Poetry, Platonism, political treachery

Tuesday 16th June at 18:00

A highly educated, cultured connoisseur of the arts, Lorenzo de’ Medici surrounded himself with poets, intellectuals, artists, and philosophers who explored a vibrant new school of thought known as Florentine Platonism, a philosophy exquisitely reflected in two iconic Medici commissions: Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera and his Birth of Venus. Yet, though Lorenzo behaved like a young prince, his family was not legally entitled to govern; he ran the city as “master of the shop”, in the words of a contemporary, as if it were the family business. Lorenzo’s high-handed style of ruling culminated in two shockingly bloody incidents—the 1472 Volterra massacre and the 1478 Pazzi conspiracy—that cost the lives of many, including Lorenzo’s own brother Giuliano. The aftermath included brutal reprisals, executions, and open war with the pope, who excommunicated Lorenzo and his Florentine supporters. Only shrewd political maneuvering and daring diplomatic strategy could save the day.