In April 1478, a plot to murder the two heads of the powerful Medici family miscarried dramatically in the cathedral of Florence. The younger of the two brothers was killed, but Lorenzo the Magnificent, the brilliant poet and connoisseur escaped. A bloodbath followed in reprisal. All Italy was at once affected, as it emerged that the Pope, the King of Naples, and the Duke of Urbino were deeply implicated in the plot, and that binding treaties required Milan and Venice to assist Florence. A tangle of Florentine interests now ...
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In April 1478, a plot to murder the two heads of the powerful Medici family miscarried dramatically in the cathedral of Florence. The younger of the two brothers was killed, but Lorenzo the Magnificent, the brilliant poet and connoisseur escaped. A bloodbath followed in reprisal. All Italy was at once affected, as it emerged that the Pope, the King of Naples, and the Duke of Urbino were deeply implicated in the plot, and that binding treaties required Milan and Venice to assist Florence. A tangle of Florentine interests now came to light, revealing a dangerous archbishop, a cosseted papal nephew, and the Pazzi - an ambitious family of bankers with lofty connections abroad. The Pazzi were the foremost social and financial rivals of the Medici, but they were forced - like all other leading families in Florence - to pay political obeisance to them, in a play of attitudes that was stifling public discussion and subverting the Florentine republic. Against the high abstract shadows of power politics and the menace to political debate, the Pazzi Conspiracy was driven by bankers, priests, politicians, and mercenaries, caught up in a tangle of passion and armed violence.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
This book examines the events which lead up to the attempted assignation of Lorenzo the Magnificent (di Medici) and played a part in the making of a History Channel documentary. Do not mistake this for a historical novel or 'who done it' . This is a serious look into this history of Tuscany in the 15th century. It historically dovetails nicely into Machiavelli's The Prince. Why so much interest in northern Italian principalities of the 14th-16th centuries? Florence, Venice, Romagna and others were centers of trade between Asia and the rest of Europe. In particular Florence was the center of finance for the Chruch and business. The seeds of our modern business systems for finance, accounting and banking were developed here. The di Medici family aspired to be the 'top of the heap' in Florence. By time Lorenzo became the family's 'capo' , he began to flex family political muscle to dismantle the Florentine republic and thus explains his attempted assignation and later the backdrop for Machiavelli's The Prince (which was dedicated to Lorenzo the Magnificent's grandson- Lorenzo)