DOCSLIB.ORG

Florentine Faiiily in Crisis: the Strozzi in the Fifteenth

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Florentine Faiiily in Crisis: the Strozzi in the Fifteenth FLORENTINE FAIIILY IN CRISIS: THE STROZZI IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. Heather Jean Gregory. Submitted for the degree f Ph.D., University of London. Westfield College. - 2 - UNIVERSITY OF LONDON fbstract of thesi8 Heather Jean GREGORY A FLORENTINE FAMILY IN CRISIS: the Strozzi in the Fifteenth Century. Ph.D. In 1434 the Strozzi lineage had held a leading position in Florentine society and government for at least one hundred and fifty years, and was one of the largest and wealthiest of the city's patrician lineages. The records of the catasto of 1427 and of the scrutiny of 1433 are used to give a profile of the dominant social, economic and political position of the Strozzi before the advent of Medicean dominance. Their record of electoral success, and the political and cultural leadership of influential and respected men such as Palla di Nofri and Matteo di Simone, with other factors, put the Strozzi amongst the greatest enemies of the victorious riedicean regime of late 1434. The effects of political opposition and exile on the lineage are examined both directly, through records of office- holding, and indirectly through such indicators as marriage alliances and household wealth. The two most prominent lines of the Strozzi were exiled after 1434. Palla di Nofri's life and preoccupations in his Paduan exile are examined, together with the lives of his Sons; none of these Strozzi ever returned to Florence, pursued as they were by the enmity of the Medicean regime. The very different careers of Filippo di rlatteo and his brother Lorenzo are also examined: how they succeeded in founding a lucrative bank in Naples, and in returning to Florence to 'rebuild' (rifare) the position of the Strozzi lineage there. The final decades of the century saw the Strozzi in an economically more secure position, due substantially to the efforts of Filippo. Except f or a very small number of its members admitted into the regime, most of the lineage is here shown to have remained excluded from significant political office until after the fall of the Medici regime in 1494. -3- CONTENTS Introduction page 8 Chapter 1 The Strozzi Lineage in Florence, 1427-1469: P Profile. I The Florentine lineage 28 ii The branches 34 iii The households 37 iv The neighbourhood 49 v The domestic economies. 61 Chapter 2 Marriage and the Lineage. 1 Marriage and the concept of parentado 94 ii Choosing marriage partners: whom did the Strozzi marry? 97 iii Choosing marriage partners: the children of Palla di Nofri 102 iv Marriage, politics, and the closer kinsmen 110 v Dowries 122 Chapter 3 Politics and the Lineage. i The political life of the lineage: the scrutiny of 1433 140 ii The political life of the lineage: after 1434 154 Chapter 4, part 1 The Exiles: Filippo Strozzi i Departure 184 Ii Florentine Connections 193 iii Return 202 part 2 The Exiles: Palla Strozzi I Events 222 ii Ideas 232 Chapter 5 The 'Rebuilding' of the Lineage: the Strozzi after 1470 i Filippo Strozzi in Florence, 1470-1491 258 ii Filippo and the Strozzi lineage 267 iii The other exiles 274 iv Conclusion 281 -4- LIST OF TBLE5 Chapter 1 Figure 1 Sites owned by Pleaser Palla di Nofri page 54 Strozzi in 1427 Table 1 !verage household size 73 Table 2 marriage: analysis by ages 74 Table 3 Types of households 75 Table 4 Wealth rating: 1427 76 Table 5 Wealth rating: 1469 78 Chapter 2 Table 1 Fifteenth century Strozzi marriages and 128 dowries Chapter 3 Table 1 Strozzi successful in 1433: by electoral 172 categories Table 2 Strozzi successful in fifteenth century 173 scrutinies Chapter 4 Table 1 Lineage members referred to by Rlessandra 209 Macinghi-Strozzi Table 2 Simplified genealogy of those Strozzi in 211 Table 1 Chapter 5 Table I Wealth rating: 1480 289 -5- ABBREVIATIONS USED IN MANUSCRIPT CITATIONS A.S.F. Archivio di Stato, Firenze CS. Carte Strozziane Cat. Archivio del Catasto M.A.P. Archivio Mediceo, avanti ii principato M.S.S. Manoscritti B.N.F. Biblioteca Nazionale, Firenze Bib. Ricc. Biblioteca Riccardiana, Firenze. A.S. Ferr Archivio di Stato, Ferrara A.B. or Arch. Bent Archlvio Bentivoglio Short titles of works, including printed sources, frequently cited: L.W. Belle A Renaissance Patrician: Palla di Nofri Strozzi, Ph.D, 1975, The University of Rochester A Renaissance Patrician A. de la Mare 'Messer Piero Strozzi, a Florentine Priest and Scribe' in A.S. Osley (ed.) Essays Presented to Alfred Fairbanks on his Seventieth Birthday, London, 1975, pp. 55-68 'Messer Piero Strozzi' R.A. Goldthwaite Private Wealth in Renaissance Florence: A Study of Four Families, Princeton, 1968. Private Wealth -6- 0. V. Kent 'The Florentine "Reggirnento" in the Fifteenth Century', Renaissance Quarterly, 28, 1975, pp.578-638 'Florentine Reggimento' F.bJ. Kent Household and Lineage in Renaissance Florence: The Family Life of the Capponi, Ginori and Rucellai, Princeton, 1977 Household and Lineage P. Litta Celebri Famiglie Italiane, 11 Volumes, Milan, Turin, 1819-1899; continued by L. Passerini, F. Odorici and F. Stefani. Volume 4 contains the genealogy of the Strozzi lineage, 'Strozzi di Firenze', 22 tables. 