Voting Station

Giovanni di Bicci de Medici

Please vote to return to collections.

Financier

The Resume

    (1360-February 1429)
    Born in Florence, Republic of France
    Of the Medici family dynasty
    Lorenzo's great-grandfather
    Founder of the Medici Bank (1397)

Why he might be annoying:

    He initiated the Medici family's stranglehold over the Italian peninsula.
    So basically what we have here is the Barron Hilton of the Italian Renaissance.
    He used his immense wealth to meddle in Papal affairs (e.g. paying to bail out deposed Antipope John XXIII, who was imprisoned in Germany).
    He hated politics, but still served two separate positions in the Florentine government.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Unlike his descendants, he had not been born into wealth.
    He started from the ground up in banking as an assistant - before eventually founding a chain of his own banks across Italy.
    He started a successful wool factory in Florence, later opening a second shop to for the purpose of trading spices, olive oil, silk, and jewelry.
    Dustin Hoffman portrayed him in the series 'Medici: Masters of Florence.'
    He used his influence to pass tax reform to benefit the poorer classes.
    At the time of his death, he was the second wealthiest man in all of Florence.
    He wrote to his son, Cosimo the Elder, 'Do not make the government-house your work shop, but wait until you are called to it, then show your selves obedient.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying