The story of the Medici family of Florence, their ascent from simple merchants to power brokers sparking an economic and cultural revolution. Along the way, they also accrue a long list of powerful enemies.
Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 20, 2023.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
While the Medici are in exile in Venice, the situation deteriorates day by day in Florence, with Albizzi imposing his rule over a city gravely depleted by the absence of the Medici.
The episode was rated 7.71 from 221 votes.
Lorenzo aims to strengthen ties with the Pazzis and proposes a treaty with Venice. Clarice appeals to Lucrezia and learns the way to Lorenzo's heart.
The episode was rated 7.71 from 108 votes.
The war is throwing Florence into chaos. Piero, Cosimo's only son, is eager to fight. Meanwhile, Cosimo manages to "buy" the withdrawal of Milan's troops, thus saving the city, but in the meantime Florence has again fallen into the plague.
The episode was rated 7.70 from 259 votes.
Albizzi has managed to foment the citizenry against Cosimo, accusing him of the crime of usury. When Cosimo learns of the situation, he decides to return to Florence. Albizzi then invents a ploy to get Cosimo arrested and held for trial.
The episode was rated 7.64 from 237 votes.
Seven years have passed and Lorenzo hopes to close the accounts with the Pope by obtaining the signing of a peace treaty between the various Italian rulers. Riario hopes to induce Lorenzo to return to open war. While the Magnificent faces this new diplomatic crisis, his mother Lucrezia involves Clarice in the management of the bank. Worn out by the constant clash with Sixtus IV, Lorenzo decides to start his son Giovanni on an ecclesiastical career hoping to increase the influence of the Medici in the Roman Curia. The Treaty of Bagnolo, signed by all the Italian rulers, marks the triumph of the Medici family and Lorenzo, who has become the deciding vote of Italian politics.
The episode was rated 7.61 from 95 votes.
In opposition to the pope, Lorenzo moves quickly to acquire the strategic city of Imola. A forbidden love flowers between Giuliano and Simonetta.
The episode was rated 7.61 from 102 votes.
A few months after the Pazzi Conspiracy, Lorenzo is still animated by the spirit of revenge. There is a distant clash between Lorenzo and Pope Sixtus IV; the cruel count Riario - the last of the conspirators left alive - tries to take advantage of this conflict. A Dominican friar arrives in Florence who seems capable of reading Lorenzo's heart: Girolamo Savonarola.
The episode was rated 7.57 from 107 votes.
Lorenzo's power play comes at a cost and stirs up outrage. With leadership comes sacrifice as he travels to Rome and weighs an advantageous match.
The episode was rated 7.48 from 118 votes.
The Medici family suffers a great loss with the death of its patriarch Giovanni. When the designated heir Cosimo discovers that his father was poisoned, he decides to put Marco Bello on the assassin's trail.
The episode was rated 7.42 from 330 votes.
After a surprise attack, Lorenzo and Giuliano search for the culprits. The trail leads the brothers to the Pazzis, but treachery lies closer at hand.
The episode was rated 7.39 from 125 votes.
