Speaking notes for the presentation found at http://www.slideshare.net/ShawnGray1/cosimo-de-medici Presentation developed by: Alshleigh-Lyne Allen, Shawn Gray, Forrester Hinds, and Jennifer Mueller

1. Cosimo de’ Medici, Slideshow Speaking Notes
Slide Notes
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1 Introductory Slide
References For This Slide:
Pontormo, J. (Painter). (1518). Posthumous Portrait of Cosimo Vecchio [Painting]. Retrieved
March 12, 2013 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27652262
Coat of Arms of the Medici Family. [Image] (2012). Retrieved April 4, 2013 from
http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/contenidos_articulo/10
2 Forging Alliances
Subject: Marriages with outcast nobility & business development with new money
Purpose: Demonstrate the creation of a power block that would not have occurred without the
presence of Cosimo de’ Medici
Additional Required Materials: Whiteboard, Erasable Markers
Special Directions: On Whiteboard, draw 4-quadrants & write “Medici” in 1 quadrant. Use the
diagram to demonstrate the connection of marriage & business alliances.
Key Points:
If you’re going to take over, you need some good, loyal friends to back you up, and it works
even better if they depend on you. Cosimo built these relationships through two distinct
methods while maintaining keeping his “friends” from splitting their loyalty by forming
friendships with each other.
The first method involves marriage:
• Marry outside your district
• Those close to home want to take your power, those beyond need to continue
the family line without being threatened by yours
• As your power grows in your district, the marriage link increases their power in
theirs
• This is a new idea, not being used by others
• Marry “old money” and formerly powerful but now “outcast” families
• Families are outcasts because of their involvement in failed coups
• Do not marry “new money”
• This would equate them to you
• Will hurt your validity in they eye of “old money”
• Weakens your position
• Continues Legitimacy
• Only the “old money” can legitimately rule
• High & long-running ties are seen as support for position
The second tactic is business:
• Conduct business locally
• Regular contact with “new money” in local area creates dependency & fosters

2. friendship
• Being a “good business partner” makes you a good member of the community
• Creates a local, concentrated power base
• Support some interests of “new money”
• Or at least, don’t attempt to destroy them
• By listening & blocking movements to destroy, this made “new money” think of
the Medici as their defenders against the local oligarchy
• A “defender of the people” commands powerful respect and support from “the
people”
Since outcast families in other districts have no interest in the local “new money” & vice versa,
this creates a single link between powerful & distinct groups. New money is all local, old money
is in other districts & thus no threat directly, old money is also not inter-wed between districts
(and therefore loyalty is not split). As a result of this powerful combination of marriage and
business, Cosimo became a powerful force.
In contrast, his foes were the local oligarchy, whose loyalty was split amongst various families
and had no meaningful ties to local “new money.” Fearing Cosimo’s growing power, they
attempted to assemble an army. As one family would join the assembly, another would leave.
Cosimo was able to call up his support, from both local “new men” and the slightly more distant
“outcast oligarchy,” and the assembly was so large that the local families were cowed and
surrendered without a battle. The power of the Medici block was such that they & their
marriages became the ruling block in all districts as a result of this “confrontation”. Their
successful ascension led to hundreds of years of relative stability in Florence.
Without Cosimo:
• Marriage to other “outcast” families would be rare, decreasing the size & power of
those families
• Support, or the blocking of destruction of “new money” would have been non-existent,
resulting in the destruction of many valuable merchants
• No single solid base would have formed in Florence, resulting in many more years of
instability & infighting
References For This Slide:
“Marriage” *Image+. (2012). Deluxe Italian Wedding. Retrieved March 28, 2013 from
http://deluxeitalianwedding.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/marriage.jpg
Padgett, J., & Ansell, C. (1993). Robust Action and the Rise of the Medici, 1400 - 1434. American
Journal of Sociology, 98(6), 1259-1319.
Sereno, R. (1953). The Paternostri of Cosimo De' Medici. Italica, 30(3), 168-169.
“Wine Merchants” *Image+. (n.d.) Medievalist.net. Retrieved March 28, 2013 from
http://www.medievalists.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/wine_merchants.gif
3 Rise to Leading Bank
Subject: Life building him up to leading bank after father

