Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici has inherited…
1434 CE
Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici has inherited both his wealth and his flair for business from his father Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici.
Exiled in 1433 by Rinaldo degli Albizzi for challenging the ruling oligarchy of Florence, the forty-five-year-old Cosimo returns in 1434 to greatly influence the government of Florence and to lead by example for the rest of his long life.
His time in exile has instilled in him the need to quash the factionalism that had resulted in his exile in the first place.
In order to do this, Cosimo, with the help of favorable priors in the Signoria, instigates a series of constitutional changes to secure his power through influence.
Although Cosimo will rarely hold office in Florence's highest magistracy, the priorate, he soon manages to transform the government into a veiled despotism by ensuring that only his followers are eligible for important offices.
At the same time, he oversees Medici interests in banking, trade, and industry.