Politics

Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464)

ade his fortune through a banking business he inherited from his father and later expanded. His historical claim to fame was his founding of the House of Medici in Florence, which emerged as the most powerful political family in Italy.

In addition to his banking persuits, Cosimo also expanded into the manufacture of silk and woolen goods and into spice trading with the Far East. Being one of the richest men in Florence, he was a generous patron of the churches and the arts. He financed the reconstruction of several churches, and he owned an extensive library. During his struggle for supreme power in Florence, he was once sent into exile. When he returned, he had a new resolve to seize control of the city. He gained political influence chiefly through his gifts and loans. After his death, his position passed to his son Piero.