The Rise and Fall of the Medici Family - YouTube

You are watching The Story. Every Monday we bring you a deep dive into the fascinating lives of incredible people. The Rise and Fall of the Medici Family. Welcome to ALUX.com, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired. If you're not subscribed yet, you're missing out. Hello, Aluxers, and welcome back. The Medicis are one of the most influential and controversial families in the history of the world. They used the power of their wealth to rise above all the other upper-class families of Florence to dominate the political and cultural scene. The Medicis were instrumental in the rise of the Italian Renaissance and were deeply involved in shaping European culture and politics for 300 years. But after so many years of dominance, the House of Medici fellas quickly as it rose. Today we are taking an in-depth look at the rise and fall of the Medici Family.

你正在观看《故事》。每个星期一，我们带给您深入挖掘令人着迷的不凡人生的节目。麦地奇家族的兴衰。欢迎来到ALUX.com，这是未来亿万富翁们汲取灵感的地方。如果您还没有订阅，那您就错过了。你好，Aluxers，欢迎回来。麦地奇家族是世界历史上影响力最大、也最具争议的家族之一。他们利用财富的力量超越佛罗伦萨其他上层阶级家族，主导政治和文化场景。麦地奇家族在意大利文艺复兴的兴起中起着关键作用，他们深深参与塑造了欧洲文化和政治300年。但在如此多年的统治之后，麦地奇家族的兴衰如同刹那间。今天，我们将深入探讨麦地奇家族的兴衰。

But first, here's some background. Who were the Medici Family? In the 14th century, the Medicis rose from relative obscurity to become the most powerful and wealthiest family in all of Italy and most of Europe. They were an Italian banking family, political dynasty and royal house that became dominant in the early 15th century. The Medicis used the wealth from their hugely successful bank to wield influence over the political and cultural scene in Florence, Italy and beyond. The House of Medici is now counted among the most influential families in the history of the world. They helped launch the Renaissance period in Florence and made an impact that continues to be felt even today. The Medicis were the first to win their ruling status through commerce rather than through warfare, marriage or inheritance.

但首先，让我们了解一些背景信息。梅地奇家族是谁？在14世纪，梅地奇家族从相对默默无闻的地位崛起，成为意大利和欧洲大部分地区最强大和最富有的家族。他们是一家意大利银行家族、政治王朝和皇室，在15世纪初崭露头角。梅地奇家族利用他们极其成功的银行财富，在意大利佛罗伦萨及更远地方施加影响力。梅地奇家族现在被认为是世界历史上最具影响力的家族之一。他们帮助启动了佛罗伦萨的文艺复兴时期，并产生了持续至今仍在发生影响的影响力。梅地奇家族是第一个通过商业而非战争、婚姻或继承来赢得统治地位的家族。

But how did it all start? Beginnings The Medici Family moved from the Tuscan Hillside to Florence in present-day Italy at some point in the 12th century and became established members of the community. As a prominent banking family, the Medicis were wealthy members of the upper class, even before they became one of the most influential families in Europe. The story of the Medici family's incredible rise in Florence starts with Giovanni di Medici. Giovanni rose through the ranks of the Florentine banking system until he became the manager of his uncle's bank in Rome. When his uncle retired, he left the bank in Giovanni's hands.

但这一切是如何开始的呢？起源。梅地奇家族在12世纪某个时候从托斯卡纳山区搬到了现今意大利的佛罗伦萨，并成为社区中的重要成员。作为一家著名的银行家家族，梅地奇家族在他们成为欧洲最具影响力的家族之一之前，就已经是上层阶级中富有的成员。梅地奇家族在佛罗伦萨不可思议的崛起故事始于乔凡尼·迪·梅地奇。乔凡尼在佛罗伦萨银行系统中不断攀升，直到他成为叔叔在罗马的银行的经理。当他的叔叔退休时，他把银行交给了乔凡尼。

