Who were the Medici?
(top of page) The Medici were probably the most famous and influential family in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy and their activity is the focus of intense interest by scholars in many historical disciplines, including the history of art, music, literature, economics, diplomacy and the natural sciences. By the 14th century, they had settled in the city of Florence and in the course of several generations, rose from local businessmen to great international bankers and from neighborhood politicians to de facto heads of state. Then for two centuries, from 1537 to 1743, the Medici ruled as sovereign Grand Dukes of Tuscany at the center of a princely court.