'Strozzi di jerze Alessandra Mac- inghi-Strozzi Lettere di una gentildonna fiorentina del secolo XV si figliuoli esuli, ed. C. Guasti, Florence, 1877 Strozzi Letters. Where reference is made to Guasti's Introduction or annotations, his name is given before this short title. A. Perosa (ed) Giovanni Rucellal ed 11 suo Zibaldone, Vol. 1, London, 1960 Zibaldone N. Rubjnstejn The Government of Florence under the 1'ledici, l434-14g4, Oxford, 1966 Government of Florence Lorenzo Strozzi Vita di Filippo Strozzi ii Vecchio scritta da Lorenzo suo f'iglio, ed. G. Bini and P. Bigazzi, Florence, 1851 Vita di Filippo Le Vite degli uomini illustri della casa Strozzi ed. P. Strornboli, Florence, 1892 Le Ulte degli Strozzi Vespasiano da Le Vite, ad. A. Greco, 2 Volumes, Florence, 1970 and Bisticci 1976. All references are to Vol. 2. La Vite -7- MCKNDWLEDGEMENTS This thesis was researched and largely written while I was the holder of a Commonwealth Scholarship; I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude for that award, and to thank its administrators at the Issociation of Commonwealth Universities in London for their help and cheerful tolerance of my vagaries. I received a great deal of help from other scholars in the archives in Florence; I would like to thank Professor Richard Trexler, Nargery Ganz and Sharon Strocchia for drawing my attention to various Strozzi materials. I would also like to thank Mark Phillips for showing me his as yet unpublished edition of Marco Parenti's chronicle, and Marion Murphy for the use of her unpublished map of Lion rosso and its occupants (on which Figure 1, Ch. 1 is partly based). I would specially like to thank Elaine Rosenthal for help of many kinds during my research, and Michael O'Higgins I' or all his help also. Thank you as well to Dale Kent for lots of aid given both in the archives and after, and to Bill Kent not only for help at every stage, and his generosity in sharing with me his own knowledge of the Strozzi, but also because without his encouragement I would probably not have begun this task. Finally, I wish to thank my supervisor, Professor Nicolai Rubin8tein, for his invariable kindness in directing my research, and for the advice which saved me from many more mistakes; I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to benefit by the example of his great erudition in the service of Florentine history. -B- INTRODUCTION: From the establishment of' the government of the priors of the guilds in the late thirteenth century, until the final demise of the Florentine republic nearly 300 years later, the Strozzi were continuously one of the most important, powerful and wealthy of Florentine families. As one of their most distinguished historians, Richard Goldthwaite, has remarked, 1 the Strozzi considerably preceded the Medici in rising to political prominence in Florence, and in the sixteenth century were to pose the most serious threat to the formal establishment of' Medicean rule. It might be added that during the first period of' Pledicean dominance in the fifteenth century, they regarded the Strozzi with the utmost seriousness as a likely source of powerful opposition. This is a study of' the Strozzi lineage in that "middle" century, the fifteenth, and of' the crisis which accompanied their transformation from being one of the wealthiest and politically most successful families in the ruling Florentine oligarchy, 2 to that of opposition, exclusion from political life, end exile. It is a study which will seek to combine the descrip-. tion and analysis of' one lineage, the largest family group which in the fifteenth century still constituted the main "building block" of Florentine aristocratic society, 3 with an investigation of the ways in which, over a number of decades, its members reacted to the pressure of political events, and whether the nature of' the bonds which united them were changed or weakened by these events. A very large body of' evidence (particularly in the form of private letters) relating to the Strozzi in the fifteenth century exists in the Archjjjo di Stato in Florence, and in other Italian archives. This evidence has until recently lain virtually untouched when it could have been used to make a valuable contribution to the recent debate on the nature of the Florentine family in the fifteenth century. The ques- tion of the degree to which the wider family or lineage remained for Florentine patricians a focus of loyalty and affections, and a source of political solidarity and economic and psychic support, an intermediate -9- and mediating body between the individual and the civic community, has flOW, I believe, largely been answered.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Stony Brook University
