The Albizzi family (Italian pronunciation:[ˈalbittsi]) was a patrician noble family and were the de facto leaders of an oligarchy of wealthy families that ruled Florence in the second half of the 14th century. They were at the center of the oligarchy from 1382, in the reaction that followed the Ciompi revolt, to the rise of the Medici in 1434.
One of the most powerful families of medieval Florence, the Albizi were active members of the wool guildArte della Lana and were most prosperous between the 13th and 16th centuries. The Albizzi were known for their opposition to the Medici family and their significant role in the city's political and social life.
Origin and professions
The Albizzi moved to Florence from Arezzo sometime in the 12th century, and rose to power during the 14th century through their increasing influence over Florentine politics and bureaucratic offices, and their multiple businesses.[1] The family held a strong position in the wool guild, often contributing to shaping the guild’s governing policies and laws. Guild records have also shown the Albizzi to be among the most active in the governing of the Arte della Lana, as shown by the significant number of its members in the guild’s cabinet (21 in the year 1332 and 18 in the year 1353). By the beginning of the Trecento, the Albizzi had established themselves as one of the most prominent families of Florentine nobility, owing to their success as merchants and financiers.[2]
The Albizzi family’s main business was the production, refinement, and commerce of wool. While they did trade in and around Florence, their most prolific markets were Venice, Flanders, and England. The business was run in a fondaco[3] (warehouse) and two bottege[4] (shops). In addition to producing and selling cloth, the Albizzi also started granting loans to other families and businesses and sold and rented land, fulling mills, and factories located in Tuscany. The Albizi were also directly involved in governing Florence and in particular their own neighborhood.[2]
Rise to Florentine leadership
By the 1360s, two rival factions had emerged in Florence: the Albizzi family, who supported and favored alliances with the Papacy and Naples, and the Ricci family, who pushed for more representation for the common people. These factions fought until 1372, when the Signoria banned the Albizzi from holding public office for five years. During this ban, Maso degli Albizzi, a prominent member of the family, was removed from his position in Pistoia, a region controlled by Florence. However, his setback was brief. After the Ciompi Revolt ended in 1382, Maso returned to power.[1]
The Albizzi family regained control of the city after a difficult and often violent period. This turmoil followed the War of the Eight Saints (1375 - 1378), a failed military campaign against the Papacy that drained Florence’s finances and imposed harsh religious penalties on the population, leading to widespread dissatisfaction with the government. In the aftermath of the Ciompi Revolt, an oligarchic regime took over Florence. This regime, dominated by the city’s wealthy patricians who controlled both commerce and government decisions, was led by Maso degli Albizzi.[1]
Cultural and artistic impact
During the Albizzi rule after the Ciompi riots, promotions and other forms of sponsorship played an important role in strengthening their influence in Florence. In particular, from 1382 to 1392, ceremonies and events such as chivalric-courtly celebrations were arranged by the Albizzi to boost their publish image and social relations with other powerful families. After 1390, however, they increasingly included joust and tournaments, although these were less common. Another way the Albizzi established strong political connections was by welcoming important guests into their private homes. These guests were given special treatment, often watching events from prime spots like church steps or windows, or even participating as spectators or contenders, all while being comfortably accommodated nearby.[5]
One of the greatest reasons for the Albizzi’s popularity lies in the famed portrait of Giovanna degli Albizzi Tornabuoni by the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio.[6][7] Giovanna’s portraits became an iconic paradigm of Renaissance art, thus exemplifying the Albizzi family’s, including Giovanna’s, role in supporting the arts, contributing to Florence's cultural legacy.
Prominent members
Maso degli Albizzi
Tommaso (Maso) degli Albizzi (1347 - 1417) was a Florentine statesman and the leader of the post-1382 oligarchic regime of the Florentine Republic. Maso degli Albizzi whose leadership and authority were unchallenged at that time, was also the man who masterminded the Pisan operation in 1406.[8] Maso degli Albizzi, first experienced political defeat when he was ousted from his political position in Pistoia. However, Maso returned to the Signoria after the Ciompi Revolt ended in 1382.[1]
Maso is considered a perceptive politician renowned for his charm, charisma, and diplomatic elegance. Maso and his fellow patricians undid the egalitarian changes made during the Ciompi era and restored a system that gave higher guildsmen more power and a majority in committees.[1] After Maso died in 1417, his son Rinaldo degli Albizzi took control of the city before his exile.
