Florence in the Time of the Medici (The Mad, Bad and Ugly of Italian History)

A brilliant history of one of the most beautiful cities in the world during the height of the Italian Renaissance.. Perfect for readers of John Julius Norwich, Jan Morris or Ross King.. The Medici are one of the most famous families in history. They built their wealth from banking in the fifteenth century and by the seventeenth century their ranks had produced four Popes, two Queens of France and acquired the hereditary position of Grand Duke of Tuscany.. How did this family rise to such heights of religious and political power? And in what ways did they transform the city in which they lived?. E. R. Chamberlin provides a dazzling introduction into the lives of Cosimo and Lorenzo the Magnificent, the streets in which they walked and the buildings that they helped pay for, the architects and artists that they patronized, as well as providing insight into how the city functioned on a day to day basis and how the ordinary people of Florence lived.. Florence in the Time of the Medici paints a picture of what life was like in this spectacular Renaissance city. It should be essential reading for anyone planning a long weekend to visit Michelangelo's David or Brunelleschi's magnificent dome on Florence Cathedral.