Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici
A Renaissance patron from the Medici family's lesser branch, he bankrolled Botticelli's mythological masterpieces and sponsored Vespucci's voyages to the New World.
1463–1503 (age 40)·Italian banker and politician·Birthday: August 4
Biography
Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici lived in the shadow of his powerful cousin, Lorenzo the Magnificent, but carved out his own significant niche as a discerning patron of the arts and exploration. As a scion of the 'Popolano' or populist branch of the Medici, his political influence was checked, but his wealth was immense. He channeled that fortune into supporting Sandro Botticelli at a crucial moment. It was for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco's villa that Botticelli painted 'Primavera' and 'The Birth of Venus,' works that defined the Florentine Renaissance's turn toward classical mythology and sensuous beauty. His interests stretched beyond canvas and pigment; he was also the employer and backer of Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine merchant in his service. Vespucci's later voyages to the Americas, which led to the continents being named in his honor, were arguably seeded by his connection to this Medici patron. While history remembers his cousin as the statesman, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco's legacy is woven into the fabric of art and discovery.
#1 When Lorenzo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1463
Lorenzo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1463Born
1468Started school
1476Became a teenager
1479Could drive
1481Could vote
1484Turned 21
1493Turned 30
1503Turned 40
Key Achievements
- Commissioned Sandro Botticelli's 'Primavera' and 'The Birth of Venus,' two of the most iconic paintings of the Renaissance.
- Was the primary patron and employer of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, financing his early commercial and later exploratory ventures.
- Co-ruled the Florentine Republic with his brother Giovanni after the expulsion of the main Medici branch in 1494.
Did You Know?
He and his brother were wards of Lorenzo the Magnificent after their father's death, though the relationship later became fraught.
He was a dedicated student of the philosopher Marsilio Ficino, who dedicated works to him.
His support for Girolamo Savonarola, the zealous friar, after the Medici expulsion contributed to the Bonfire of the Vanities.
“Botticelli, paint me a Primavera for my villa in Castello.”
