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The House of Medici, written by the renowned historian Christopher Hibbert, is a remarkable account about the meteoric rise and calamitous fall of one of Florence's most powerful and influential families: the Medici. Known for its excentric and fascinating members, the Medici was a family of prestige that had a considerable impact over the Papacy, the development of a stable government in Florence, the finances of Italy and foreign nations, as well as the unity of the numerous kingdoms within the boundaries of Tuscany. The novel contains a collection of biographies of each and every member of the Medici, thoroughly examining the lives of its most significant representatives, such as "Cosimo `the Elder" ("il Vecchio"), Piero di Cosimo de' Medici (the Gouty), Lorenzo de' Medici ("Lorenzo The Magnificent"), Piero de' Medici ("Piero The Infortunate"), Duke Cosimo I, Ferdinando II, Grand Prince Ferdinando, Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII and many more. The Medici especially excercised their power in the musical and artistic grounds, becoming patrons of the most distinguished artists and musicians of their time, and were eventually responsible for the edification and elaboration of thousands of masterpieces. Their palaces and fortresses are still regarded as part of the most formidable constructions of Florentine history and their regimes were the cause of both the glory and the misfortune of Italy itself. Although the Medici enjoyed an overall favourable reputation, several of its infamous members were the cause of not only the Medici's misery, but also that of the Florentine population, and ultimately led to the self-destruction of the clan. The Medici's captivating stories, notable accomplishments and legendary lineage not only bestowed them the title of "Godfathers of the Renaissance," but also justified the immeasurable power of this illustrious Florentine clan. It's hard to put the greatness of this literary masterpiece into words, not only because of its enriching content, but its emotive literary style and approach to the Medici members make this book seem even more realistic and even emotional. It seemed to me interesting viewing the lives of each Medici individual in a more humane way, since the connection between the overall account and myself was much deeper, even empathic. The aspect that intrigued me the most about the novel, related to the successive heads (or leaders) of the family, was that they all naturally shared a common interest in wealth and power, arguing amongst themselves and even murdering each other, in order to pursue and obtain full power over the family, consequently Florence and ultimately kingdoms such as Naples, Venice and Rome, as well as the Papacy. It seems to me quite ironic how, even in Renaissance times, charm and popularity were so important in the foundation of such a wealthy family. Although their capital was said to be infinite, and the obtainment of it was due to their hard labor and services to Tuscany and other allies. These bonds and relationships with other disntiguished families, prominent religious leaders and political rulers, set them apart from any common man at that time. It was an imposing family, indeed, of which the Tuscans, especially the Florentines, depended on economically, politically, religiously and sociably. They all intended, in one way or another, to reach a maximum, stable union between the members to fortify their administration and gain more power and, although some attempts succeded, often factors such as wars and adversaries (families like the Pazzi, Albizzi and Borgias or religious leaders such as Girolamo Savonarola and Pope Sixtus IV were major rivals of the Medici family) represented major setbacks to the flourishing and decaying glory of this political, financial and religious dynasty. It also seems to me rather peculiar how, even when their economic atmosphere and social strata varied from one generation to the other, the head members greatly resembled each other in their passions, activities and interests, despite of Florence's drastic alterations. From the 15th century to the 18th century, Florence underwent an unpredictible but relatively safe period of governance, economics and religion under the directorate of the Medici. They were responsible for the creation of the Medici Bank, one of the largest and most remarkable banks in Europe during its heyday; the creation of four Popes (Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Prius IV, and Pope Leo XI); two queens of France (Caterina de' Medici and Maria de' Medici; as well as the dukedom of Florence created in 1532; territorial expansion of Tuscany and lastly, countless achievements in the grounds of music, art, poetry, literacy, philosophy and the sciences. The magnitude of the Medici's historical footprint, that can still be admired in present day, will remain as a cultural and societal treasure in the years to come. The House of Medici effectively portrays the vibrant period of the Renaissance; the development and expansion of Italian territory; the multiple invasions of Tuscany, ending up in conquest or defeat of foreign conquistadors and lastly, the multiple accomplishments made by the influential dynasty. It demonstrated how the Renaissance, despite of its popularity as a prosperous period of time, faced numerous hitches and wasn't always a time of static restfulness and splendor. This novel clearly proves the French proverb "Plus ca change, plus le meme chose" is wholly accurate. Also the human culture, especially in the areas of education and society, was tremendously impacted since most of history's most acclaimed artists, writers, poets, scientists, musicians, scholars and philosophers lived during this period and eventually motivated the foundation of many social movements, ideologies and philosophies. This book not only expounds deeply the social structure, intricate customs and political complexity of that time, but it also gives the reader a wider perception of the Renaissance itself and nourishes the readers' minds with the vivid memoirs of the evocative Medici members. After reading this splendid compilation of the Famiglia de' Medici, which I find so arresting and relatable, it is almost impossible for me not to parallel it with the current political, social and economic atmospheres that constelate my life.