Rinaldo degli Albizzi (1370 - 1442) was the elder son of Maso degli Albizzi. Rinaldo was trained to be a soldier and a diplomat and his main goals were to keep the oligarchy in the Albizzi’s hands. When his father died in 1417, Rinaldo took his place as the head of the Albizzi family and started a war to conquer Lucca. But this enterprise was more difficult than he thought and cost Florence heavily. Rinaldo is most well-known for his enmity with the Medici family, particularly Cosimo the Elder. In 1433, Cosimo de’ Medici was summoned by the Signoria, where Rinaldo tried to persuade them to behead Cosimo on the false accusation of getting foreign help against Florence. However, he was opposed by the majority in the Signoria and was forced to agree to Cosimo’s banishment instead of death.[9]
In the meantime, Rinaldo was losing support in Florence, and a difficult war against Milan added to his unpopularity. When Cosimo returned to Florence, he was lenient on Rinaldo and exiled him and his supporters with the help of the Signoria.[9] After his exile, Rinaldo allied with Milan and conspired against Florence. In response, the Medicean Signoria denounced Rinaldo.[10] He died in Ancona in 1442.
Luca degli Albizzi [it] was the younger son of Maso degli Albizzi and the head of the Florentine galleys. During the years of the Medici-Albizzi conflict, Luca always sided with the Medici. Due to his allegiance to Cosimo, he was allowed to stay in Florence after his family’s exile in 1434. Luca soon became Cosimo's right-hand man and was sent as ambassador to Milan, Rome, and Venice. He became the Gonfaloniere of Justice in 1442 and, occasionally, a member of the Council of Ten.
Ormanno degli Albizzi was the son of Rinaldo degli Albizzi. In 1433, he was sent as ambassador to Venice. In 1434 he and his father opposed Cosimo’s return after exile, but they failed and Cosimo returned to Florence. Two years after Rinaldo’s exile, Ormanno was declared a rebel and exiled too, and he fled to Trapani. Later he went to Milan at the court of Filippo Maria Visconti to incite him against Florence. He sent ambassadors to Florence in 1455 and 1457 to obtain permission to return, but Cosimo de' Medici was adamant in confirming his exile. From 1457 there was no more news of him.
Maria Ormani's Breviary Manuscript Page with self-portrait
Maria Ormani (born Maria di Ormanno degli Albizzi; 1428 - 1470), was an AugustinianHermitnun-scribe and manuscript illustrator. She was the daughter of Ormanno degli Albizzi. Maria did not accompany her family into exile but became a novice at San Gaggio in 1438. Maria lived here with daughters of other patrician families including the Medici, Orsini, and Rinuccini until sometime before 1471 when she disappeared from lists of convent residents. Maria di Ormanno degli Albizzi's most notable work is a self-portrait in a breviary that she signed and dated 1453.
Antonio Albizzi
Antonio degli Albizzi (1547 - 1627) completed his studies in Pisa and became the regent of the Accademia degli Alterati. His life was marked by significant intellectual and political activity, as well as a notable conversion to Lutheranism that set him apart from many of his contemporaries. As a young man, Albizzi authored writings on Dante, composed Carnival poems, and penned a biography of Pietro Strozzi. In 1576, Antonio entered the service of Andreas von Habsburg, a young cardinal and member of the Habsburg family, and served as Andreas' secretary, counselor, and camerarius aulicus. Antonio's conversion to Lutheranism occurred around 1585 during his time as the Habsburg commissary in Carniola (Slovenia). The conversion was reportedly triggered by an illness and a Jesuit reading Paul's letters to him.[11]
Despite his conversion, Antonio maintained a low profile, practicing Nicodemism—a secret adherence to Protestant beliefs while outwardly participating in Catholic rituals to avoid persecution. After the death of Cardinal Andreas in 1600, Antonio relocated to Kempten, a Lutheran town, to avoid the jurisdiction of the Catholic Inquisition. Here, he lived out his remaining years, contributing to the local community as a political advisor, philanthropist, and supporter of the parish school. Albizzi authored several Lutheran theological works, including the "Exercitationes theologicae" (1616 - 1617), a detailed exposition of Lutheran doctrine. Antonio degli Albizzi died in 1627.
