Tim Parks

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. 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 at the political, diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools that were needed to maintain their family's position. Parks uncovers the intrigues, dodges, and moral qualities that gave the Medicis their edge. Evoking the richness of the Florentine Renaissance and the Medicis' glittering circle, replete with artists, popes, and kings, Medici Money is a look into the origins of modern banking and its troubled relationship with art and religion. --From publisher description.

Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-century Florence

Medici Money

Michael Springer

For the last few months I've been studying Italy during the Renaissance. And I've been researching it in the only logical way for a studious college grad to study anything: wikipedia. 
 
Well, not JUST wikipedia. Also, other Renaissance-focused websites that I could never reference if writing an article for ANYTHING. Fortunately, the research isn't for any kind of reputable writing. It's for the fantasy novel I've been slowly brewing these past few months. Subjects I need to study for this book: the Catholic church and Italy during the 1400's (the fifteenth century in general, actually); the spiritual traditions of Native Americans from the Great Plains; possibly Napoleon, if I get super ambitious. No, trust me, in makes sense. Anyway, if any goodreaders out there have any recommendations on any of these topics, please shoot them my way. 
 
On to the book in question: Medici Money. This was a fascinating and witty look at the rise and fall of family Medici, the family that had nearly monarch-like control of Florence at a time when the appearance of republicanism was a central part of Florence's identity. Despite the constant flux of people in and out of power (the council in charge was 'randomly' determined, and changed every TWO MONTHS), the Medicis managed to control a vast amount of the goings-on in Florence. For most of a century. 
 
Tim Parks's writing is witty, entertaining and vivid. But, he doesn't cite sources! This was a constant source of frustration for me, although he has an afterword discussing other good books on the subject of the Medicis. It was an enjoyable enough book for me to look past the lack of sources and simply hope Tim Parks is honest. 
 
His style makes this every bit as entertaining as it is informative. His voice is conversational, with occasional digressions, lots of sentence fragments, and several moments where he vividly describes the scene---smells, colors, sounds---surrounding the book's characters. Speaking of characters, he paints Cosimo and Lorenzo Medici vividly, providing insight into their characters without either villainizing them or drooling all over their robes. The other Medicis in between aren't given as much detail, but he's clearly chosen to focus on the most interesting two.
 
That said, the book screeches to an end without much warning. And, after reading the whole thing and hearing about this family that suffered from crippling gout, I still have no idea what gout is. Back to wikipedia!
 
Did you know? Peasants in Florence were required to wear just one color of clothing at a time. And there were strict limits on the numbers and types of buttons peasant women could wear. Also, the wealthy exchanged a form of currency called the florin, while the poor were paid in a completely separate currency. Because of a ridiculous exchange rate, it was entirely impractical to convert your money from this lesser currency into florins. Thus, the peasants were kept in place by their currency, in addition to everything else keeping them down. 
 
Anyway, I'm glad to have stumbled across this terrific little book. It's a fast, entertaining read, with a lot of irony and intrigue packed in. If the subject matter interests you, you really should seek this book out.

Medici Money Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-century Florence

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