Tim Parks - Medici Money - Banking, metaphysics and art in fifteenth-century Florence

under Giovanni de’ Medici, 2–3, 38–39, 47–51

Giovanni XXIII and, 47–48, 51–53

Good Men of San Martino and, 108

holding office of, 6, 48–49, 114, 115, 120, 149, 168, 169, 170, 239

London branch of, 110–11, 114, 120, 179–83, 198, 232

under Lorenzo de’Medici, 4, 208, 213, 215, 218–20, 228–33

Lyon branch of, 229–31, 232, 233, 239

Milan branch of, 150, 172–73, 175, 181, 190, 220, 232

Naples branch of, 48, 50, 201, 219, 232

partners in, 38–39, 83, 111–12, 120

under Piero de’ Medici, 3–4, 156–57, 172–75

Pisa branch of, 118, 119, 120, 232

political power and, 83–84, 117–18

premises of, 34

profits made by, 38–39, 91, 99

registering of new branches of, 120

restructuring of, 170–71

Roman Church and, 47–48, 51–52, 91, 92, 93, 97, 113, 169, 224, 242

Rome branch of, 47–48, 52, 61, 64, 83, 91, 92, 110–11, 167, 168, 169, 172, 175, 180, 190, 198, 219, 224, 232

rules for branches of, 49–50, 63

St. Cosma’s Day holiday observed by, 133

Sassetti as general manager of, 170–71, 180–81, 228, 232

“secret books” of, 50

Sforza and, 106, 117–18, 146, 150

shareholders of, 49, 219

tax evasion and, 73, 82

Venice branch of, 48, 50–51, 63, 83, 91, 96, 98, 112, 116, 135, 146, 172, 201, 231, 232

Medici family, 2–5

Albizzi family’s political struggle with, 88–98

amount of bank profits taken by, 39

aristocratic presumptions of, 160–61, 170, 178, 246

church of, see San Lorenzo, Church of

common traits found in, 5

confiscation of wealth of, 4

currency exchange as source of wealth of, 40, 44

as dukes, 246

expulsion from Florence of, 234, 246

Florence warehouse of, 40

Florentine roots of, 28

insignia of, 85, 126 , 128

manipulative genius of, 48–49, 50

as merchants, 39–40

name saints of, 125, 126

palazzo of, see Palazzo Medici political and financial power of, 83–84, 88, 117–18, 143–45, 148–49, 167, 200, 204, 217, 223

as priors of Florence, 19

puns made on name of, 91

status of, 62

textile factories owned by, 82

upheavals in periods preceding and following, 5–9

villas owned by, 82–83, 97, 163, 186, 231

warehouse of, 40

Mehmet II, Sultan, 73, 147

Memling, Hans, 178–79, 230 , 231

“mental usury,” 24

mercenaries, 77, 80, 86, 89, 98

warlord leaders of, see condottieri

Merchants’ Guild (Arte di Calimala), 33, 58

Merchants of the Staple, 114

metaphysics:

as basis of moral law, 15

money and, 124

Michelangelo Buonarroti, 5, 13

Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, 56 , 58–59, 99, 104, 124, 172

Milan, 87, 145, 155, 214

in Italy’s internal wars, 67–68, 71–73, 76–79, 84, 88, 90, 99–100, 106, 116–18, 141, 146, 150, 218, 221

Medici bank branch in, 150, 172–73, 175, 181, 190, 220, 232

in “Most Holy League,” 147

as republic, 141

Sforza’s taking of, 146

Milanese silver imperial, 43

Mirandola, Pico della, 209, 240

Monastic Institutes , 62

money:

amorality of, 238

art patronage and morality and, 186–88

dangers of transportation of, 21, 22, 110, 114

fourteenth-century poem about, 17–18

intrinsic value and, 12–13

magic and, 34

moral law and exchange of, 11–15

political power tied to art and, 2, 9, 10, 15, 17–19, 87–89, 93, 100, 108, 117–18, 124, 145, 158–59, 161, 164–65, 212

religious patronage and, 124

ritual and, 30

Roman Church and international flow of, 20–22

social order and, 15, 18, 158

speed of profit or loss of deals in, 51

see also banking; currency; usury

monopolies:

on alum, 190, 193

viewed as sin, 193–94

Montesecco, Count, 215–16

moral law:

