A dazzling history of the moderate family members that rose to become probably one of the most powerful in European countries, The Medici is an amazingly modern tale of power, cash, and ambition. Against the backdrop of an age that saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family in Florence, as well as the Italian Renaissance which they did a lot to sponsor and encourage. Interwoven into the narrative are the lives of many of the great Renaissance artists with whom the Medici acquired dealings, including Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello, aswell as scientists like Galileo and Pico della Mirandola.

In his enthralling study, Strathern also follows the fortunes of those members of the Medici family who achieved success from Florence, like the two Medici popes and Catherine de’ Medici, who became queen of France and played a significant role in that country through three turbulent reigns.