Medici Money Banking metaphysics and art in fifteenthcentury Florence

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 Renaissa...

Author: Parks Tim
Year of publication: 2006
Genre: Documentary: other
Number of pages: 243
Reading time: 4 h. 3 min.
Formats: FB2, EPUB, PDF
Language: english
Requests: read online, download without registration, e-book