Medici Money Pa

by Parks,Tim

• ISBN13: 9780393328455
• ISBN10: 0393328457
• Edition: 00
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-05-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

The remarkable story of the Renaissance's preeminent financiers. "A swift and brilliant synthesis of finance, politics, and history."--Ben Sisario, New York Times Book Review Their name is a byword for immense wealth and power, but before their renown as art patrons and noblemen the Medicis built their fortune on banking--specifically, on lending money at interest. Banking in the fifteenth century, even at the height of the Renaissance, meant running afoul of the Catholic Church's prohibition against usury. It required more than merely financial skills to make a profit, and the legendary Medicis--most famously Cosimo and Lorenzo ("the Magnificent")--were masterly in wielding the political, diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools that were needed to maintain their family's position. In this brisk and witty narrative, Tim Parks uncovers the intrigues, dodges, and moral qualities that gave the Medicis their edge. Vividly evoking the richness of the Florentine Renaissance and the Medicis' glittering circle, replete with artists, popes, and kings, Medici Money is a brilliant look into the origins of modern banking and its troubled relationship with art and religion. 14 illustrations.

Table of Contents

Medici Family Tree	viii
Chronology	ix
With Usura	1	(28)
The Art of Exchange	29	(32)
The Rise to Power	61	(42)
``The Secret Things of Our Town''	103	(50)
Blue Blood and White Elephants	153	(36)
The Magnificent Decline	189	(60)
Bibliographic Notes	249	(6)
Illustration Credits	255	(2)
Index	257