Italian politician and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic
1449 CE
to 1492 CE
Lorenzo de' Medici (January 1, 1449 – April 9, 1492) was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance.
Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (Lorenzo il Magnifico) by contemporary Florentines, he is a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets.
His life coincides with the high point of the early Italian Renaissance; his death marks the end of the Golden Age of Florence.
The fragile peace he helps maintain between the various Italian states collapses with his death.
Lorenzo de' Medici is buried in the Medici Chapel in Florence.