Abstract
This paper looks at the life of of Cosimo de' Medici, who was the progenitor of one of the main lines of the Medici family, which ruled over the independent city-state of Florence from 1434 to 1637. In particular, it looks at Cosimo?s work as an art patron to much of the culture of Florence at the time and, even more broadly, much of the early Renaissance church.

Outline
Introduction
Cosimo de Medici
Taking Advantage of the Moment
A Common Culture

From the Paper
"But it must also be remembered that while Cosimo de"Medici was not a democratic leader in the modern sense of the term, it is also important - as Kent makes clear repeatedly - that the distinction between public and private was narrower in Cosimo's Florence than it is today. Cosimo's private garden, for example, was transformed into a kind of public academy for painters as were the gardens of other de'Medici family members (Jacobs, 2002). The homes and garden of Cosimo deMedici existed in an almost seamless whole with the public commissions that he made."

Tags:patron, art, church, renaissance

From the Paper
"The Uffizi, in Florence, was a culmination in the long tradition of public architecture in the Italian city-states. In communes, republics, or princely states, the citizens or rulers of these towns and cities had patronized the design and construction of public buildings and spaces that directly reflected the nature of the polity. With the violent end of the Florentine Republic and the return of the Medici family as hereditary rulers of an expanding state, a new variant was needed to describe the novel state of affairs. Cosimo I, the second Medici duke, and his son Francesco I, required public architecture that would simultaneously detach the Florentines from their republican past and legitimate the rule of the Medici. Cosimo's commission to Giorgio Vasari to build the Uffizi, in which various state functions would be centralized, and..."

Abstract
The history of the Medici family in Italy clearly illustrates the difference between a true patron and a collector of fine art. This paper explains that with the collector, new artistic movements are, at times, very difficult to locate, which inevitably leads to the collector amassing works of art based on certain styles and motifs or even specific painters or sculptors from various artistic periods. The writer points out however that with the patron, such as Cosimo I and Lorenzo the Magnificent in the Renaissance and Cosimo III and Cardinal Leopoldo in the Baroque era, the almost in-born desire to vigorously encourage the development and spread of fine art is without competition, for the patron is truly the purveyor of artistic history, at least in western civilization.

From the Paper
"Of course, when the Medici family did finally expire in the mid 18th century, the great artists, such as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Brunelleschi and Bernini, had also expired and their successors, although very talented and inspirational, did not possess the genius of these men which may help to explain why patronage itself waned after the Baroque era. In addition, it could be said that without the Medici family and its enormous wealth and prestige the Renaissance and Baroque eras might never have existed. Thus, the Medici, along with other prominent art patrons, allowed for the formation of several outstanding art periods which not only helped to create and foster great talent but also made it possible for the common, everyday man or woman to gaze in awe at their works of wonder and contemplate the very nature of their creators and those that supported them without question or authority."

Tags:artist, cosimo, lorenzo, painting, periods

Abstract
This paper selected the Renaissance as one of the three major world events that have shaped the history of Western civilization because Western art reached its pinnacle through the patronage of Cosimo de Medici, who single-handedly influenced all the future artistic styles and movements in Europe. The author related that the second event, the American Revolution, made it possible for the American colonies to separate from Great Britain and create the first truly independent democratic system since the ancient Greeks. The paper explains that the third event, the French Revolution, was a period in European history marked by the overthrow of a major monarchy, which led to a free France and thus inspired other revolutions by those who were downtrodden and restricted by tyrants and dictators.

From the Paper
"Faced with vast new responsibilities following the costly French and Indian War, the British government sought to restrict white settlers to the Atlantic side of the Appalachians in part as a way to bring order to the confused state of affairs with the Indians. This proclamation decreed a line of demarcation along the crest of the Appalachians, for all of the lands to the west were to be preserved for the Native Indians. With this, all land claims west of the Appalachians were annulled and no new claims, settlements or even travel was allowed without royal permission. As a result, the hopes of many Americans who wished to expand settlements westward were dashed and thus brought about the beginnings of the American Revolution."

Tags:medici, art, colonies, democracy, overthrow

Abstract
This paper uses a socio-intellectual style of historical inquiry to examine the change in the perception of banking in the areas of scholastic attitude, law and public image in Renaissance Florence. The positive acceptance of banking from a formerly profane vocation, the author relates, was due to a more advanced understanding of industry and economics, a more relativistic interpretation of theological and juridical sources and an aggressive campaign by the humanists to redefine moral values and to reshape the Florentine culture. The paper reveals the impact of banking on Florentine society and its relationships with ecclesiastical and civic institutions and describes the elite banking families, smaller scale bankers and the Monte di Pieta. The paper includes footnotes.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Scholastic Philosophy And Economic Theory
Law and Religion
Public Image and Humanist Philosophy
Conclusion

From the Paper
"A brief examination of the elite bankers reveals how they navigated the legal quagmire of the usury ban, and managed to place their activities beyond the reach of the ecclesiastic prosecution. By using covert methods that hid their lending from public scrutiny, forming business deals with the Catholic Church that benefited both the bankers and the Church, and by placing their family members in high ranking positions among the church hierarchical structure, the elite banking class was able to neutralize the threat of persecution that prevented other Christians from legally taking part in banking for profit."

Tags:historian, socio-intellectual, scholastics, revision, cosimo

Abstract
This paper discusses the Medici family in Italy. It describes the Florentine Quattrocento century and discusses the influence that the Medici's had, particularly in the realm of civic humanism. It describes the focus of their rule and how they were accepted by the people. The paper then describes the changes in power of the Medici family over time.

From the Paper
"With such views it is clear why Cosimo gained political power and importance in Florence. If Cosimo's reign was fraught with incidents of largesse, he had enough power and wealth to justify it. He was a prominent man with political connections with powerful people like princes and popes. Cosimo was also the head of Medici bank and during the Quattrocento personal wealth could be easily used to justify power. Such a thing would have not been possible in Trecento. Medici family had gained people's support by lending money and patronage to relatively unknown families with little or no political connection. These families would then become dependent on Medicis and thus supported them. (Kent, 28)"

Tags:humanism, Cosimo, Florence

Abstract
This paper discusses the Medici family in Renaissance Italy. It expands on the family's advancement of cultural life of Florence. The paper researches its political and economic power. Also mentioned in the paper is the family's patronage of the arts and its influence on the development of Italy.

From the Paper
"The rule of the Medici family in Florence had an enormous influence on the city-state and on the Renaissance in Italy and Europe. The Medici family advanced the cultural and civic life of Florence making it the cultural center of all Europe. Politically the ..."

Tags:Medici, Italy, Florence, Lorenzo, Renaissance, Popes, Cosimo, Political