Succession, Power, and Patronage:
Piero the Gouty and Lorenzo il Magnifico

Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 18:00

Portrait of Lorenzo il Magnifico, c.1550. Museo degli Argenti, Palazzo Pitti

Following the death of Cosimo de’ Medici, leadership of Florence passed to his son Piero—known as “the Gouty”—a careful, scholarly, and pragmatic merchant who proved to be a worthy successor despite chronic illness. Piero strengthened Medici power through diplomacy, strategic marriage alliances, and thoughtful cultural patronage. His marriage to Lucrezia Tornabuoni brought not only noble lineage but also a formidable intellectual and political partner. Lucrezia played a significant role in shaping the family’s public image, fostering literary patronage, and guiding dynastic planning, further securing the Medici legacy.  

Piero was in turn succeeded by his son Lorenzo (1469–1492), whose rule marked a high point in Medici influence in Florence. Nicknamed “il Magnifico” by his contemporaries, Lorenzo was a master diplomat who maintained peace among the rival Italian city-states while elevating Florence’s prestige through an innovative blend of political leadership and cultural investment. Under his patronage, Florence blossomed into a “new Athens,” nurturing the flourishing Neo-Platonic Academy and supporting extraordinary artists such as Ghirlandaio, Verrocchio, Botticelli, and the young Michelangelo, thus cementing the city’s place at the heart of the Renaissance.