1397 Giovanni di Bicci founded the
Medici Bank in Florence.
1421 Brunelleschi began working on the Sacristy of San Lorenzo for Giovanni di Bicci; Michelozzo, entrusted with the task by Giovanni and his son Cosimo - later on called the Elder-, built the convent of Bosco ai Frati.
1426 Michelozzo began the construction of the Trebbio Castle for Giovanni di Bicci.
1427 The cadastre was instituted in Florence.
1429 On February 20th, Giovanni di Bicci died and Cosimo succeeded him as the head of the family.
1434 In September, Cosimo returned from the exile, to which he had been condemned the year before, spending the first part of it in Padua and then in Venice.
1436 Pope Eugene IV consecrated the new cathedral on March 25th that besides being the Annunciation, was also, according to the Florentine calendar, the first day of the year. While travelling to Ferrara, he stopped at Cafaggiolo.
1437 Michelozzo began to renovate and enlarge both the Dominican church and convent of San Marco.
1439 At Cosimo’s request and with Pope Eugene IV’s support, the Council for the reunification of the Western Church and the Eastern Church was transferred from Ferrara to Florence.
1443 Cosimo inherited the Cafaggiolo Villa designed by Michelozzo.
1445 Michelozzo, entrusted by Cosimo, began to build Palazzo Medici.
1449-1452 Piero had the marble chapel at the Santissima Annunziata completed. The chapel housed the silver vessels cupboard whose doors were painted by Fra Angelico and his pupil Benozzo Gozzoli (Florence, San Marco Museum).
1451 The division of property between Cosimo and his nephew Pierfrancesco di Lorenzo was agreed upon.
1459 In April, Pope Pius II (who would also be a guest at Cafaggiolo) reached Florence while heading to Mantua for the council, after a short stay at the new Medici palazzo of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, son of the duke of Milan.
1464 On August 1st, Cosimo died in the Careggi Villa and was succeeded by Piero.
1466 Diotisalvi Neroni organized a plot against the Medici.
1469 On February 7th, Lorenzo de’ Medici triumphed in the traditional Carnival joust in Piazza Santa Croce; on June 4th, he got married to Clarice Orsini and, upon his father’s death, Lorenzo succeeded him in the rule of the town.
1472 Lorenzo had the rebellion in Volterra put down.
1475 Giuliano, brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent, won the joust sung by Politian.
1476 In the autumn, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, wife of Piero and mother of Lorenzo, together with her sister-in-law Clarice Orsini, sojourned in the rich Camaldolese nunnery of San Pietro at Luco di Mugello.
1478 Francesco and Jacopo Pazzi, with the support of the archbishop of Pisa and Pope Sixtus IV, hatched a plot in which Giuliano, Lorenzo’s brother, was murdered during Easter mass on April 26th.
1492 On April 8th, Lorenzo the Magnificent died and was succeeded by his son Piero.
1494 In November, the Medici were chased from Florence, their palace was sacked and the Republic inspired by Brother Girolamo Savonarola was proclaimed.
1498 On May 23rd, Savonarola was hanged and then burnt in Piazza della Signoria together with two other Dominican friars.
1502 Pier Soderini was elected Gonfalonier for life.
1509 On June 4th, Pisa was again under the dominion of Florence.
1512 After the tragic sack of Prato, Pier Soderini left Florence where the sons of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Giuliano (later, duke of Nemours) and Cardinal Giovanni (future Pope Leo X), returned, followed by their nephew Lorenzo (later, duke of Urbino).
1513 On March 9th, Giovanni de’Medici was elected pope under the name of Leo X. Two months later, he appointed his cousin Giulio (the natural son of Giuliano, murdered in the Pazzi conspiracy) archbishop of Florence, then making him cardinal (he would later become the future Pope Clement VII).
1515 On November 30th, Leo X made his solemn entry into Florence. The pope announced a competition for the façade of the church of San Lorenzo, won by Michelangelo Buonarroti.
