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The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici
 
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The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici (Paperback)

by Christopher Hibbert (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; Re-issue edition (6 Dec 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140050906
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140050905
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.4 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 56,004 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #29 in  Books > History > Europe > Italy
    #41 in  Books > History > Europe > Vikings, Dark Ages, Medieval Europe 501-1500

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Product Description

Product Description
At its height Renaissance Florence was a centre of enormous wealth, power and influence. A republican city-state funded by trade and banking, its often bloody political scene was dominated by rich mercantile families, the most famous of which were the Medici. This enthralling book charts the family’s huge influence on the political, economic and cultural history of Florence. Beginning in the early 1430s with the rise of the dynasty under the near-legendary Cosimo de Medici, it moves through their golden era as patrons of some of the most remarkable artists and architects of the Renaissance, to the era of the Medici Popes and Grand Dukes, Florence’s slide into decay and bankruptcy, and the end, in 1737, of the Medici line.

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The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Readable history, 10 May 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall (Paperback)
I read this book when I was writing my dissertation around the subject. It was a pleasant surprise after absorbing so many dry text books - it reads like a story. The carnivals, artists and daily trials of life in Renaissance Florence are vividly described in this book. A detailed history and a fascinating insight into one of the richest areas of Italian history.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars History comes to life of city-state Italy & the papacy, 15 Aug 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall (Paperback)
Seeing Lorenzo il magnifico's mean face around Florence, I thought he would be one of the bad guys in the Medici family. He was not. Hibbert makes the history and politics behind the busts and paintings of cinquecento Florence come to life. His story about the House of Medici explains this ruling family's extinction along with the odd fact that their name is still plastered all over Florence, and Fiesole, too, centuries later. The great storyteller, Hibbert portrays the survivalist instinct of a few individuals that did not allow the Medici name to become extinct along with its people.

Hibbert describes another time and another Italy, before, during and after the Renaissance (cinquecento). People die suddenly. Florence is a seat of world power. Members of an early merchant family, the Medici personages from numerous generations take key actions. Hibbert gives us the context of their cirsumstances. They almost all get gout, too. Wealth was a sin. The Vatican had an army. At this time, new thinkers were put before the inquisition. However, the Medicis had a hand in protecting and promoting the discussion and dissemination of new ideas. The Medicis, and Florence, deserve to be remembered for their shelter of the people with the new ideas that became known as the Renaissance.

Good novel quality.

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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! One of the best books I've ever read., 6 Jun 2000
By A Customer
Why has it taken me over 20 years to discover this book? Erudite, factual, witty, entertaining, this is a must for anyone with the slightest interest in Florence, the Renaissance, art, history. Better than any guidebook, Chapter 10 should be read by every tourist who wants to understand the very convoluted history of Florence.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Superb for a newcomer to this period of history - as detailed as necessary, as concise as possible.
Published 9 months ago by Mrs. RM KLEPPMANN

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb historical account
A superb account of one of the most famous and influential dynasties in European history.
Beginning with an overview of Medieval Florece, Christopher Hibbert takes us back... Read more
Published 9 months ago by A. J. Smith

2.0 out of 5 stars Polaroid View of History
This book focuses on a fascinating period, but the camera (i.e. Historian Christopher Hibbert) is a polaroid camera, so the image is not particularly sharp and enchanting... Read more
Published on 8 Jul 2007 by Captain Cook

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a very intellectual book
As an A-level history student I waited for this book to arrive. After beginning to read it I was deeply disappointed. Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars strong, readable treatment of the Medici
Hibbert's treatment of the Medici is superb. He brings individual figures to life with well-chosen detail without losing sight of the "big picture" of social change in... Read more
Published on 27 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READ ON THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FLORENTINE FAMILY
AN EXCELLENT READ ON THE HISTORY OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CONTRIBUTING FAMILES OF ITALY. IF YOU ARE GOING TO FLORENCE YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK FIRST. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 1997

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