Michelozzo, 'palazzo medici' 1444-1460, Florence Flashcards
when was palazzo medici made
1444-1460
Who commissioned the Palazzo Medici and why?
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.
Why did Cosimo choose Michelozzo as the architect instead of Brunelleschi?
Brunelleschi’s design was considered too grand. Michelozzo’s design was functional, noble, and less ostentatious, aligning with Cosimo’s desire to appear modest.
How is the plan of the Palazzo Medici organized?
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.
How was the renaissance spirit of rationality and order reflected
the tripartite elevation was used here as a revelation of the Renaissance spirit of rationality and order.
how does it appear fortress like
-block like appearance
-reinforced by small high windows
How does the rustication change on the Palazzo Medici?
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
What features show the Medici’s generosity towards Florentines?
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.
The street side corner was originally open to pedestrians on the ground floor (it was blocked in the 16th century). This area would have been granted to street shops and pavement access. By giving the citizens of Florence their space the Medici are showing their generosity and ingratiating themselves with the city.
How does the Palazzo Medici relate to Florence’s political center?
Rusticated masonry and mullioned windows echo the Palazzo della Signoria, linking the Medici to Florentine politics.
pietra forte also echoes palazzo della signoria
how does the palazzo medici express religion
Medici coats of arms are placed where visible from the Duomo, connecting them to Florence’s religious heart.
what are the classical influences in the courtyard?
Classical style with a colonnade of pietra serena columns surmounted by Composite capitals run around the perimeter
Above these arches is an entablature, and a frieze with monochrome graffito festoons. Decorated with graffito and medallions featuring Medici arms and mythological scenes. by by Maso di Bartolomeo (1452) a close follower of Michelozzo
The walls above the entablature are also decorated in graffito.
Donatello’s David was originally displayed here.
(reflects medici renaissance learning)
How does the exterior reflect protection and strength
Fortress-like rustication suggests strength and protection.
rusticated blocks of stone
how does the exterior reflect unity of the medici family
block like appearance
how does the exterior reflect civic pride
-pietra forte and rustification similar to other palazzos
What materials and techniques were used for the Palazzo Medici, and why?
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.
How did the Palazzo Medici’s location enhance its significance?
Built on the main north-south axis of Florence to emphasize the centrality of the Medici family in city affairs.
What practical functions did the Palazzo Medici serve?
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.
What does the Palazzo Medici symbolize about the Medici family?
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.
cosimo medici context
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 (figures such as Palla Strozzi and Rinaldo degli Albizz)
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.
classical influence on exterior
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.
construction
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.
where in the grid
secular architecture, florence