1520-1527 Michelangelo worked on the Laurentian complex of the Medici Library and on the New Sacristy for the Medici.
1521 On December 1st, Leo X died and Adrian Florensz of Utrecht is appointed pope by the conclave with the name of Adrian VI.
1523 On November 19th, Giulio de’ Medici ascended to the papal throne taking the name of Clement VII.
1527 On May 6th, Rome was pillaged by the mercenary troops of Charles V. In Florence, once the Medici were expelled, the Republic was again proclaimed.
1530 On August 12th, after a ten-month siege by the imperial and papal troops, Florence was reconquered by the Medici.
1532 On May 1st, Alessandro de’ Medici became the first duke of Florence.
1533 Pope Clement VII celebrated the wedding between Caterina, daughter of Lorenzo, duke of Urbino, and Henry II of France.
1534 On September 25th, Clement VII died and Michelangelo definitively abandoned Florence for Rome. In the Tuscan city, Antonio da San Gallo the Younger built the Fortress of San Giovanni Battista (later called Fortezza da Basso) on behalf of duke Alessandro.
1537 On the night of the Epiphany, Duke Alessandro was assassinated by his kinsman Lorenzo and on January 9th, Cosimo de’ Medici, son of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Maria Salviati, climbed to power.
1539 On June 29th, Duke Cosimo married Eleonora of Toledo, daughter of the Spanish viceroy of Naples.
1540 On May 15th, Cosimo transferred his residence from the family palace designed by Michelozzo to Palazzo della Signoria.
1541 On February 23rd, Cosimo approved by decree the foundation of the Accademia Fiorentina.
1546 Cosimo was appointed knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece by Emperor Charles V; he founded a gobelin factory where Flemish masters worked.
1549 In February, Duchess Eleonora purchased Palazzo Pitti.
1550 Vasari had Lorenzo Torrentino publish the Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects from Cimabue up to Our Times (a new edition would be issued in 1568).
1555 On April 7th, Cosimo captured Siena.
1557 Philip II of Spain granted Cosimo the town and the state of Siena and kept for himself the so-called Spanish garrisons (Orbetello, Talamone, Porto Ercole, Monte Argentario and Santo Stefano).
1560 Vasari began the construction of the Uffizi meant to house the ‘Ministries’ of the state reformed by Cosimo, while Ammannati started transforming Palazzo Pitti into a new Medici palace.
1563 In January, Cosimo approved the articles of the statute of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno coordinated by Vasari and under the aegis of Michelangelo.
1564 On February 18th , Michelangelo died in Rome, a few months later his body was transferred to Florence and on July 14th, his funeral, organized by the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, was solemnly celebrated in the church of San Lorenzo.
1565 On December 16th, Francesco I married Johanna of Austria and on the occasion, the so-called Vasari Corridor was inaugurated, too.
1568 Prince Francesco, who had become regent in 1564, purchased the lands in Pratolino where later on he would have a splendid villa – designed by Bernardo Buontalenti – built. The villa was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century.
1569 On August 27th, a bull by Pope Pius V granted Cosimo the title of grand duke.
1571 Completed by Vasari and Ammannati, the Medici Laurentian Library was opened to the public by Cosimo.
1574 On April 21st, Cosimo died and was succeeded by Francesco I.
1576 On July 11th, a lurid crime took place in the Cafaggiolo Villa: Don Pietro, the lastborn of Cosimo and Eleonora, killed, for motive of honour, his wife and cousin Dianora of Toledo.
1578 Johanna of Austria died and soon after, Francesco secretly married Bianca Cappello, who was crowned grand duchess only the following year.
1583 The Accademia della Crusca was founded.
1584 Bernardo Buontalenti carried out the Tribune as the first core of the Medici gallery situated on the top floor of the Uffizi Palace.
1587 In October, Bianca Cappello and Francesco de’ Medici mysteriously died. The latter was succeeded by his brother Ferdinando.
