money by tim parks banking, metaphysics, and art in 15th century florence. Top ten books on the medici family during the renaissance. Historical fiction that is somehow also star trek would be the best, but that would involve time travel and might fuck with the spacetime continuum and then youd get the department of temporal investigation involved, and those guys are cranky.
For fans of indie ebooks enter keywords in the smashwords search bar, followed by a comma for example. The medici family became a wealthy family of bankers, and giovanni was one of the richest florentines in the early fifteenth century. Born in nineteenthcentury southern italy, peppino is the son of the baroness of bologna. This book plunges into the depths of the history of the medici dynasty, which. The medici family are so wellknown that nearly everyone has heard of them, but. Having founded the bank that became the most powerful in europe in the fifteenth century, the medici gained massive political power in florence, raising the city to a peak of cultural achievement and becoming its hereditary dukes. Marks square must be the most expensive place in europe.
Paul strathern is a somerset maugham awardwinning novelist, and his nonfiction works include the venetians, death in florence, and the medici, all available from pegasus books. From her childhood, her links with the medici family. Florence or venice historical fiction librarything. At this time the enemies of the medici, including the pope himself, were uniting with the pazzi family in a plot to murder the medici brothers, lorenzo and giuliano. The family medici book by mary hollingsworth official. Seth colemans peppino introduces readers to a young italian boy who is destined for greatness but first must overcome grave obstacles in order to fulfill his potential. List of books and articles about medicis online research.
They then dabbled in politics, art and war, inevitably leaving a string of romantic misconceptions. Michelangelo, donatello, fra angelico, and leonardo were among the artists with whom they were socialized and patronized. A member of the famous medici family, one of the most prominent families in european history, the baroness expects her son. The notorious medici were a florentine family that rose to prominence through a highly profitable banking business. At the time of lorenzo, the medici overcame the opposition of the monk savonarola and the famous pazzi conspiracy 1478 during which lorenzo was wounded, and. The medici godfathers of the renaissance by paul strathern. And the history of the rise of the medici family in the fourteenth and. A dazzling piece of italian history of the infamous family that become one of the most powerful in europe, weaving its history with renaissance greats from. He was a poet, humanist, skilled politician, writer, and patron of the arts. Giovanni di bicci 601429 is the first member of the family who created a dense network of merchants around him and his family. Life, love, and death in renaissance italy by sarah bradford.
Of obscure origin, they rose to immense wealth as merchants and bankers, became affiliated through marriage with the major houses of europe, and, besides acquiring 1569 the title grand duke of tuscany, produced three popes leo x, clement vii, and leo xi. Mary hollingsworth argues that this is a fiction that has now acquired the status of historical fact. This is something that ive been trying to find answer to for a while now. The medici family, florence history of the house of medici. Thanks to an emphasis on female characters not often found in the history books, much less in tvs historical dramas, every portrayal of the medici women is a gift to watch. So, my favorite thing to read is probably medieval historical fiction. The long history of the medici family involves a series of astute politicians and diplomats, bankers, popes and fearless leaders. When ive enjoyed a historical series, i seek out novels set in the same period.
Through banking and commerce, the medicis rose to become one of the most important houses in florence. A political family drama set in florence in the early fifteenth century. The only times women get listed in these charts and family trees seems to be when they come from prestigious families and they marry into the. In this absorbing followup to his beautiful death in florence. For books, i love the red lily crown by elizabeth loupas which is more romance and plot driven than grounded in historical facts about the medici family but it is a very interesting view into the family. Bartholomews day massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul. A dazzling history of the modest family which rose to become one of the most powerful in. The hidden history of the medici dynasty pegasus books, 2018 mary hollingsworth argues that the idea that the medici were enlightened rulers of the renaissance is a fiction that has now acquired the status of historical fact. Meticulouslyresearched, this engrossing novel offers a fresh portrait of a queen who has too often been portrayed as a villain. When margots wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the st. In truth, the medici were as devious and immoral as the borgias.
A vivid, dramatic, and authoritative account of perhaps the most influential family in italian history. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Medici the magnificent fact and fiction in the tv series. In this dynamic new history, hollingsworth argues that past narratives have focused on a sanitized view of the mediciwise rulers. This book charts their rise during the th century, their successes over the next two centuries, their failings and the ignoble demise of.
Netflixs historical drama, starring game of thrones richard madden, tries to modernize the medici, and loses what might have made the florentine dynasty such compelling television in the process. Unimpressed with the celebratory legend, british scholar hollingsworth the borgias builds on her previous work regarding the italian renaissance to show. The medici story began around the 12th century, when family members from the tuscan village of cafaggiolo emigrated to florence. It provided the roman catholic church with four popes leo x, clement vii, pius iv, and leon xi and married into the royal families of europe most notably in france. So, a common narrative about the ww2 eastern front goes like this. The medici, savonorola, and the battle for the soul of a renaissance city, strathern chronicles the. Medici the magnificent is your next mustbinge series.
Among their number were no fewer than three popes and a powerful and. I remembered having a conversation with her about the medici a while back. Heres a couplefiction with a couple non fiction thrown in for good measure. An inspiring story of the medici family for fans of historical fiction and the renaissance.
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