Cosimo de’ Medici

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Cosimo de’ Medici

Q: What is Cosimo de’ Medici known for?

Cosimo de’ Medici is known for being the founder of one of the main lines of the Medici family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1537. He was a patron of the arts and humanism and played an important role in the Italian Renaissance .

Q: Who were Cosimo de’ Medici’s parents?

Cosimo de’ Medici was the son of Piccarda Bueri de’ Medici and Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici. His father, considered the first of the great Medici, had inherited the family business based on cloth and silk manufacturing and on banking operations and made the family powerfully prosperous.

Q: Where is Cosimo de’ Medici buried?

Cosimo de’ Medici is buried in a tomb in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence , Italy .

ruler of Florence [1389-1464]

Also known as: Cosimo il Vecchio, Cosimo the Elder

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 • Article History

Cosimo de' Medici

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Category: History & Society

Byname:: Cosimo the Elder

Italian:: Cosimo il Vecchio

Latin byname:: Pater Patriae (Father of his Country)

Born:: Sept. 27, 1389, Florence

Died:: Aug. 1, 1464, Careggi, near Florence (aged 74)

House / Dynasty:: Medici family

Role In:: Council of Ferrara-Florence

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What is Cosimo de’ Medici known for?

Who were Cosimo de’ Medici’s parents?

Where is Cosimo de’ Medici buried?

Cosimo de’ Medici (born Sept. 27, 1389, Florence—died Aug. 1, 1464, Careggi, near Florence) was the founder of one of the main lines of the Medici family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1537. The son of Giovanni di Bicci (1360–1429), Cosimo was initiated into affairs of high finance in the corridors of the Council of Constance, where he represented the Medici bank. He went on from there to manage the papacy’s finances and in 1462 filled his coffers to overflowing by obtaining from Pius II the Tolfa alum mines monopoly, alum being indispensable to Florence’s famed textile industry. He ...(100 of 1041 words)

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