Lorenzo De Medici Hi, my name is Lorenzo De Medici. I was born on January 1st, 1449 in Florence Italy.

I m the grandson of Cosimo De Medici. Cosimo formed a bank known as the Medici Bank. It was a business which eventually led him to be the wealthiest man in Europe. With wealth came power so my grandfather was a powerful political figure. As a youth, I was sent on numerous diplomatic missions to visit many influential figures, such as the Pope, and broadened my connections. When my father died in 1468, I inherited his position as well as the vast wealth established by my grandfather. I ruled the state of Florence with my younger brother Giuliano from 1468-1478. We ruled Florence indirectly through representatives within the city council. Because of this, many other rival families, such as the Pazzi family, attempted to assert power over us. The Pazzis formed a conspiracy with Pope Sixtus IV and attempted to kill my brother and I. Giulano was assassinated, but they had failed to kill me, so I assumed the role as sole ruler of Florence as of his death. Since the Pazzi Conspiracy, I still worked closely with the Pope for he was a crucial figurehead. Including various other contributing factors, my relations with Pope Sixtus IV increased my influence over Italy and Europe. I d also give political advice to the Pope. Under my rule, Florence flourished in art and literature. I was noted as a tyrant because I gave little political freedom, but was still given the cognomen of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Most of my wealth went to expanding a library owned by us Medicis. We stressed the revival of classic Tuscan Italian through printing. As well as collecting new work, I allowed others to use any pieces of literature found in my library. I also took over the Platonic Academy, the most important center of learning in Italy. Most importantly, I was a patron to many prominent artists of the Renaissance. This has been a tradition in the Medici family for generations. I had a significant impact on society during the Renaissance. With my library, I altered literature within the state of Florence. The Medici library was the first public library in Italy. Including my contributions to the Plato Academy, education and the spread of literature flourished. The process was alleviated through the use of printing. As a patron of the arts, I supported artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. Many of their famous works have been created because of my generous contributions. In essence, culture flourished under my rule. However, my impact on society was not always positive. After the Pazzi conspiracy, The Pope and I clashed constantly. He eventually placed an interdict upon Florence, but it was later lifted. On today s society, the benefits of the business of banking were promoted through the example my family had set in its gain of wealth. I had also magnified how public libraries spread the use of literature for they are a very important factor in today s educational system. As time progresses, I rule Florence until my death in 1492. The center of the Renaissance was then moved to Rome. My death marked the dawn of The Age of Exploration when Christopher Columbus embarks on his voyages.