banking and, 11–15

metaphysical basis of, 15

mortal sins, 24

“Most Holy League,” 147

Muhammad, 14

Murate , 64

myth, 209

name saints, 169

of Medici family, 125, 126

Naples, 48, 196, 212–13

claimant to papacy in, 51

in Italy’s internal wars, 67–68, 76, 146, 218, 221, 225, 244

Lorenzo de’ Medici’s diplomatic trip to, 222–23

Medici bank branch in, 48, 50, 201, 219, 232

in “Most Holy League,” 147

ruling families of, 68, 116, 141, 218

siege of, 9

Nasi, Bartolomea de’, 239

nature:

monopolies viewed as violation of, 193–94

usury viewed as violation of, 13–15

nephews, given hereditary precedent over daughters, 205–6

Neroni, Dietisalvi, 154, 157, 167

Niccoli, Niccolò, 55, 121

nobility, 6, 16–17, 77, 162

see also aristocracy

Nori, Francesco, 173, 182, 217

North Africa, as source of slaves, 10, 63

Officers of the Night, 36, 103, 178

On Oratory (Cicero), 62

“On Republican Education” (Patrizi), 238

“On the Kingdom and Education of Kings” (Patrizi), 238

“On the Prince” or “On the Citizen” (Bartolomeo), 238

Orsini, Rinaldo, 204

Orsini family, 163, 178, 202

otto di guardia , 139, 156, 165, 167

Ottoman Turks, 67, 134–35, 147, 176, 194–95, 197, 223, 244

Padua, 10, 98

Palazzo della Signoria, 88, 94, 95, 97, 118, 138, 145, 192, 216, 217, 218, 226, 241

Palazzo Medici, 102 , 104, 105 , 114–15, 122, 145, 151, 154, 157, 159, 164, 168, 174, 208, 215, 245

Papal Chamber, Depositary of, 47

Papal States, 16, 116, 145, 203, 213

in Italy’s internal wars, 67, 99–100, 218

see also Rome

Parenti, Marco, 107, 227

Paris, 112

parliament, of Florence, 94–96, 155

balia and, 95–96

Council of 100 formed by, 148–49, 158

function of, 95, 138

Piero de’ Medici’s power and, 165–67

Patrizi, Francesco, 238

Paul II, Pope, 180, 194–98, 201

pawnbrokers, 30–31, 103

Pazzi, Beatrice Borromei, 205

Pazzi, Bianca de’ Medici, 163, 205

Pazzi, Francesco, 212–17

Pazzi, Giovanni, 205

Pazzi, Guglielmo, 205, 213, 217

Pazzi, Iacopo, 213, 217

Pazzi, Renato, 213, 220

Pazzi bank, 204, 212, 214, 227

Pazzi family, 218

and assassination plot against Lorenzo de’ Medici, 211–17, 219

Lorenzo de’ Medici’s dispute with, 204–6

Perugino, Il, 225

Peruzzi bank, 6, 48, 118

Petrarch, 57

Petrucci, Cesare, 216

Piccinino, Iacopo, 223

Piccinino, Niccolò, 78–79, 90, 100, 116, 118, 223

piccioli , 79–80, 226

exchange between florins and, 31–35

silver content of, 33

workers’ salaries paid in, 32, 34

Piccolomini, Enea Silvio, see Pius II, Pope

pirates, 178

Pisa, 19, 67, 71, 90, 118, 154, 204–5, 222

Medici bank branch in, 118, 119, 120, 232

Pitti, Luca, 155, 157, 163, 165, 167, 168, 192

Pius II, Pope, 15, 176, 189, 195

plague, 7–8, 9, 13, 37, 63, 134, 147, 220

Plato, Platonism, 151, 185–88, 207, 210, 236

podestà , 139–40, 143

function of, 137

Poggio Imperiale, 221

political parties:

illegality of, 84, 137

two-party system of, 149

political policy, utile vs. riputazione and, 74–76

political power:

of Cosimo de’ Medici, 3, 86–87

Lorenzo de’ Medici on, 87

of Medici bank, 83–84

money and art tied to, 2, 9, 10, 15, 17–19, 87–89, 93, 100, 108, 117–18, 124, 145, 158–59, 161, 164–65, 212

unofficial, 91