But his crowning superiority over every other Maecenas known to history lay in his active participation in the intellectual labours that he promoted. He was an elegant prose writer, and a poet of real originality. It is Lorenzo's lasting glory to have been the initiator of the movement for the revival of the national litera ture in the mother tongue. He died on April 8, 1492.
Pietro.—Lorenzo left three sons—Pietro ( 147 I–I 503 ) Giovanni (1475-1520 and Giuliano (1479-1516). He was suc ceeded by Pietro, whose rule lasted but for two years. He fomented the hatred between Lodovico Sforza and Ferdinand of Naples, which hastened the coming of the French under Charles VIII., and the renewal of foreign invasions. When the French Viii., and the renewal of foreign invasions. When the French approached the frontiers of Tuscany, Pietro, crazed with fear, accepted terms equally humiliating to himself and the state. The enraged citizens decreed his deposition, and he fled to Venice. He was drowned at Garigliano in 1503.
Cardinal Giovanni (Leo X.), Giuliano, Lorenzo.—A republican government was maintained in Florence from 1494 to 1512, and the city remained faithful to its alliance with the French, wbo were all-powerful in Italy Cardinal Giovanni, the head of the family, resided in Rome, playing the patron to a circle of litterati, artists and friends, and waiting for better days. The battle of Ravenna wrought the downfall of the fortunes of France in 'Italy, and led to the rise of those of Spain, whose troops entered Florence to destroy the republic and reinstate the Medici. Pietro had left a young son, Lorenzo (1492-1519), who was after wards duke of Urbino. In 1513 Cardinal Giovanni was elected pope, and assumed the name of Leo X. (q v.). Meanwhile his kinsmen continued to govern Florence by means of a balia. And thus, being masters of the whole of central Italy, the Medici en joyed great authority throughout the country. This was the moment when Niccolo Machiavelli (q.v.), in his treatise The Prince, counselled them to accomplish the unity of Italy Giuliano dei Medici had died during Leo's reign, in 1516, with out having ever done anything worthy of record. He was the hus band of Philiberta of Savoy, was duke of Nemours, and left a natural son, Ippolito dei Medici (i 51i-1535), who afterwards be came a cardinal. Lorenzo was invested by his kinsman, Leo X., with the duchy of Urbino, after expelling on false pretences its legitimate lord, Francesco Maria della Rovere. This prince, how
ever, soon returned to Urbino, where he was joyously welcomed by his subjects, and Lorenzo regained possession only by a war of several months, in which he was wounded. In 1519 he also died, worn out by disease and excess. By his marriage with Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne, he had one daughter, Caterina dei Medici (1519-1589) (see CATHERINE DE' MEDICI) , married in 1533 to Henry, duke of Orleans, afterwards king of France. Lorenzo also left a natural son named Alessandro. Thus the only three surviv ing representatives of the chief branch of the Medici, Cardinal Giulio, Ippolito and Alessandro were all of illegitimate birth, and left no legitimate heirs.
Cardinal Giulio (Clement VII.) .—Cardinal Giulio (see CLEMENT VII.), who had laboured successfully for the reinstate ment of his family in Florence in 1512, had been long attached to the person of Leo X. as his trusted factotum and companion. When Giuliano and Lorenzo died, the pope appointed the cardinal to the government of Flcrence. When, after the death of Leo X. and the very brief pontificate of Adrian VI., he was elected pope (1523) under the name of Clement VII., he entrusted the govern ment of Florence to Cardinal Silvio Passerini conjointly with Alessandro and Ippolito, who were still young.
Giovanni delle Bande Nere.—The younger branch of the Medici, descended from Lorenzo, brother to Cosimo the elder, now emerged from obscurity. In fact the most valiant captain of the papal forces was Giovanni dei Medici, afterwards known by the name of Giovanni delle Bande Nere. His father was Giovanni, son of Pier Francesco, who was the son of Lorenzo, the brother of Cosimo dei Medici. The youthful Giovanni was the only leader who opposed a determined resistance to the imperial forces. He was seriously wounded at Pavia when fighting on the French side. On his recovery he joined the army of the League. When the imperial troops were struggling through the marshes of Mantua, surrounded on every side, and without stores or ammunition, Giovanni attacked them with a small body of men. One of the first shots fired by the enemy injured him so fatally that he died a few days after. He was married to Maria Salviati, by whom he had one son, Cosimo (1519-1574), who became the first grand duke of Tuscany, and indeed the founder of the grand duchy and the new dynasty.