Unger presents this new biography of the Brilliant and ruthless statesman Lorenzo de\' Medici, whose wielding of power helped nurture the Italian Renaissance.
Nowhere was this world of contrasts more perfectly embodied than in the Life and character of the man who ruled this most fascinating city..
Florence gave birpth to both the otherworldly perfection of Botticelli\'s Primavera and the gritty realism of Machiavelli\'s The Prince .
Florence in the age of Lorenzo was a city of contrasts, of unparalleled artistic brilliance and unimaginable squalor in the city\'s crowded tenements; of both pagan excess and the fire-and-brimstone sermons of the Dominican preacher Savonarola.
Against all odds he managed not only to survive but to preside over one of the great moments in the history of civilization.
Those who plotted his death included a pope, a king, and a duke, but Lorenzo used his legendary charm and diplomatic skill -- as well as occasional acts of violence -- to navigate the murderous labyrinth of Italian politics.
Bitter rivalries among the leading Florentine families and competition among the squabbling Italian states meant that Lorenzo\'s Life was under constant threat.
Lorenzo\'s grandfather Cosimo had converted the vast wealth of the family bank into political power, but from his earliest days Lorenzo\'s position was precarious.
Miles Unger\'s biography of this complex figure draws on primary research in Italian sources and on his intimate knowledge of Florence, where he lived for several years.
He was the leading statesman of the age, the fulcrum of Italy, but also a cunning and ruthless political operative.
He befriended the greatest artists and writers of the time -- Leonardo, Botticelli, Poliziano, and, especially, Michelangelo, whom he discovered as a young boy and invited to live at his palace -- turning Florence into the cultural capital of Europe.
Known to history as Il Magnifico (the Magnificent), Lorenzo was not only the foremost patron of his day but also a renowned poet, equally adept at composing philosophical verses and obscene rhymes to be sung at Carnival.
A true Renaissance man, Lorenzo dazzled contemporaries with his prodigious talents and magnetic personality.
Magnifico is a vividly colorful portrait of Lorenzo de\' Medici, the uncrowned ruler of Florence during its golden age. 8 pages of color photographs.
Unger presents this new biography of the Brilliant and ruthless statesman Lorenzo de\' Medici, whose wielding of power helped nurture the Italian Renaissance
