One of the most colorful personalities in history is Lorenzo Medici, nicknamed the Magnificent. His role in world culture is as huge as the role of Newton in physics and mathematics. This man lived in the era of the Quattrocento, the 1400s, during the heyday of Florence. The unique city-republic is known for its ancient history and residents who thought outside the box, valued independence and freedom. Banking and arts, trade, crafts flourished in Florence, great architects, poets, sculptors and artists worked here. It was "Blossoming" (as the name of this Italian city is translated from Latin) that became the birthplace of humanism - a trend that called a person the main value.
That's the time on January 1, 1449, Lorenzo de' Medici was born. His life was active and full, contradictory and very stormy. He lived every day of the forty-three years of his life with meaning. He belonged to a famous dynasty of bankers, so the family was we althy and influential. Four years after the death of his grandfather Cosimo Medici, prior of the city, his grandson, Lorenzo Medici, was elected to the honorary position. The young man deserved such an honor with his mind and political talent, high education and love for the arts,flexible mind and diplomacy. He was not handsome in appearance, but he had a special charm. And he surpassed almost all of his close associates in generosity.
Lorenzo Medici brilliantly fulfilled the task that the townspeople entrusted to him: he provided Florence with peace, beauty and prosperity. Wisely ruling the city, he contributed to its prosperity and popularization. On duty, the young man often visited the courts of the rulers of Milan, Naples, Venice, and Bologna. On trips, he met people who decided the fate of the world. From them, he learned to harshly suppress conspiracies against himself and even excommunicated the Pope from the church in response to his own anathema. Lorenzo managed to avoid a war with Rome by making tremendous efforts.
But most of all, Lorenzo Medici became famous as a generous patron who expanded the library founded by his grandfather, founded the university, patronized Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, collected art. Who knows, we could enjoy the amazing masterpieces of the Renaissance masters, if not for this great man. They could not create even half of their masterpieces, taking care of their daily bread. Or maybe their work would have been destroyed by ruthless time and people who do not understand anything in art. Also, under the auspices of Lorenzo Medici, the Careggi Academy operated, whose members were Pico della Mirandola, Ficino, Poliziano.
Death snatched the great Florentine from the entourage of his faithful friends and people who sincerelyhe was loved. Not only Florence was in mourning, but the whole world of high art. He was mourned as the most dear person. After the death of the patron, Giorgio Vasari painted his portrait. How accurately the artist managed to convey the image of the hero, we will not know. But the main thing is that we, the descendants of the great Lorenzo, remember what he did for us.
