Lorenzo Medici was remembered by descendants not only as a philanthropist, art connoisseur, poet, humanist, but also as a sober, far-sighted politician. A man who became one of the titans of the Renaissance and received the title of "Magnificent" during his lifetime.
Lorenzo di Piero de Medici was born on January 1, 1449, into a family of bankers who have become famous since the XIV century. Lorenzo's parents were Piero Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. The boy was born during a time of change, during the Renaissance.
His grandfather Cosimo Medici was a wise ruler of the city-republic - Florence. He died when Lorenzo was 16 years old. The young man himself was educated during this period. He studied antiquity, poetry, knew Greek and Latin. Lorenzo Medici admired the works of ancient philosophers, just as his grandfather did in his time.
In his travels, he acquired important knowledge for a good ruler: flexibility, the ability to compromise, foresight. He made friends with various artists and statesmen, having visited the courts of Venice, Milan, Naples and Bologna. In fact, during this period, Lorenzo got acquainted with people whose decisions and deeds influenced the development of not only Italy, but all of Europe.
In 1469 he married Clarice Orsini, a girl of a noble Roman family. In the same year, his father dies and at the age of twenty, Lorenzo Medici becomes the head of the Florentine republic. With the beginning of the reign of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the "golden age" in the history of Florence begins.
The young ruler was highly educated, he kept the family traditions adopted by his grandfather, but at the same time he was not afraid of innovations. During his reign, such famous artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello and others received patronage at the court of Florence. The works of these masters were included in the collection of Lorenzo Medici, and later became the basis of the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
Lorenzo Medici founded the University of Florence. He expanded the book collection of the library founded by his grandfather to tens of thousands of works. This library is now called Laurenziano. He patronized the Careggi academy, which became the focus of neo-Platonism. It is with this educational institution that the names of such people as Pico della Mirandola, Ficino, Poliziano, etc. are associated.
Many accuse Lorenzo Medici of brutality in the suppression of conspiracies and uprisings. In one of these, even his own younger brother, Giuliano, died. However, it is worth noting that all the actions of the ruler were aimed at the development and prosperity of Florence, for which he received his nickname from the townspeople - "Magnificent".
