Bardi family facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bardi |
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| Country |  Republic of Florence.svg){kind=small} Grand Duchy of Tuscany Papal States |
| Place of origin | Tuscany, Italy |
| Founded | 10th century |
| Final ruler | Pier Maria de' Bardi |
| Titles | Count of Vernio |
| Dissolution | 1810 |
The House of Bardi was a very important family from Florence, Italy. They started a powerful banking company called Compagnia dei Bardi.
In the 1300s, the Bardi family lent a huge amount of money to Edward III of England. He borrowed 900,000 gold florins, which was a lot of money back then! Sadly, he couldn't pay it back. This caused the Bardi bank, and another bank called the Peruzzi family's bank, to close down. Even after this, the Bardi family continued to be important. In the 1400s, they helped pay for some of the first trips to America. This included voyages by famous explorers like Christopher Columbus and John Cabot.
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History of the Bardi Family
The Bardi family has been known as nobles since the year 1164. That's when Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa gave Count Alberto the area of Vernio. He also gave Alberto the right to pass on a noble title to his children. Later, Countess Margherita, the last person in Alberto's direct family line, sold Vernio to her son-in-law, Piero de' Bardi.
Vernio included a castle and nine towns. It was about 22 miles from Florence. In the 1300s, the Bardi family became so strong that the government of Florence worried about them. They were eventually made to sell their castle to Florence. This was because having strong castles near the city was seen as a danger to the republic.
How the Bardi Family Became Rich
In the late 1200s, the Bardi and Peruzzi families opened branches of their banks in England. By the 1320s, they were the most important bankers in Europe. These two families became incredibly wealthy by offering financial services. They made trade easier for merchants by using "bills of exchange." These were like early versions of checks.
This system was very simple: if a merchant paid money in one town, a creditor (someone owed money) could get that money in another town just by showing the bill. By 1338, Florence had more than eighty banking houses! The Bardi family alone had thirteen different branches. These were in cities like Barcelona, Seville, Majorca, Paris, Avignon, London, and Constantinople. Some of Europe's most powerful rulers owed money to the Bardi family. This was actually one of the main reasons their bank later failed.
The Bank's Downfall
In the early 1340s, during the Hundred Years War, Edward III of England was fighting an expensive war with France. He borrowed 600,000 silver florins from the Peruzzi family's bank. He also borrowed another 900,000 florins from the Bardi family.
In 1345, Edward III could not make his payments. This meant he "defaulted" on his loans. Because of this, both the Peruzzi and Bardi banking families went bankrupt. This means they ran out of money and had to close their banks.
Life After the Bank Failed
Even though their bank failed, the Bardi family remained very successful merchants in Italy. They also kept their noble status. Many family members held important jobs. Some were crusaders, who traveled to fight in religious wars. Others were ambassadors to the Pope in Rome. Some even became knights.
A very important event was the marriage of Contessina de' Bardi to Cosimo de' Medici around 1415. This marriage helped the House of Medici become very powerful in Florence. When Cosimo de' Medici rose to power in 1434, he rewarded the Bardi family for their support. He gave them back their political rights. In 1444, he even made it so they didn't have to pay certain taxes.
Supporting Art and Religion
Besides banking, the Bardi family were also "great patrons of the friars." This means they gave money and support to religious groups like the Franciscans. Louis of Toulouse (1274–1297) was a Franciscan bishop who became a saint in 1317. He was very close to the Bardi family.
The Bardi family bought a chapel that was dedicated to St. Francis. They built a new, bigger chapel next to the altar and dedicated it to Louis of Toulouse. Ridolfo de Bardi founded the Bardi chapel dedicated to St. Francis around 1310. This was after his father died and left him a lot of money and in charge of the Bardi company. The Bardi family also had other chapels.
Two famous paintings are called the Bardi Altarpiece. One is by Sandro Botticelli (painted around 1484-85). One of the family's palaces in Florence was the Palazzo Busini Bardi.
See also
- Gran Tavola
- Peruzzi
- Acciaioli family
- House of Medici
- Fugger family
