House of Medici facts for kids
The House of Medici (pronounced med-ee-chee) was a very important and powerful family in Florence, Italy. They were active from the 1300s to the 1600s. For many years, they were one of the richest families in all of Europe.
The Medici family played a huge role in the Renaissance, a time of great art and learning. Many leaders of Florence during this period were from the Medici family. They became powerful because they ran many banks, including the most important bank in Europe. Their wealth and influence made them almost like a royal family.
Several members of the Medici family became very important figures. Four popes of the Catholic Church were Medicis: Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI. Also, two Queens of France, Catherine de’ Medici and Marie de’ Medici, came from this family. The Medici family also ruled the state of Tuscany as the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The person who would inherit the Tuscan throne was known as the Grand Prince.
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Medici Popes
The Medici family had a strong connection to the Catholic Church. Four members of their family became the leader of the Church, known as the Pope.
- Pope Leo X (1513-1521): He was born Giovanni de' Medici.
- Pope Clement VII (1523-1534): He was born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici.
- Pope Pius IV (1559-1565): He was born Giovanni Angelo Medici.
- Pope Leo XI (1605): He was born Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici.
Related pages
- Florence
- Renaissance
- List of popes from the Medici family
Images for kids
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Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, who started the famous Medici bank.
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The Confirmation of the Rule, a painting by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
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Cosimo Pater patriae (meaning "Father of the Fatherland"), from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
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The Medici Wedding Tapestry from 1589.
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Cosimo I, who founded the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
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From left to right: The Grand Duchess Maria Maddalena, The Grand Duke Cosimo II, and their elder son, the future Ferdinando II.
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Cosimo III, a Medici grand duke, wearing his official robes.
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Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the last of the Grand Ducal line, in a painting by Antonio Bellucci from 1706.
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The family of Piero de' Medici painted by Sandro Botticelli in the Madonna del Magnificat.
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Medici family members shown as part of a king's group in a fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli, around 1459.
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Some historians believe whole blood oranges might be the imagery in the Medici coats of arms.
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The Coat of Arms of the Grand-Duke of Tuscany.
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The official symbol of the House of de' Medici.
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See also
In Spanish: Médici para niños
