Michelozzo, 'palazzo medici' 1444-1460, Florence

Question 1

when was palazzo medici made

Answer 1

1444-1460

Question 2

Who commissioned the Palazzo Medici and why?

Answer 2

Cosimo de’Medici commissioned the Palazzo as a residence, family business headquarters, and a symbol of Medici influence in Florence and to portray their unity with florence as a city.

Question 3

Why did Cosimo choose Michelozzo as the architect instead of Brunelleschi?

Answer 3

Brunelleschi’s design was considered too grand. Michelozzo’s design was functional, noble, and less ostentatious, aligning with Cosimo’s desire to appear modest.

Question 4

How is the plan of the Palazzo Medici organized?

Answer 4

It has a tripartite design with three horizontal floors divided by stringcourses:

Ground floor: Rusticated and fortress-like.
First floor (piano nobile): Main living quarters.
Second floor: Lighter ashlar masonry.

Question 5

How does the rustication change on the Palazzo Medici?

Answer 5

Rustication decreases as the building rises, creating a lighter, taller appearance, enhanced by optical illusions like shorter upper floors.

-higher levels are made out of smooth stone called Ashlar

Question 6

What features show the Medici’s generosity towards Florentines?

Answer 6

A bench running along the two exposed facades for citizens to rest.
A large overhanging cornice providing shade.
Originally, an open corner for street shops.

Question 7

How does the Palazzo Medici relate to Florence’s political center?

Answer 7

Rusticated masonry and mullioned windows echo the Palazzo della Signoria, linking the Medici to Florentine politics.

pietra forte also echoes palazzo della signoria

Question 8

how does the palazzo medici express religion

Answer 8

Medici coats of arms are placed where visible from the Duomo, connecting them to Florence’s religious heart.

Question 9

what are the classical influences in the courtyard?

Answer 9

Classical style with a colonnade of pietra serena columns and Composite capitals.

Decorated with graffito and medallions featuring Medici arms and mythological scenes.

Donatello’s David was originally displayed here.

(reflects medici renaissance learning)

Question 10

How does the exterior reflect protection and strength

Answer 10

Fortress-like rustication suggests strength and protection.

Question 11

how does the exterior reflect unity of the medici family

Answer 11

block like appearance

Question 12

how does the exterior reflect civic pride

Answer 12

-pietra forte and rustification similar to other palazzos

Question 13

What materials and techniques were used for the Palazzo Medici, and why?

Answer 13

Pietra forte sandstone: durable and similar to other Florentine buildings, linking the palace to the city.
Rustication and ashlar masonry reflect Florentine traditions and the Medici’s wealth.

Question 14

How did the Palazzo Medici’s location enhance its significance?

Answer 14

Built on the main north-south axis of Florence to emphasize the centrality of the Medici family in city affairs.

Question 15

What practical functions did the Palazzo Medici serve?

Answer 15

Residence for the Medici family on the piano nobile.

Headquarters for the Medici bank on the ground floor.

Bench served as a waiting area for banking clients.

Question 16

What does the Palazzo Medici symbolize about the Medici family?

Answer 16

Power, wealth, and influence through its grandeur and location.
Unity and protection through its block-like fortress appearance.
Generosity and public image through accessible design elements.

Question 17

cosimo medici context

Answer 17

In 1433 Cosimo’s power over Florence, which he exerted without occupying public office, began to look like a menace to the anti-Medici party

in September of that year he was imprisoned, accused for the failure of the conquest of Lucca, but he managed to turn the jail term into one of exile.

He went to Padua and then to Venice, taking his bank along with him. Prompted by his influence and his money, others followed him: within a year, the flight of capital from Florence was so great that the ban of exile had to be lifted. Cosimo returned a year later in 1434, to greatly influence the government of Florence and to lead by example for the rest of his long life.

Question 18

classical influence on exterior

Answer 18

barely any as wanted to be percieved as a man of the people

The rusticated masonry and the cornice had precedents in Roman practice, yet in totality it looks distinctly Florentine, unlike any known Roman building.

Question 19

construction

Answer 19

built from foundations up and palaces next to it destroyed

A more common practise was for owners to acquire adjacent properties, which they then enveloped with a thin facing of stone; this presented a unified facade to the street while the interior spaces maintained some of the haphazard arrangement of the original buildings.