3. Purpose: Explain why and how he had his money and power over commerce
Key Points:
Giovanni de Medici, Cosimo`s father was born into a family with almost nothing and created
the Medici bank. Through pure perseverance and Business savvy he set the foundation for
Cosimo`s massive gains in capital and power by handing the bank, which gave Cosimo access to
huge sums of money and bargaining power.
- Giovanni taught Cosimo many principles, which helped farther his influence In his later
life during times of hardship.
Cosimo purposely, like his father, went after high profile people who were experiencing periods
of over expenditure financially and lent them coinage, or even sometimes bought items of
worth from them. This gave him the ability to buy rare, unique items, ask favours, and increase
his bank funds through patronage and interest.
References For This Slide:
Biography, E. o. (2013). Cosimo de' Medici. Retrieved March 14, 2013, from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404704366.html
Britannica, E. (2013). Cosimo de' Medici (ruler of Florence [1389-1464]). Retrieved March 14,
2013, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/372301/Cosimo-de-Medici
Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464), Pater Patri [Coin]. (1465-1469). Retrieved March 19, 2013 from
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth213/medici_patronage.html
Gilbert, K. A. (2005). Medici Power and Patronage under Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the
Magnificent. Retrieved March 14, 2013, from Eastern Michigan University:
http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1102&context=honors
4 Exile From Florence
Subject: Explaining why and how the Albetzi had him exiled & his return
Purpose: Show the power he truly had over the city and how powerful his bank was
Key Points:
The Albizzi and Strozzi family had Cosimo thrown into jail, to be tried and executed for the
failure to capture Lucca by the Florentine people. They did this because they feared the power
and support Cosimo had gained amongst the common people.
-Cosimo paid off the judge to reduce his sentence to exile.
When Cosimo was exiled he took his bank and the businesses who relied on it with him, leaving
Florence with a major lack of funds to retire to Venice. A year later, when a new government
came to power in Florence they begged for Cosimo to return with his bank, which he obliged.
The reason he didn’t just come back and make himself seem the savior of Florence is because of
advice that his father gave him, to wait for a summons as opposed to imposing.
References For This Slide:
Meyers, K. (Photographer). (2012). Florence, Italy [Photograph]. Retrieved on March 28, 2013
from http://bonesdontlie.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/florence-italy.jpg
5 Influence on Causing Florentine Renaissance
Subject: Explain how he funded public projects, libraries and trade
Purpose: Show his direct positive affect on city after exile and what it would be like without him

4. Key Points:
Many of the beautiful tourist attractions of Florence were bankrolled and bought by Cosimo.
His own palace was designed by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, and He had Churches restored in
Florence by Fillipo Brunelleschi, as well he had many smaller projects around the city done to
improve the atmosphere of the city.
Cosimo had many items imported from asia for they were more useful then the product-
equivalent in Europe as well there was much profit to be had in exotic goods not only for
himself but for Florence due to the need for sustenance by the merchants and wealthy visiting
to buy his wares.
Cosimo formed a public library of ancient Roman and Greek works in the Monastery of S. Marco
and the Abby of Fiesole with works he had copied or bought from all over the world and had
obtained from Niccolò Niccoli for helping him out of debt.
References For This Slide:
Stadler, O. (Photographer). (2009 – 2013). Florenz Palazzo Medici-Riccardi [Photograph].
Retrieved March 28, 2013 from http://inzumi.com/en/travel/point-of-
interest/d_id/Florence/c_id/Sightseeing/p_id/Palazzo-Medici-Riccardi
6 Architecture
Subject: Renaissance architecture in Florence
Purpose: To show how Cosimo’s patronage developed Florence’s architecture in the
Renaissance and how it still remains today
Key Points:
-Cosimo is probably most famous for funding –’Duomo’ in Florence Italy. This Dome stands 376
feet tall. And was rebuilt with Cosimos support starting
in 1420 and finishing in 1436. This building was the talk in Florence as it was the first dome in
HISTORY to be built without a temporary support structure.
The Duomo can be seen almost everywhere in Florence and was a reminder to the people of
the Medicis power and affluence. It take 436 steps to get to
the very top of the Dome to see the Beautiful cityscape of Florence. Not as much fun as it
looks..ive done it… twice
But definitely worth it
- Cosimo spent years and lots of coin to fun the beautifying of his city including many
sculptures that decorated walls, churches and piazzas. The citizens
viewed the statues as important public art and were symbolic to many of the power the
Medicis had.
- The city was filled with history and power …even an incredibly famous piece…
Michelangelo’s sculpture of King David once stood out doors and was said to stand
guard over the Vecchio bridge.
Cosimo had a great interest in architecture as well as the arts.
References for this slide:
II Duomo Florence Italy. (2008, June 28). Retrieved April 10, 2013, from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Il_Duomo_Florence_Italy.JPG
Palazzo Pitti (ND) Retrieved from http://www.toscanaviva.com/Firenze/pitti_palace.htm

