The Medici Family The Medici family, also known as the House of
Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence in
the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking.
Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de' Medici
(or Cosimo the Elder), the family's support of the arts and
humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, a
cultural flowering rivaled only by that of ancient Greece. The
Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and
Leon XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe's
royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir
in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.
- Birth of the Medici Dynasty - The Descendants of Cosimo de'
Medici - A New Medici Branch Comes to Power - The Medici Dynasty
in Decline Birth of the Medici Dynasty The Medici story began
around the 12th century, when family members from the Tuscan
village of Cafaggiolo emigrated to Florence. Through banking and
commerce, the Med