    SSStttooonnnyyy BBBrrrooooookkk UUUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy The official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. ©©© AAAllllll RRRiiiggghhhtttsss RRReeessseeerrrvvveeeddd bbbyyy AAAuuuttthhhooorrr... The Civic Virtue of Women in Quattrocento Florence A Dissertation Presented by Christine Contrada to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Stony Brook University May 2010 Copyright by Christine Contrada 2010 Stony Brook University The Graduate School Christine Contrada We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. Dr. Alix Cooper – Dissertation Advisor Associate Professor, History Dr. Joel Rosenthal – Chairperson of Defense Distinguished Professor Emeritus, History Dr. Gary Marker Professor, History Dr. James Blakeley Assistant Professor, History St. Joseph’s College, New York This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School. Lawrence Martin Dean of the Graduate School ii Abstract of the Dissertation The Civic Virtue of Women in Quattrocento Florence by Christine Contrada Doctor of Philosophy in History Stony Brook University 2010 Fifteenth century Florence has long been viewed as the epicenter of Renaissance civilization and a cradle of civic humanism. This dissertation seeks to challenge the argument that the cardinal virtues, as described by humanists like Leonardo Bruni and Matteo Palmieri, were models of behavior that only men adhered to. Elite men and women alike embraced the same civic ideals of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Although they were not feminists advocating for social changes, women like Alessandra Strozzi, Margherita Datini, and Lucrezia Tornabuoni had a great deal of opportunity to actively support their own interests and the interests of their kin within popular cultural models of civic virtue.
    [Show full text]
  • Universiv Micrmlms Internationcil
    INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy o f a document sent to us for microHlming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify m " '<ings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or “ target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “ Missing Page(s)” . I f it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting througli an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyriglited materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part o f the material being photographed, a definite method of “sectioning” the material has been followed. It is customary to begin film ing at the upper le ft hand comer o f a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections w ith small overlaps. I f necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete.
    [Show full text]
  • Fra Sabba Da Castiglione: the Self-Fashioning of a Renaissance Knight Hospitaller”
    “Fra Sabba da Castiglione: The Self-Fashioning of a Renaissance Knight Hospitaller” by Ranieri Moore Cavaceppi B.A., University of Pennsylvania 1988 M.A., University of North Carolina 1996 Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Italian Studies at Brown University May 2011 © Copyright 2011 by Ranieri Moore Cavaceppi This dissertation by Ranieri Moore Cavaceppi is accepted in its present form by the Department of Italian Studies as satisfying the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date Ronald L. Martinez, Advisor Recommended to the Graduate Council Date Evelyn Lincoln, Reader Date Ennio Rao, Reader Approved by the Graduate Council Date Peter M. Weber, Dean of the Graduate School iii CURRICULUM VITAE Ranieri Moore Cavaceppi was born in Rome, Italy on October 11, 1965, and moved to Washington, DC at the age of ten. A Fulbright Fellow and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Ranieri received an M.A. in Italian literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996, whereupon he began his doctoral studies at Brown University with an emphasis on medieval and Renaissance Italian literature. Returning home to Washington in the fall of 2000, Ranieri became the father of three children, commenced his dissertation research on Knights Hospitaller, and was appointed the primary full-time instructor at American University, acting as language coordinator for the Italian program. iv PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I deeply appreciate the generous help that I received from each member of my dissertation committee: my advisor Ronald Martinez took a keen interest in this project since its inception in 2004 and suggested many of its leading insights; my readers Evelyn Lincoln and Ennio Rao contributed numerous observations and suggestions.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Political Philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli Filippo Del Lucchese Table of Contents Preface Part I