Portrait of Giovanna degli Albizzi Tornabuoni
Giovanna degli Albizzi Tornabuoni (1468 - 1488) was born in Florence. In 1486, at the age of 20, Giovanna married Lorenzo Tornabuoni. Giovanna's life was cut short when she died in 1488, likely due to complications related to childbirth. Giovanna is most famously depicted in a portrait by the renowned Florentine painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Despite her brief life, Giovanna left a mark on Renaissance art and culture through her portraits. Giovanna is also depicted in Ghirlandaio's frescoes in the Tornabuoni Chapel in Santa Maria Novella, Florence. In these frescoes, she is shown in scenes such as the Visitation, where her image serves as a memorial following her death.[6][7]
Lucrezia di Matteo Albizzi Ricasoli was a Florentine patrician woman born likely in the last decade of the 15th century. Her father was Matteo di Andrea degli Albizzi, and her mother was Nanna di Niccolò Tornabuoni. In 1513, Lucrezia married Filippo di Piergiovanni Ricasoli. After her husband's death, Lucrezia did not remarry and managed her household as a widow. Lucrezia had at least six children, including Matteo, Braccio, Maddalena, Piergiovanni, Alessandra, and Raffaello. Her correspondence primarily involved letters to her sons, particularly Matteo and Braccio.
As a widow, Lucrezia played an active role in the family business, coordinating the dispatch and sale of agricultural products, reporting to her sons, and managing the family’s finances. Her letters often reveal her frustrations with the financial difficulties her family faced, particularly with maintaining appearances and managing debts. Lucrezia likely began writing letters in her own hand relatively late in life, around the late 1530s, possibly in her forties. Before this, she mostly relied on delegate writers to compose letters on her behalf. Her first known autograph letter dates to 1539.[12]
Francesco Albizzi
Francesco Albizzi (1593, Cesena – 1684, Rome) was a cardinal. As a member of the Roman Inquisition, he worked to increase the standards of jurisprudence in Rome and establish "rigorous standards of evidence and proof", particularly concerning alleged cases of witchcraft. At 90 years old, Francesco Albizzi died in Rome in 1683.
Mori, Eva (6 November 2018). "Politica e spettacolo a Firenze: la festa cavalleresca al tempo degli Albizzi (1382-1434)". Drammaturgia: 103–150. doi:10.13128/Drammaturgia-24128. GaleA571110082.
Molho, Anthony (1967). "A Note on the Albizzi and the Florentine Conquest of Pisa". Renaissance Quarterly. 20 (2): 185–199. doi:10.2307/2859721. JSTOR2859721.
Crum, Roger J. (2001). "Severing the Neck of Pride: Donatello's Judith and Holofernes and the Recollection of Albizzi Shame in Medicean Florence". Artibus et Historiae. 22 (44): 23–29. doi:10.2307/1483711. JSTOR1483711.
DePrano, Maria (November 2008). "'No painting on earth would be more beautiful': an analysis of Giovanna degli Albizzi's portrait inscription". Renaissance Studies. 22 (5): 617–641. doi:10.1111/j.1477-4658.2008.00532.x. JSTOR24417321.
Simons, Patricia (2011). "Giovanna and Ginevra: Portraits for the Tornabuoni Family by Ghirlandaio and Botticelli". I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance. 14/15: 103–135. JSTOR41781524.
Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi, professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence. Ghirlandaio was part of the so-called "third generation" of the Florentine Renaissance, along with Verrocchio, the Pollaiolo brothers and Sandro Botticelli.
Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth as a banker and intermarriage with other rich and powerful families. He was a patron of arts, learning, and architecture. He spent over 600,000 gold florins on art and culture, including Donatello's David, the first freestanding nude male sculpture since antiquity.
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was an Italian banker and founder of the Medici Bank. While other members of the Medici family, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' Medici, who served in the Signoria of Florence in 1401, and Salvestro de' Medici, who was implicated in the Ciompi Revolt of 1378, are of historical interest, it was Giovanni's founding of the family bank that truly initiated the family's rise to power in Florence. He was the father of Cosimo de' Medici and of Lorenzo the Elder; grandfather of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici; great-grandfather of Lorenzo de' Medici ; and the great-great-great-grandfather of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Cosimo I de' Medici was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the duchy. He built the Uffizi (office) to organize his administration, and conquered Siena to consolidate Florence's rule in Tuscany. He expanded the Pitti Palace and most of the Boboli Gardens were also laid out during his reign.
The Republic of Florence, known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. The republic originated in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon the death of Matilda of Tuscany, who controlled vast territories that included Florence. The Florentines formed a commune in his successors' place. The republic was ruled by a council known as the Signoria of Florence. The signoria was chosen by the gonfaloniere, who was elected every two months by Florentine guild members.
The Ciompi Revolt was a rebellion among unrepresented labourers which occurred in the Republic of Florence in Tuscany, Italy, from 1378 to 1382. Those who revolted consisted of artisans, labourers, and craftsmen who did not belong to any guilds and were therefore unable to participate in the Florentine government. These labourers had grown increasingly resentful over the established patrician oligarchy. In addition, they were expected to pay heavy taxes which they could not afford, forcing some to abandon their homes. The resulting insurrection over such tensions led to the creation of a government composed of wool workers and other disenfranchised workers which lasted for three and a half years.
