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| Portrait by Giogio Vasari |
Re-entering
the world of the Medicis, the moment has arrived for ‘the’ generation, one so
powerful that most biographies, studies, and genealogical trees only begin here. Herein is the man lauded as
not only the founder of the Medici bank but labeled as well as the founder of
the family, a man so accomplished and admired, little to nothing is mentioned of his siblings. Here
we have Giovanni di Bicci de Medici.
One
might assume, with such profound and long-lasting attributions, that the man
was born (in 1360) with all the tools close at hand to bring him quickly and
easily to such a level of glory. It would be a poor assumption.
Giovanni’s
father Averardo di Bicci (both men were called Bicci during their lives, and
while it appears to have been a common nickname for men in Florence at this
time, its meaning and derivation are unknown) was naught more than a wool
merchant. Indeed, he acquired great wealth in the simple profession, but, upon
his death, broke his fortune up into pieces—a little to each of his offspring
as well as a piece for his wife. (In the fecundity of text on Giovanni di Bicci
and his father, Averardo di Bicci is credited with ‘five sons’; however, on
every family tree and genealogy unearthed, only two sons and a daughter can be
confirmed . The possibilities for this disparity can be attributed to the poor
record keeping of the age, the fact that Averardo di Bicci’s great-grandfather of
the same name sired many sons, or that the other sons were bastards, and
therefore would not find a place on any family tree.) With such limited
resources then, how did Giovanni di Bicci come to wield such power?
The
answer to Giovanni’s success lays two branches up on the Medici tree, to
Giovanni’s uncle Vieri
Early
on Giovanni di Bicci showed astounding perspicacity for banking and for
business and soon became one of Vieri’s most important ‘employees.’ His mild
and affable character made him a man not only to be revered in the professional
sector, but a valued and loyal friend among the lofty ranks of Florentine
society. And yet his was an unassuming personality; he had little care for
fineries and dressed himself simply and lived as such as well. His greatest
joys he found in the serenity of his family and in his accomplishments in his
profession. He taught his sons Cosimo and Lorenzo to live in a like manner, to
give back to the world as much as they were able to gain from it, a lesson both
learned well.
Giovanni
di Bicci’s wife, Verona born Piccarda Bueri (eight years his junior) brought
with her a dowry of such esteem, Giovanni was able to purchase the Rome branch
of his great uncle’s bank. The wedding brought not only much needed funds to the
Medici clan, but prestige as well. Piccarda was born of a noble father, Edoardo
Bueri, a member of an ancient lineage of Florence nobility. Though living in
Verona at the time of Piccarda’s birth, they returned to Florence as Piccarda
reached a marriageable age. The union took place in 1386, when she was eighteen.
Piccarda
was renowned for her great beauty; Giovanni di Bicci was not. And yet Carlo
Marsuppini, a noted Florentine Humanist and Chancellor, in his eulogy written
for Piccarda, compared their love to that of famous couples of antiquity…deep,
profound and everlasting, speaking greatly to the inner beauty of both.
Vieri
retired in 1393, leaving the majority of his business holdings to his two sons,
Niccolo and Cambio. Not nearly as gifted as their father or their cousin, the
two brothers quickly brought that portion of the business to a swift and ignominious
end. But it would not cease to exist; Vieri’s years of work would
not be for
naught. With his acumen and Piccarda’s money, Giovanni di Bicci, having already
been in charge of the Rome branch of the Vieri bank, used his wife’s dowry to
purchase that branch of the bank outright in that same year for the sum of 1500
florins. By 1397, Giovanni had expanded the growth and commodity of the business
so as to bring the headquarters back to Florence while keeping a firm hand on
financial matters in Rome, becoming—at various times—the banker to more than
one Pope. Thus began once more, the growth of the now named Medici Bank to all
corners of Europe.
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| Interior of Medici Bank, Florence, 15th century Italian woodcut; Credit: The Granger Collection, New York |
On
the surface of Giovanni’s biography, it would appear that he had little interest
in the political arena, often paying the fine rather than serving in public
office. And yet, with an economy of involvements, his influence grew. In practice,
he furthered the Medici policy, upheld the tenets of democracy. But, as was
quite typical of the age, the family used the freedom of a democratic system to
further their own power, riches and influence. Beginning in 1402, Giovanni di
Bicci was elected as Prior of the Arte
del Cambio, the Banker’s Guild, an office he would hold three times. In
1407 he served as governor of Pistoia and in 1419 served as a member of the Dieci
di Balia (the Ten of War, sometimes called the Ten of Mercy, a judiciary branch
of the Florentine government). And in 1421, he was nominated as gonfaloniere of justice, the openly
acknowledged highest rank in the Florence government system.
Perhaps
Giovanni’s most daring political move was to lend his support to his customer
and friend, Baldassare Cossa, destined to become Antipope John XXIII during the
Western Schism. In an attempt to break the schism, the Council of Pisa deposed
Gregory XII and Benedict XII, electing Alexander V. Alexander passed away soon
after, leaving Cossa to be elected in his stead. Unfortunately, Cossa’s immoral
predilections—womanizing and murder—he was then deposed by the Council of
Constance in 1415. Giovanni was quick to pay the heady price of 30,000 florins
for his friend’s release.
To
look beyond Giovanni di Bicci’s professional and political achievements, we find
perhaps his most profound and lasting legacy. He was devoted to the production
of great works of art, a devotion that would become a defining characteristic
of the family, one that would one day bring the world the likes of such men as
Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and the great Michelangelo.
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| Interior view of San Lorenzo |
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| Bronze northern doors of Florence Baptistery |
Giovanni
was a sponsor, in every sense of the word, of the great North Doors of the Baptistery,
giving his money as well as his time to the project. In addition, he had the
walls of his home on Via Larga frescoed, an uncommon practice at the time, a
home whose furniture including pieces painted by Dello Delli. Giovanni was
instrumental in the great architectural achievements of his time, including the
construction of the Spedale degli Innocenti (The Innocents Hospital—a children’s
hospital) designed by Filippo Brunelleschi , as well as the reconstruction of
the new church, San Lorenzo.
Giovanni
di Bicci de Medici died in 1429 leaving not only a fortune—most assuredly the
largest in Florence, in the Italian States, and perhaps in all of Europe—and a political
power base that would forever alter the course of his descendants, he also left
a legacy of business innovation and artistic support that would forever impact
the world. His genuine kindness and concern for others would be a staple of a
family destined to achieve greatness. At the moment of his passing, he asked
his wife of forty-three years to care for his children (by which he meant all
their descendants as many of their children were already married with children
of their own by this time). Piccarda swore to do so, yet it seemed as if she
could not do well without her Bicci, falling into a profound sadness she was
never able to rise above. She followed him in less than four years , passing in
1433. Together they are entombed in the Old Sacristy of the Basilica di San
Lorenzo.
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| Tomb of Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici and Piccarda Bueri |
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