1421 Brunelleschi began working on the Sacristy of San Lorenzo for Giovanni di Bicci; Michelozzo, entrusted with the task by Giovanni and his son Cosimo - later on called the Elder-, built the convent of Bosco ai Frati.
1426 Michelozzo began the construction of the Trebbio Castle for Giovanni di Bicci.
1427 The cadastre was instituted in Florence.
1429 On February 20th, Giovanni di Bicci died and Cosimo succeeded him as the head of the family.
1434 In September, Cosimo returned from the exile, to which he had been condemned the year before, spending the first part of it in Padua and then in Venice.
1436 Pope Eugene IV consecrated the new cathedral on March 25th that besides being the Annunciation, was also, according to the Florentine calendar, the first day of the year. While travelling to Ferrara, he stopped at Cafaggiolo.
1437 Michelozzo began to renovate and enlarge both the Dominican church and convent of San Marco.
1439 At Cosimo’s request and with Pope Eugene IV’s support, the Council for the reunification of the Western Church and the Eastern Church was transferred from Ferrara to Florence.
1443 Cosimo inherited the Cafaggiolo Villa designed by Michelozzo.
1445 Michelozzo, entrusted by Cosimo, began to build Palazzo Medici.
1449-1452 Piero had the marble chapel at the Santissima Annunziata completed. The chapel housed the silver vessels cupboard whose doors were painted by Fra Angelico and his pupil Benozzo Gozzoli (Florence, San Marco Museum).
1451 The division of property between Cosimo and his nephew Pierfrancesco di Lorenzo was agreed upon.
1459 In April, Pope Pius II (who would also be a guest at Cafaggiolo) reached Florence while heading to Mantua for the council, after a short stay at the new Medici palazzo of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, son of the duke of Milan.
1464 On August 1st, Cosimo died in the Careggi Villa and was succeeded by Piero.
1466 Diotisalvi Neroni organized a plot against the Medici.
1469 On February 7th, Lorenzo de’ Medici triumphed in the traditional Carnival joust in Piazza Santa Croce; on June 4th, he got married to Clarice Orsini and, upon his father’s death, Lorenzo succeeded him in the rule of the town.
1472 Lorenzo had the rebellion in Volterra put down.
1475 Giuliano, brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent, won the joust sung by Politian.
1476 In the autumn, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, wife of Piero and mother of Lorenzo, together with her sister-in-law Clarice Orsini, sojourned in the rich Camaldolese nunnery of San Pietro at Luco di Mugello.
1478 Francesco and Jacopo Pazzi, with the support of the archbishop of Pisa and Pope Sixtus IV, hatched a plot in which Giuliano, Lorenzo’s brother, was murdered during Easter mass on April 26th.
1492 On April 8th, Lorenzo the Magnificent died and was succeeded by his son Piero.
1494 In November, the Medici were chased from Florence, their palace was sacked and the Republic inspired by Brother Girolamo Savonarola was proclaimed.
1498 On May 23rd, Savonarola was hanged and then burnt in Piazza della Signoria together with two other Dominican friars.
1502 Pier Soderini was elected Gonfalonier for life.
1509 On June 4th, Pisa was again under the dominion of Florence.
1512 After the tragic sack of Prato, Pier Soderini left Florence where the sons of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Giuliano (later, duke of Nemours) and Cardinal Giovanni (future Pope Leo X), returned, followed by their nephew Lorenzo (later, duke of Urbino).
1513 On March 9th, Giovanni de’Medici was elected pope under the name of Leo X. Two months later, he appointed his cousin Giulio (the natural son of Giuliano, murdered in the Pazzi conspiracy) archbishop of Florence, then making him cardinal (he would later become the future Pope Clement VII).
1515 On November 30th, Leo X made his solemn entry into Florence. The pope announced a competition for the façade of the church of San Lorenzo, won by Michelangelo Buonarroti.
1520-1527 Michelangelo worked on the Laurentian complex of the Medici Library and on the New Sacristy for the Medici.
1521 On December 1st, Leo X died and Adrian Florensz of Utrecht is appointed pope by the conclave with the name of Adrian VI.