    The Political Philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli Filippo Del Lucchese Table of Contents Preface Part I: The Red Dawn of Modernity 1: The Storm Part II: A Political Philosophy 2: The philosopher 3: The Discourses on Livy 4: The Prince 5: History as Politics 6: War as an art Part III: Legacy, Reception, and Influence 7: Authority, conflict, and the origin of the State (sixteenth-eighteenth centuries) 1 8: Nationalism and class conflict (nineteenth-twentieth centuries) Chronology Notes References Index 2 Preface Novel 84 of the Novellino, the most important collection of short stories before Boccaccio’s Decameron, narrates the encounter between the condottiere Ezzelino III da Romano and the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II: It is recorded how one day being with the Emperor on horseback with all their followers, the two of them made a challenge which had the finer sword. The Emperor drew his sword from its sheath, and it was magnificently ornamented with gold and precious stones. Then said Messer Azzolino: it is very fine, but mine is finer by far. And he drew it forth. Then six hundred knights who were with him all drew forth theirs. When the Emperor saw the swords, he said that Azzolino’s was the finer.1 In the harsh conflict opposing the Guelphs and Ghibellines – a conflict of utter importance for the late medieval and early modern history of Italy and Europe – the feudal lord Ezzelino sends the Emperor a clear message: honours, reputation, nobility, beauty, ultimately rest on force. Gold is not important, good soldiers are, because good soldiers will find gold, not the contrary.
    [Show full text]
  • A Private Chapel As Burial Space: Filippo Strozzi with Filippino Lippi and Benedetto Da Maiano in Santa Maria Novella, Florence
    A PRIVATE CHAPEL AS BURIAL SPACE 215 A Private Chapel as Burial Space: Filippo Strozzi with Filippino Lippi and Benedetto da Maiano in Santa Maria Novella, Florence ITO Takuma Keywords: Renaissance art, Medieval art, private chapels, funeral monu- ments, fresco painting Introduction Chapel decoration as burial space in Renaissance Florence had two dis- tinct tendencies, apparently opposing but not necessarily mutually exclu- sive. On the one hand, there was a growing demand for spatial coherence in religious buildings, especially in churches newly built in the Renaissance style, such as San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito. Chapels in these churches indeed generally entailed commissioning a few choice objects, such as an altarpiece or a painted window, and the funeral monuments were rather modest, comprised in many cases only of simple tomb-slabs. Chapels with a greater degree of spatial independence, on the other hand, permitted the patrons to develop highly personalized burial settings. One such example is the Sagrestia Vecchia in San Lorenzo, where Cosimo de’ Medici had a sarcophagus installed under the table at the center of the space as a funeral monument for his parents. In traditional gothic churches, too, family cha- . See for example E. Capretti, “La cappella e l’altare: evoluzione di un rapporto,” in C. Acidini Luchinat ed., La chiesa e il convento di Santo Spirito a Firenze (Florence, 996), 229-238. Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 216 pels, especially those in transepts, were decorated with lesser regard for the cohesion and unity of the church structures, and often involved sumptuous funeral monuments.
    [Show full text]
  • After the Fall: Vettori, Machiavelli, and the Refiguring of Italia in Sixteenth-Century Political Discourse
    After the Fall: Vettori, Machiavelli, and the Refiguring of Italia in Sixteenth-Century Political Discourse Robert A. Policelli A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History. Chapel Hill 2006 Approved by Advisor: Melissa M. Bullard Reader: Lloyd S. Kramer Reader: Jay M. Smith © 2006 Robert A. Policelli ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Robert A. Policelli After the Fall: Vettori, Machiavelli, and the Refiguring of Italia in Sixteenth-Century Political Discourse (Under the Direction of Melissa M. Bullard) This thesis tracks changes in political thought in the writings of Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Vettori between 1512 and the 1520s. While modern historians have traditionally emphasized the early phase of their correspondence, I examine two often overlooked sources from later years: the letters they exchanged in the 1520s and Vettori’s history, the Sommario della Istoria d’Italia. By the 1520s, the Italian political terrain had experienced sweeping and devastating transformations. I seek to explore the effects of those changes on these Florentines’ thinking by highlighting an idea common to both of their writings—Italia. Through contrast with Vettori’s thought, I contextualize the nature of Machiavelli’s political observations after he had spent a decade and a half in political exile, while also shedding light on the dynamism of Italia in early sixteenth-century political discourse and historiography. In a short epilogue I suggest some ways in which a rethinking of early modern perceptions of Italia can also contribute to modern theoretical debates about the meaning of “nation.” iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the members of the Renaissance Workshop, in particular John Headley, for comments on an early draft of this paper.
