COSIMO DE MEDICI

Fun facts
~birth date: September 27,1389
~where he lived/ worked: Florence, Italy
~occupation: banker and patron

• Birth date: September 27, 1389
• Lived and worked in Florence, Italy
• Occupation: famous banker and patron

BANKING SYSTEMS

• Created "central banking"- responsible for providing its economy with funds (loans)
• His banks spread all over Europe
• Many Florentines looked at him as a leader but many also fear his power/ ambition
• Ruled Florence from 1434- his death (1464) with his banking and patronage
• Why in Florence? Very artistic city, easier for him to become a successful patron

WHY THIS IS HUMANISM

• Cosimo used all of his wealth from banking to become a patron
• Patron- a person who pays artists for their art
• The majority of the art he sponsored was not religion related so that is humanism
• Banking would not help Cosimo to get to heaven

WHY HE'S A HUMANIST

• Increased his father's banking business
• The greatest patron of his time by introducing a new humanistic conception of patronage
• Primarily an architectural patron
• Supported Donatello and Michelozzo di Bartolomeo
• He had mastered the French and German languages and was introduced to Latin and Arabic
• Much of his patronage was for churches and monasteries
• Largest building project of the 1440's was the Palazzo Medici in the Via Larga, Florence Italy

Humanist Quote

• "We read that we ought to forgive our enemies; but we do not read that we ought to forgive our friends" - Cosimo de Medici
• this quote is a very humanist quote because he is explaining what people read about, and reading (unless it's a holy book) is usually not considered religious

sources

• World Book M-13
• themedicifamily.com
• netotem.com