5. Michelangelo (2011) King David
7 Cosimo’s Renaissance
Subject: Cosimo’s Patronage and recruiting of talented artists
Purpose:To highlight the importance of Cosimo in the development of famous words
Key Points:
Art was a big part of Cosimos patronage. His support led to physical manifestations of the
power and control he had over the city of Florence. Cosimo was
able to become a patron because of the great wealth that he had available to him from the
Medici bank spending approximately 150 000 gold florins on the
arts. As a patron, Cosimo supported artists and helped art to flourish during the Florentine
Renaissance
Examples of such works would have included Donatello’s bronze statue of David in 1430
Cosimos patronage also showed that he was a charitable leader who was trying to make his city
more beautiful like a good leader should. Cosimo was
bringing in the Renaissance (the ‘re-birth’) by commissioning artists to fill Florence’s walls
. Not only did Cosimo’s role as a patron let him increase the control and influence he held both
inside and outside of Florence, but it also influenced
members of his family who followed in his footsteps.
Florence flourished in the Renaissance thanks to Cosimos and his wealth from the Medici Bank.
He brought Florence to the center of the Italian Renaissance
through his patronage.
WITHOUT COSIMO - The Renaissance would not have grown so prominent in Florence and it
would have failed to become the cultural center of Europe.
References For This Slide:
Donatello (144) David [Sculpture]. Retrieved from
http://blogs.artinfo.com/secrethistoryofart/2011/02/15/inside-the-masterpiece-verrocchios-
david
8 Religion
Subject: Cosimo’s influence on religion
Purpose: Highlight how Cosimo was a leader through religious acts or manifestations and what
it would be like without him.
Key Points:
- Rebuilding and redecorating of churches
- Pleasing the Florentines
- Manifestations represented all over Florence
- Importance of charity
- Without Cosimo
References For This Slide:
Angelico, F. (Painter). (1395). Altarpiece of San Marco [Painting]. Retrieved March 19, 2013
from
http://muse.jhu.edu.proxy.library.carleton.ca/journals/common_knowledge/v009/9.2kent.html
Gilbert, K. A. (2005). Medici Power and Patronage under Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the

6. Magnificent. Retrieved March 29, 2013, from Eastern Michigan University:
http://commons.emich.edu/honors/103/
Howard, P. (2008). Preaching Magnificence in Renaissance Florence. Retrieved March 29, 2013,
from Project Muse: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ren/summary/v061/61.2.howard.html
Kent, D. V. (2003). Preaching Magnificence in Renaissance Florence in Historiography. Common
Knowledge, 9(2), 254-272.
9 Consider Medici Next Time You… (requires no report pages)
Subject: Summarize points
Purpose: Review the Presentation in brief
Key Points:
Network – Becoming the central spoke of your network provides you with a valuable position
Bank – without Cosimo’s international banking and business loans to merchants, the way we
bank would have been dramatically altered
Enter a Building – Many design styles and forms of architecture would never have existed
without the urging of the Medici
Examine Artwork – Cosimo funding tonnes of artwork, including many of Michaelangelo’s most
famous works
See a Church – Without Cosimo’s push to build, repair and redecorate churches in Florence, the
trend may have died and we may never have been blessed with the beauty they can now
provide.
10 – Reference Slides
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