8 Works of Art & Architecture Commissioned by the Medicis

For many years, art has not just been created for its own sake but with a deeper meaning and purpose. The Medici family used art to beautify their city, serve their religion, and create a powerful reputation for themselves that would serve their family for many generations. Through their patronage and devotion, the heads of the Medici family were major players in supporting the Renaissance movement and commissioning some of the world’s most famous works of art.

This sculpture depicts a young David post-battle with Goliath, whose large head lays at his feet. This was Dontaello’s second rendition of David and is a prime example of Renaissance naturalism. This free-standing bronze sculpture was the first of its kind and was created from the most expensive sculpting material. Its creation was a tremendous technical achievement that headed the early Renaissance age.

This work was likely commissioned by the Medici family in the 1430s, along with a sibling sculpture of Judith slaying Holofrnes. These statues were placed in Cosimo’s palace, Palazzo Medici Riccardi. They became symbols of the Medici’s growing wealth, Cosimo’s continued relationship with the Catholic Church, and his religious piety. The sculpture’s theme and placement helped spread the subliminal messaging of the Medici family’s unofficial rule over Florence.

2. The Uffizi Gallery

Cosimo I commissioned the construction of the building in 1560. Initially, it housed the administrative and judiciary offices. It is from this initial use that the Uffizi, meaning “offices” in Italian, got its name.

Cosimo did not just have Giorgio Vasari construct this beautiful U-shaped structure; he also constructed the Medici secret corridors. These corridors allowed the Medici family to travel through Florence without having to walk through the streets. In 1581, Francesco I de’ Medici set up a private gallery in the east wing of the Uffizi. This gallery contained sculptures and works from the family’s private collection.

Anna Maria Luisa de Medici would later sign over the Uffizi and the Medici family’s collection of artwork to the Tuscan state, ensuring the collection would stay in Florence. The gallery opened to the public in 1769.

Cosimo Medici as Emperor Augustus was completed in 1572 by the sculptor Vincenzo Dante. Sculpted from marble, this chiseled figure was created for the Uffizi building in Florence. The artist depicts his commissioner, Cosimo de Medici, in armor, posed to resemble the great Roman Emperor Augustus. This type of artwork was a favorite of Cosimo de Medici and many of his predecessors, as they wished to be associated with true rule and the divine.

Their love of art bolstered the family’s reputation, displaying themselves as religious figures, rulers, and warriors. This sculpture is only one example of portraits created of the Medici family members dressed in Roman armor. Sculptures and artworks like this created connections between the banking family and these powerful figures, creating subliminal messaging of their divine right to rule.

4. Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio, meaning “old palace,” may not be Florence’s most visually appealing building, but it is one of the city’s most famous and important symbols. Originally built to house the Florentine Republic’s government organizations and offices, it was later reconstructed and redecorated by Cosimo Medici to use as the family’s personal dwellings. Once he obtained the building, Cosimo I commissioned Giorgio Vasari and Michelangelo to complete the construction.

The building is located in the Piazza della Signoria, considered the most important piazza in Florence due to its reputation as a political center point. The building was once guarded by Michelangelo’s David and Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli. While the originals have been removed, replicas still guard the palace’s doors.

Palazzo Vecchio is also home to another set of secret passageways. The Medici family constructed these passageways to flee from their enemies or move about the city unnoticed, much like the ones Giorgio Vasari later created for the Uffizi.

Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus was one of the most famous paintings commissioned by the Medici family. Painted by Botticelli between 1482 and 1485, the work exemplifies love and spiritual beauty as the driving force of life. The Birth of Venus was one of the first examples Tuscany saw of a painting made on canvas rather than wood. Additionally, the expensive pigments used to create this masterpiece could only have been afforded by the most wealthy. Similar to the expensive bronze used for Donatello’s statue of David, the Medici’s patronage allowed artists to create such memorable works.

6. The Duomo

One of Florence’s most well-known and visited landmarks is Brunelleschi’s Dome. Its construction showed Cosimo Medici’s lasting commitment and relationship with the Catholic Church, in addition to being yet another display of the Medici’s incredible power and wealth. Cosimo commissioned Brunelleschi to build the Duomo di Firenze, perhaps one of Florence’s most famous architectural wonders.

This dome sits atop Santa Maria del Fiore, one of the largest churches in the world. At the time of its construction, designers struggled with the details. The peak of the dome, or the cupola, would be too large and heavy to be held up by typical scaffolding. The architect, Brunelleschi, believed he could build the structure without scaffolding. His plan included innovative machinery that he designed himself and using a herringbone technique to lay bricks that created a self-supporting structure. Cosimo Medici believed in Brunelleschi and used personal funds to support the project.

7. The Annunciation by Fra Angelico

The Medici family were devoutly religious, and much of the work they commissioned reflected that. This fresco, a painting created over wet plaster, sits at the top of the stairs on the first floor of the Convent of San Marco in Florence. Created by the artist Fra Angelico, the image depicts the Archangel Gabriel visiting the Virgin Mary. The characters retain a realism and liveliness that speaks to the upcoming High Renaissance era while keeping the exaggerated refinement and symmetry typical of gothic works.

Cosimo de Medici rebuilt the convent in 1437 and commissioned Fra Angelico to design and complete the frescos. Cosimo and Fra Angelico were devoted to the Catholic Church and held rooms in the convent where they would pray and meditate. Due to their devotion, the frescos, including The Annunciation, were not just created to beautify the structure. They also served as a reminder to its occupants of divine and spiritual authority.

Below The Annunciation, Fra Angelico included an inscription, which serves as a reminder to pray, “Virginis Intacte Cvm Veneris Ante Figvram Preterevndo Cave Ne Sileatvr Ave.” In English, “When you come before the figure of the intact virgin, as you pass by, take care that you do not fail to say ‘Ave!’”

Carved from marble, Lorenzo de Medici, the Duke of Urbino, is depicted in a suit of Roman armor. At his feet are two figures, representing Dawn and Dusk. The duke sits thoughtfully as these two representations of time, the beginning and the end, close in on him one last time. His armor reminds viewers of his associations with the military and his family’s unofficial rule over Florence. This work sits in the center of Florence at the Basilica of San Lorenzo, which is the burial place of many of the Medici family.

Michelangelo was barely a teenager when the Medici family recognized his talent and welcomed him into their fold. Not only did the artist live with the family, but they also funded his education and pushed him to reach his artistic potential. Many members of the Medici family, including those who became popes, were patrons of Michelangelo’s work. This put the artist in the spotlight, spreading his fame throughout Europe and the world. Without the Medici’s recognition and contribution, Michelangelo may not have gotten the opportunity to create some of his most famous works.

The Medici family’s commission of many great works and architectural feats brought renowned beauty to Florence and great prestige to the family name. Without their patronage, many of the Renaissance’s most famous artists and architects would not have gotten the chance to shine, accelerate in their craft, or conquer some of the world’s greatest creative endeavors.

While the Medici family valued power, their patronage of the arts also showed their patriotism to their great city and their love for its people and religion. Their dedication and interest are credited with pushing Florence into the Renaissance and helping to create its reputation as the artistic capital of Italy.