    [Show full text]
  • The Magnificent Interior
    The Magnificent Interior Emotion, Gender, and Household in the Life of Lorenzo de’ Medici Karen J. Burch Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Royal Holloway, University of London Department of History September 2019 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Karen Burch, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, it is clearly stated. Signed: Dated: 2 Abstract Though Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449-1492) is one of the most well- studied Florentine figures in history, previous studies have almost exclusively focused on his political life and his contributions as an art patron. Few historians have given time to his emotional life, his relationships with the members of his household, or the ways in which he understood himself as a Medici man. The neglect of this crucial facet of the human experience fails to challenge previous understandings of Lorenzo’s life. This thesis is meant to be a corrective to earlier work in Laurentian history. I approach Lorenzo’s life from a standpoint which incorporates the methodologies of emotions history, gender history, household history, and the history of sexuality. By making a close study of a variety of sources, including letters, poetry, and artwork, I will seek to create a new portrait of Lorenzo which explores his internal life. This, I believe, will give greater context to the decisions and behaviours which shaped his political and artistic career. Additionally, by exploring Lorenzo’s inner life, we will come to a deeper understanding of the ways in which masculinity, sexuality, and household relationships shaped the lives of Florentine men.
    [Show full text]
  • The Historian Francesco Guicciardini Between Political Action and Historical Events*
    The Historian Francesco Guicciardini * between Political Action and Historical Events IGOR MELANI The ambassadors sent abroad are the eyes and ears of republics, and it is they who should be believed, not those who have a personal stake in affairs.1 1. The Statesman Portrayed When composing his Dialogo della mutatione di Firenze (Dialogue on the Revol- ution in Florence) around the year 1520, Bartolomeo Cerretani set the scene in Modena, where Giovanni di Bernardo Rucellai, Florentine ambassador to the King of France and a »Pallesco« (partisan of the Medicean faction), encountered two Florentine gentlemen who were »Frateschi« (partisans of the Savonarolan faction). After their unexpected meeting abroad, the three fellow citizens, at the suggestion of Giovanni Rucellai, decide to spend the evening together at the house of the Governor (»a casa il Governatore«), who at that time was Francesco Guicciardini (»el quale era ms. Francesco Guicciardini«). The host had been absent from Florence (as ambassador to the King of Ara- gon) during the period of regime change in 1512, when the so-called »popular Government«, led by the Gonfaloniere-for-life Francesco Soderini, was over- turned and the Medici family restored. The dialogue is prompted by his request for news on this delicate topic, but with an eight-year delay: on recent political history, Cerretani’s Guicciardini seems far from up-to-date. In accordance with Rucellai’s wishes, the structure of the Dialogo is conceiv- ed as a sort of debate between two voices, integrating that of the Pallesco Rucellai himself on one side (giving an account of the »fall of the popular government«), _____________ * Primary sources in this expanded version of the paper presented at the conference Humanis- tische Geschichten am Hof have been translated into English by Patrick Baker except where otherwise noted.
    [Show full text]
  • Marsilio Ficino, Philosopher, and Head of the Platonic Academy of Florence
    Ho\oler Thef,, mutilation, and underlining of books '''«'P""<'^y action and may Zl',rTresult m dismissal from the University BUILDING US|E ONLY PEB-|6 1974 /£B . 6 197^ BUlLDlNcj USE ONLY 0CTi9|l979 OCT 131 L161 — O-I096 MARSILIO FICINO, PHILOSOPHER, AND HEAD OF THE PLATONIC ACADEMY OF FLORENCE BY HARRIET WELLS HOBLER A. B. Rockford College, 1882 THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OP THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 1917 H^^ UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS THE GRADUATE SCHOOL i -^^ .9. 7 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPER- VISION BY ____ ENTITLED BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF In Charge of Thesis Head of Department Recommendation concurred in :* Committee on Final Examination* ^Required for doctor's degree but not for master's. 376559 UlUc' . TABLE OF CONTENTS PROLOG: Two portraits of Marsilio Ficino. INTRODUCTION: The study of Greek in the fifteenth century CHAPTER I: Ficino' s early dedication to the study of Plato; his education; devotion to the work; Cosmo de' Medici's gifts to him; his study of Greek; his letters; his friends; intimate friendships; loyal- ty to Medici family; habits; personal appearance; character; his father, who lived with him; foreign friends; offers of honor and homes; death and burial CHAPTER II: The Florentine Academy; banquets, Landino' description of them; course of instruction in Acad emy; description of assembly rooms; importance; spread of movement. CHAPTER III: Ficino' s works; produced under Lorenzo's patronage; Dialogues of Plato; Enneads of Plotinus Teologica Platonica; Orphic Hymns; other writers of Neo-Platonic School; St.