Later on, Giovanni moved to Florence and officially established the Medici bank. The bank soon became the top financial institution in the region, largely thanks to their primary clients, the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Other branches were opened up in Rome, Geneva and Venice, but this was just the beginning. The Rise Giovanni passed the banking business onto his sons Cosimo and Lorenzo, who were the two main founders of the famous Medici bloodlines. During the 1430s, Cosimo began to use the incredible wealth at his disposal to set up an elaborate network in Florence, which greatly increased his influence. He was quick to loan money in exchange for favors, and within just a few years, nearly every business in Florence was beholden to him. Cosimo spread the Medici bank throughout Western Europe and beyond, opening branches in Milan, London, Pisa, Barcelona, Cairo and other cities. The money from all of these cities flowed directly into the House of Medici through the Medici bank. The Pope opened a significant line of credit, giving the Medici's control over the church's purse strings as well. With all of his power and influence, Cosimo became the de facto ruler of Florence, even though officially he remained a private citizen, and the House of Medici became the dominant family in Florence.

后来，乔瓦尼搬到了佛罗伦萨，并正式建立了美第奇银行。由于他们的主要客户是教皇和罗马天主教教会，该银行很快成为该地区顶尖的金融机构。在罗马、日内瓦和威尼斯等地开设了其他分支机构，但这只是一个开始。 乔瓦尼把银行业务传给了他的儿子科西莫和洛伦佐，他们是著名美第奇家族的两位主要创始人。在15世纪30年代，科西莫开始利用他手中掌握的巨额财富，在佛罗伦萨建立了一个复杂的网络，大大增加了他的影响力。他迅速借出资金以换取好处，仅仅几年内，几乎佛罗伦萨的每家企业都对他感恩戴德。 科西莫将美第奇银行扩展到西欧及其他地区，开设分支机构在米兰、伦敦、比萨、巴塞罗那、开罗等城市。这些城市的资金直接流入美第奇家族的家中通过美第奇银行。教皇开设了一个重要的信贷额度，使美第奇家族对教会财政的控制力更强。在拥有如此权力和影响力的情况下，科西莫成为佛罗伦萨的实际统治者，尽管在官方上他仍然是一个私人公民，美第奇家族成为了佛罗伦萨最主要的家族。

Cosimo was able to maintain control by buying the votes of officeholders. The families that had been dominant before this were not happy about Cosimo's quick rise to power. A rival family had him arrested and exiled, but Cosimo's political network and bribed money soon helped him to wipe out his enemies. Once all opposition was removed, Cosimo returned to Florence and ruled nearly unchecked for 30 years. During this time, Cosimo poured money into the arts and cultural pursuits, which made him and the Medici family very popular. Cosimo was also able to use the arts to his political advantage by sponsoring propaganda. Before long, Florence was the cultural center of Europe. Under Cosimo's control, the Medici family kept getting richer and richer. At one point, they reportedly owned 27 villas in Florence and Tuscany, but could the family continue thriving after the death of its leader?

科西莫通过购买官员的选票来保持控制。在此之前曾占主导地位的家族对科西莫快速上位感到不满。一家对手家族将他逮捕并流放，但科西莫的政治网络和贿赂很快帮助他消灭了敌人。一旦所有反对势力被清除，科西莫回到佛罗伦萨，几乎无人能阻止地统治了30年。在此期间，科西莫大量投入艺术和文化追求，使他和美第奇家族非常受欢迎。科西莫还通过赞助宣传利用艺术为自己谋取政治利益。不久之后，佛罗伦萨成为了欧洲的文化中心。在科西莫的控制之下，美第奇家族不断变得更加富有。据报道，他们曾一度在佛罗伦萨和托斯卡纳拥有27个别墅，但在领袖去世后，家族是否能继续繁荣发展呢？

Loss of wealth, murder, and exile. When Cosimo passed away in 1464, his son Piero took over as Florence's ruler, but died just five years later. After his death, the leading citizens of Florence asked Piero's son Lorenzo to take on the unofficial ruling role. Lorenzo was only 20 years old and wasn't nearly as effective at running the family bank or using his wealth to silence his opposition. In 1478, a coalition of the Medici family's enemies plotted to take out both Lorenzo and his younger brother Guiliano. The plan was for the brothers to be killed as they knelt before the altar at a mass at the Cathedral of Florence. Guiliano was killed, but Lorenzo fought his way out and by nightfall, four of the attackers were hummed. Like his grandfather, Lorenzo was known to be a patron of the arts and a number of notable artists were in his court, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and San Joe Boricelli.

