“How beautiful is youth!”

Tuesday 9th June at 18:00

These are the opening words of a poem composed by the young Lorenzo de’ Medici (the Magnificent, 1449–1492), embodying the vibrant cultural climate of his day. In 1469 as the 20-year-old scion of the Medici banking family was preparing to take his place as the de facto ruler of the city, a gifted teenager from the remote Tuscan village of Vinci was arriving in Florence. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) would learn the artist’s craft in Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop, making a name for himself amidst the explosion of talent that included Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi, Pietro Perugino, and the Pollaiuolo brothers. We will take a close look at the many artistic and intellectual trail blazers who were part of Medici “brigata” and the brilliant public spectacles, jousts, games, and carnival celebrations in which they expressed their joyful worldview; at one tournament Lorenzo brandished a banner declaring “the times return” – rebirth was in the air.