medici, house of

A tale of one family's ambition and of Europe's struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. The Medici used charm, skill and ruthlessness to garner unparalleled wealth and power, ruling Europe for more than 300 years.

Author Strathern describes the modest origins of the famous Medici family, their rise to power in Florence during the Italian Renaissance, and the artists and scientists they helped to flourish. Also profiles the lives of Medici family members like Giovanni, the banker and patriarch of the family; Cosimo, the erudite politician and art patron; flamboyant Lorenzo and his clash with Savonarola; and the ladies of the Medici family, like Catherine, who became Queen of France.

Felix and Maisie try to save their Great-Uncle Thorne by travelling back in time to Renaissance Italy, where they meet Leonardo da Vinci and dine with the great Medici family.

The Befanini family rules the kitchens of the de Medici and their allies, serving well by fortifying their patrons' reputations and influence with all the power that a brilliant meal can supply. Young Ginevra Befanini serves more directly as companion and confidante to Caterina de Medici, while Ginevra's brother Tommaso is learning his family's craft and enhancing it with his own ideas and talents. The political forces of Renaissance Florence pull and push at them; plague stalks them; and other alien forces move through the kitchens and the city, menacing Caterina and her friends.

Before they achieved renown as patrons of the arts and de facto rulers of Florence, the Medici family earned their fortune in banking. But even at the height of the Renaissance, charging interest of any kind meant running afoul of the Catholic Church?s ban on usury. Tim Parks reveals how the legendary Medicis?Cosimo and Lorenzo ?the Magnificent? in particular?used the diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools at hand, along with a healthy dose of intrigue and wit, to further their fortunes as well as their family?s standing.

A tale of one family's ambition and of Europe's struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages. The Medici used charm, skill, and ruthlessness to garner unparalleled wealth and power, ruling Europe for more than 300 years.

Stuntman Reb Barnett travels to Italy, hoping to discover why his father, a museum curator, was killed in a tragic fire more than twenty years ago.

Presents a comprehensive study of the Medici family that helped shape fifteenth-century Florence, Italy, and describes the power struggles, wars, and violence that occurred during this time.