    [Show full text]
  • A Florentine Diary
    THE LIBRARIES A FLORENTINE DIARY A nderson SAVONAROLA From the portrait by Fra Bartolomeo. A FLORENTINE DIARY FROM 1450 TO 1516 BY LUCA LANDUCCI CONTINUED BY AN ANONYMOUS WRITER TILL 1542 WITH NOTES BY IODOCO DEL B A D I A 0^ TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN BY ALICE DE ROSEN JERVIS & PUBLISHED IN LONDON IN 1927 By J. M. DENT & SONS LTD. •8 *« AND IN NEW YORK BY « « E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE ALTHOUGH Del Badia's ample and learned notes are sufficient for an Italian, it seemed to me that many allu­ sions might be puzzling to an English reader, especially to one who did not know Florence well; therefore I have added short notes on city-gates, churches and other buildings which now no longer exist; on some of the festivals and customs; on those streets which have changed their nomenclature since Landucci's, day; and also on the old money. His old-fashioned spelling of names and places has been retained (amongst other peculiarities the Florentine was in the habit of replacing an I by an r) ; also the old calendar; and the old Florentine method of reckoning the hours of the day (see notes to 12 January, 1465, and to 27 April, 1468). As for the changes in the Government, they were so frequent and so complex, that it is necessary to have recourse to a consecutive history in order to under­ stand them. A. DE R. J. Florence 1926. The books to which I am indebted are as follows: Storia della Repubblica di Firenze (2 vols.), Gino Capponi.
    [Show full text]
  • Divine Right
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of the Liberal Arts THE MAKING OF A GOD: CULTURE, RELIGION, AND SACRAL MONARCHY IN DUKE COSIMO DEI MEDICI’S FLORENCE A Dissertation in History by Gregory William Murry © 2009 Gregory William Murry Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2009 ii The dissertation of Gregory W. Murry was reviewed and approved* by the following: Ronnie Po-Chia Hsia Professor of History Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Matthew Restall Professor of History Brian Curran Professor of Art History A.G. Roeber Professor of History Head of the History and Religious Studies Department *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. iii ABSTRACT In 1537, the brutal murder of the heirless Duke Alessandro dei Medici brought the young and relatively inexperienced Cosimo dei Medici to the ducal chair of the most tumultuous city of the age: Renaissance Florence. This study examines how Cosimo used the politics of the sacred to legitimate monarchical rule in a city in which sacral monarchy had no historical precedent and few indigenous traditions. Utilizing a broad sweep of sources including government documents, letters, testaments, sermons, devotional literature, humanist tracts, diaries, art, and monastery records, the dissertation argues that Cosimo and his literati borrowed only the models of sacral monarchy that could be inscribed in local cultural and religious assumptions, the mundane axioms and organizing principles of thought with which Florentines and Tuscans made sense of their daily reality. In a sentence, Cosimo‟s grandiose political claims worked because they were only a special case of more generalized assumptions writ deeply into both the intellectual and quotidian experience of Florentine life.
    [Show full text]
  • Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects
    Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects Giorgio Vasari Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects Table of Contents Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects.......................................................................1 Giorgio Vasari..........................................................................................................................................2 LIFE OF FILIPPO LIPPI, CALLED FILIPPINO...................................................................................9 BERNARDINO PINTURICCHIO........................................................................................................13 LIFE OF BERNARDINO PINTURICCHIO.........................................................................................14 FRANCESCO FRANCIA.....................................................................................................................17 LIFE OF FRANCESCO FRANCIA......................................................................................................18 PIETRO PERUGINO............................................................................................................................22 LIFE OF PIETRO PERUGINO.............................................................................................................23 VITTORE SCARPACCIA (CARPACCIO), AND OTHER VENETIAN AND LOMBARD PAINTERS...........................................................................................................................................31
    [Show full text]