Great Post at HistPhil.Org on Medici, Magnificence and Philanthropy

There is a great read over at HistPhil.org by Guido Alfani discussing his new book  As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West (Princeton University Press, 2023). In particular it looks at the concept of "magnificence" as it related to Lorenzo de' Medici and his public provision of money to the arts and other endeavors.

From the post: "Why was Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449-1492) called “the Magnificent”? Because of all he did for his Republic, Florence. He was a major patron of the arts, also establishing an art school, the Garden of San Marco, where the likes of Michelangelo were trained. He raised splendid buildings, such as the Basilica di Santa Maria in Prato and his own villa at Poggio a Caiano (both commissioned to Giuliano da Sangallo, one of the most celebrated architects of the time). A poet himself, he protected and promoted writers and intellectuals (Poliziano, Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola) and in general, he did much to strengthen the position of Florence as one of the main cultural hubs of Renaissance Europe. There is no doubt that to this day, the city continues to benefit from Lorenzo’s deeds."

Philip Hackney