Rinaldo degli Albizzi (1370–1442) was an Italian nobleman, a member of the Florentine family of the Albizzi. Along with Palla Strozzi, he was the primary opponent of Cosimo de' Medici's rise in Florence.
The Sassetti Chapel is a chapel in the basilica of Santa Trinita in Florence, Italy. It is especially notable for its frescoes of the Stories of St. Francis, considered Domenico Ghirlandaio's masterwork.
The Tornabuoni Chapel is the main chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy. It is famous for the extensive and well-preserved fresco cycle on its walls, one of the most complete in the city, which was created by Domenico Ghirlandaio and his workshop between 1485 and 1490.
Giovanni Tornabuoni was an Italian merchant, banker and patron of the arts from Florence.
Biagio d’Antonio Tucci was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence, Faenza and Rome.
Lucrezia Tornabuoni was an Italian noblewoman, wife of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, de facto Lord of Florence and his political adviser. Lucrezia had significant political influence during the rule of her husband and then of her son Lorenzo the Magnificent, investing in several institutions and improving relationships to support the needs of the poor. She was also a patroness of the arts who wrote several poems and plays.
The Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Domenico Ghirlandaio, executed in 1488 and located in the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. The portrait was commissioned by Lorenzo Tornabuoni after his wife's death in 1488 and includes many symbolic details.
Niccolò da Uzzano was an Italian politician, banker and Renaissance humanist, the Gonfaloniere of Justice in the government of Florence, where he was an associate of the Medici family.
Gentile de' Becchi was an Italian bishop, diplomat, orator and writer. He was a member of the Platonic Academy of the Medici of Florence and tutor of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his son Giovanni de' Medici, later Pope Leo X. Of his writings there exist many letters, poems in Latin, and prayers which are praised by historian Cecil Grayson as his finest works.
Bianca Maria di Piero de' Medici was a member of the de' Medici family, de facto rulers of Florence in the late 15th century. She was the daughter of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic, and sister of Lorenzo de' Medici, who succeeded his father in that position. She married Guglielmo de' Pazzi, a member of the Pazzi family. She was a musician, and played the organ for Pope Pius II and the future Pope Alexander VI in 1460; she was a landowner.
Medici is a historical drama television series created by Frank Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer. The series was produced by Italian companies Lux Vide and Rai Fiction, in collaboration with Spotnitz's Big Light Productions. The series follows the House of Medici, bankers of the Pope, in 15th-century Florence. Each season follows the events of a particular moment of the family's history exploring the political and artistic landscape of Renaissance Italy.
Maria Ormani, was an Italian Augustinian Hermit nun-scribe and manuscript illustrator.
Ormanno di Rinaldo degli Albizzi was an Italian ambassador and military, firstborn of Rinaldo degli Albizzi and his wife Alessandra de' Ricco.
Tommaso (Maso) degli Albizzi was a Florentine statesman, from 1382 to 1417 the head of the oligarchic party that effectively ruled the Florentine Republic.
↑ "fondaco", Wiktionary, the free dictionary, 2024-05-17, retrieved 2024-12-31
↑ "bottega", Wiktionary, the free dictionary, 2024-08-19, retrieved 2024-12-31
↑ Mori, Eva (6 November 2018). "Politica e spettacolo a Firenze: la festa cavalleresca al tempo degli Albizzi (1382-1434)". Drammaturgia: 103–150. doi:10.13128/Drammaturgia-24128. GaleA571110082.
1 2 Simons, Patricia (2011). "Giovanna and Ginevra: Portraits for the Tornabuoni Family by Ghirlandaio and Botticelli". I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance. 14/15: 103–135. JSTOR41781524.
1 2 DePrano, Maria (November 2008). "'No painting on earth would be more beautiful': an analysis of Giovanna degli Albizzi's portrait inscription". Renaissance Studies. 22 (5): 617–641. doi:10.1111/j.1477-4658.2008.00532.x. JSTOR24417321.
↑ Molho, Anthony (1967). "A Note on the Albizzi and the Florentine Conquest of Pisa". Renaissance Quarterly. 20 (2): 185–199. doi:10.2307/2859721. JSTOR2859721.
↑ Crum, Roger J. (2001). "Severing the Neck of Pride: Donatello's Judith and Holofernes and the Recollection of Albizzi Shame in Medicean Florence". Artibus et Historiae. 22 (44): 23–29. doi:10.2307/1483711. JSTOR1483711.
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