1523 On November 19th, Giulio de’ Medici ascended to the papal throne taking the name of Clement VII.
1527 On May 6th, Rome was pillaged by the mercenary troops of Charles V. In Florence, once the Medici were expelled, the Republic was again proclaimed.
1530 On August 12th, after a ten-month siege by the imperial and papal troops, Florence was reconquered by the Medici.
1532 On May 1st, Alessandro de’ Medici became the first duke of Florence.
1533 Pope Clement VII celebrated the wedding between Caterina, daughter of Lorenzo, duke of Urbino, and Henry II of France.
1534 On September 25th, Clement VII died and Michelangelo definitively abandoned Florence for Rome. In the Tuscan city, Antonio da San Gallo the Younger built the Fortress of San Giovanni Battista (later called Fortezza da Basso) on behalf of duke Alessandro.
1537 On the night of the Epiphany, Duke Alessandro was assassinated by his kinsman Lorenzo and on January 9th, Cosimo de’ Medici, son of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Maria Salviati, climbed to power.
1539 On June 29th, Duke Cosimo married Eleonora of Toledo, daughter of the Spanish viceroy of Naples.
1540 On May 15th, Cosimo transferred his residence from the family palace designed by Michelozzo to Palazzo della Signoria.
1541 On February 23rd, Cosimo approved by decree the foundation of the Accademia Fiorentina.
1546 Cosimo was appointed knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece by Emperor Charles V; he founded a gobelin factory where Flemish masters worked.
1549 In February, Duchess Eleonora purchased Palazzo Pitti.
1550 Vasari had Lorenzo Torrentino publish the Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects from Cimabue up to Our Times (a new edition would be issued in 1568).
1555 On April 7th, Cosimo captured Siena.
1557 Philip II of Spain granted Cosimo the town and the state of Siena and kept for himself the so-called Spanish garrisons (Orbetello, Talamone, Porto Ercole, Monte Argentario and Santo Stefano).
1560 Vasari began the construction of the Uffizi meant to house the ‘Ministries’ of the state reformed by Cosimo, while Ammannati started transforming Palazzo Pitti into a new Medici palace.
1563 In January, Cosimo approved the articles of the statute of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno coordinated by Vasari and under the aegis of Michelangelo.
1564 On February 18th , Michelangelo died in Rome, a few months later his body was transferred to Florence and on July 14th, his funeral, organized by the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, was solemnly celebrated in the church of San Lorenzo.
1565 On December 16th, Francesco I married Johanna of Austria and on the occasion, the so-called Vasari Corridor was inaugurated, too.
1568 Prince Francesco, who had become regent in 1564, purchased the lands in Pratolino where later on he would have a splendid villa – designed by Bernardo Buontalenti – built. The villa was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century.
1569 On August 27th, a bull by Pope Pius V granted Cosimo the title of grand duke.
1571 Completed by Vasari and Ammannati, the Medici Laurentian Library was opened to the public by Cosimo.
1574 On April 21st, Cosimo died and was succeeded by Francesco I.
1576 On July 11th, a lurid crime took place in the Cafaggiolo Villa: Don Pietro, the lastborn of Cosimo and Eleonora, killed, for motive of honour, his wife and cousin Dianora of Toledo.
1578 Johanna of Austria died and soon after, Francesco secretly married Bianca Cappello, who was crowned grand duchess only the following year.
1583 The Accademia della Crusca was founded.
1584 Bernardo Buontalenti carried out the Tribune as the first core of the Medici gallery situated on the top floor of the Uffizi Palace.
1587 In October, Bianca Cappello and Francesco de’ Medici mysteriously died. The latter was succeeded by his brother Ferdinando.
Medici in Arms
Arms and Armor
The “Terra Nuova” of Scarperia and the Palazzo dei Vicari
The Medici between Florence and the Mugello: a Chronology
Arms and Armor
The “Terra Nuova” of Scarperia and the Palazzo dei Vicari