财富的丧失、谋杀和流亡。1464年科西莫去世后，他的儿子皮耶罗接任为佛罗伦萨的统治者，但仅五年后便去世。在他去世后，佛罗伦萨的主要市民请求皮耶罗的儿子洛伦佐承担非官方的统治角色。洛伦佐只有20岁，无法像他父亲一样有效地经营家族银行或利用自己的财富来镇压反对派。1478年，一群美第奇家族的敌人密谋杀害洛伦佐和他的弟弟朱利亚诺。计划是让兄弟俩在佛罗伦萨大教堂的弥撒仪式上跪拜祭坛时被杀害。朱利亚诺被杀，但洛伦佐奋起反抗，并在夜幕降临时将四名攻击者制服。像他的祖父一样，洛伦佐以赞助艺术家而著称，他的宫廷中有许多著名艺术家，包括达·芬奇、米开朗基罗和桑·乔·博拉切利。

In 1471, Lorenzo calculated how much his family had spent on charity, buildings, and artistic support since his grandfather took control. The amount totaled more than $460 million at today's valuation. After Lorenzo's death in 1492, his 20-year-old son Piero became leader of Florence. Much of the family's wealth had been depleted under Lorenzo's rule due to his inattention to the family bank, which officially closed in 1494, so Piero was the first in line of the Medicis to attempt to rule without ample wealth to back him up. After giving up several castles and the ports of Pisa and Livorno in an imbalanced peace treaty with France, the angered citizens of Florence forced him out of the city and he died in exile.

1471年，洛伦佐计算了自从他的祖父掌权以来，他的家族在慈善、建筑和艺术支持上花费了多少钱。这笔金额在今天的价值上超过了4.6亿美元。洛伦佐于1492年去世后，他20岁的儿子皮耶罗成为佛罗伦萨的领导人。在洛伦佐的统治下，家族的财富大部分已经耗尽，因为他没有留意家族银行，该银行于1494年正式关闭，所以皮耶罗是第一个尝试无足够财富支持统治的梅迪奇家族的人。在与法国签订一项不平衡的和平条约，放弃了几座城堡和比萨港口以及利沃诺港口后，佛罗伦萨愤怒的市民迫使他离开城市，他在流亡中去世。

A new bloodline. When the male descendants of Cosimo died off, the male heirs of his brother, Lorenzo, took over and began a new branch of the Medici dynasty. Two of Lorenzo's sons became Popes in the 16th century, taking the names Leo X and Clement VII. Both of them were the unofficial rulers of Florence and Rome. Pope Leo spent the church's money freely and secured massive debts. Pope Clement's 11-year reign was a tumultuous time for Italy and the Republicans in Florence once again tried to remove the Medicis from power. This led to a three-year struggle, but the Medicis ultimately retained their power and for the next 200 years, power was passed peacefully through the generations of the Medici family with very little resistance in Florence.

一个新的血统。当Cosimo的男性后代逐渐消失后，他的兄弟Lorenzo的男性继承人接手，并开始了美第奇王朝的新支系。Lorenzo的两个儿子在16世纪成为教皇，分别取名为利奥十世和克雷芒七世。他们两人都是佛罗伦萨和罗马的非官方统治者。教皇利奥挥霍教会的资金并积累了巨额债务。教皇克雷芒为时11年的统治是意大利的动荡时期，佛罗伦萨的共和派再次试图将美第奇家族从权力中移除。这导致了三年的搏斗，但美第奇家族最终保住了权力，并在接下来的200年里，权力在美第奇家族的世代之间平稳传承，在佛罗伦萨几乎没有遇到什么抵抗。

The fall of the House of Medici. By the 17th century, the Medici family was faced with a lack of male heirs and was virtually bankrupt. The population of Florence had dropped by half due to diseases and people moving to other areas. The later Medici rulers were more authoritarian and weren't concerned with cultural or artistic endeavors, which led to the decline of Florence as the cultural center of Europe. The last male of the senior branch of the Medicis died in 1737. This brought an end to a nearly 300-year Medici family dynasty, which was replaced by the long-lasting European reign of the Habsburg Lorraine family. However, their legacy continues to live on even today. The Medici Legacy.

