Patronage, Architecture and Magnificence in Cosimo de ’Medici’s Florence

Renaissance Art Conversations XVI

Dr. Ena Heller, Director, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College
Patronage, Architecture and Magnificence in Cosimo de’ Medici’s Florence
Boca Raton Downtown Library
Although history remembers Lorenzo de ’Medici as “The Magnificent,” associating the Medici family with the ancient notion of magnificence goes back to the time of his grandfather Cosimo the Elder, first of the family to become de facto ruler of Florence in the 15th century. This lecture explores the connections between Cosimo’s architectural patronage and changes in Renaissance thought about expenditures, civic duty, and the ideal ruler, as well as how they impacted the revival of antiquity in architecture.