麦地奇家族的衰落。到了17世纪，麦地奇家族面临男性继承人匮乏和几乎破产的困境。由于疾病和人口迁徙至其他地区，佛罗伦萨的人口减少了一半。后来的麦地奇统治者更加专制，不关心文化或艺术事业，导致佛罗伦萨作为欧洲文化中心的衰落。麦地奇家族资深分支的最后一位男性于1737年去世。这标志着近300年的麦地奇家族王朝的终结，被持续时间较长的哈布斯堡·洛林家族接替。然而，他们的遗产至今仍然继续存在。麦地奇家族的遗产。

The most enduring legacy of the Medicis comes through their support of art and architecture. The structures they were responsible for include St. Peter's Basilica and Santa Maria Del Fiore. The artists and scientists they sponsored include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Galileo and Machiavelli. Their funding led to the creation of opera and the invention of the piano. Their riches supported Florence as the cultural center of the Renaissance and created a cultural awakening that could only be compared to that of the ancient Greeks. For a period of time, they were the wealthiest family in Europe and their bloodline mixed with royal families throughout the continent due to strategic marriages. And Alaxers for a complete history of the Medici dynasty check out the House of Medici.

医生家族最持久的遗产是通过他们对艺术和建筑的支持而传承下来的。他们负责的建筑包括圣彼得大教堂和圣母百花大教堂。他们资助的艺术家和科学家包括米开朗基罗、达·芬奇、拉斐尔、伽利略和马基雅维利。他们的资助导致了歌剧的诞生和钢琴的发明。他们的财富支持了佛罗伦萨成为文艺复兴时期的文化中心，并创造了一场文化复兴，只能与古希腊人相比。在一段时间内，他们是欧洲最富裕的家族，由于战略性的婚姻，他们的血统与整个欧洲的皇室家族交织在一起。要了解完整的美第奇王朝历史，可以查看美第奇家族。

It's Rise and Fall, a book by Christopher Hibbert. He takes an in-depth look at how the Medicis built their wealth and use their influence to dominate Florence for hundreds of years. You can hear his captivating story on Audible and save yourself $25. If you go to alax.com slash free book and sign up to get the audiobook version for free, thanks to our partnership with Audible. The Quote. While researching the story became across this thought-provoking quote from Cosimo de Medici we'd like to share with you and it goes like this. There is in the garden a plant which one ought to leave dry, although most people water it. It is the weed called Envy. This is a good reminder Alaxers to focus more on how you are going to achieve your goals instead of what others are achieving on their own.

《兴衰》，克里斯托弗·希伯特所著。他深入探讨了梅地奇家族如何建立财富，并利用他们的影响力统治佛罗伦萨数百年的历史。你可以在Audible上听到他引人入胜的故事，并节省25美元。如果你去alax.com/freebook注册，就可以免费获取有声读物版本。这得益于我们与Audible的合作。这个引文。在研究故事时，我发现了这个发人深省的引文，来自科西莫·德·梅地奇，我想和大家分享。引言是这样说的。花园里有一种植物，人们应该让它干燥，尽管大多数人会给它浇水。那就是被称为嫉妒的杂草。这是一个很好的提醒，让Alaxers更关注自己如何实现目标，而不是关注别人正在实现什么。

Question. Since we're winding down to the end of this story and we talked about all the cultural achievements that came about as a result of the Medici's power and corrupt influence, we're curious to know, do you think the end justifies the means? Let us know what you think in the comments and of course for sticking with us until the end we owe you a bonus don't we? Here it is.

问题：由于我们即将结束这个故事，并且我们谈到了所有文艺复兴文化成就的起因，即是由于美第奇家族的权力和腐败影响，我们很想知道，你是否认为目的正当手段合理呢？请在评论中告诉我们您的想法，当然，为了一直陪伴我们直到故事的结尾，我们欠您一个奖励，对吗？这里是。

Watch next. You can talk to us on all social medias or ask a question on our website, Alux.com. Thank you for being an Aluxer and we'll see you back tomorrow.

接下来请关注。您可以在所有社交媒体上与我们交流，或在我们的网站Alux.com上提问。感谢您成为Aluxer，明天再见。