Politicians in the United States have a choice to make: either listen to science and further progress or ignore facts and allow American society to regress. In making their decision, today’s politicians should consider the legacy of the famed Medici family, rulers of Florence, Italy from the 15th to the 17th century. Over 200 years later, their name lives on not only because of their political impact but through the scientific discoveries of those whom they championed.
Even though the House of Medici enjoyed great wealth and political power during the Italian Renaissance and beyond, their patronage of the arts and sciences is often viewed as an essential aspect of their legacy. Without the Medicis’ help, the discoveries of innovators such as Leonardo da Vinci, Filippo Brunelleschi, and Galileo Galilei would not have occurred, let alone transformed Europe.
In the early 15th century, Cosimo de’ Medici paved the way for Medici patronage in the face of political upheaval and instability in Florence. When Cosimo first entered politics and joined the Florentine signoria, philanthropy and the support of the arts were extremely rare [1]. Nevertheless, Cosimo decided that the Medici family could leave a legacy of beauty and discovery in Florence through art and architecture. Thus, he called for a competition to build a dome on top of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. No one believed that this was mathematically feasible. Yet, he continued supporting competing architects in their endeavor to create a dome that would stand the test of time. Finally, Filippo Brunelleschi, the founding father of Renaissance architecture, discovered a way in which the grand dome would not collapse [2]. The Medici family legacy looks over Florence through Brunelleschi’s dome, which would not exist without Cosimo’s support for innovation.
Lorenzo de’ Medici was the patriarch of the Medici family during the latter half of the 15th century. He firmly believed in the importance of patronage and supported local artists through his immense wealth and various political connections. In 1482, Lorenzo sent Leonardo da Vinci as an ambassador to Milan, hoping to give da Vinci the chance to spread his artistic and scientific abilities across the Italian city-states. Furthermore, Lorenzo helped fund da Vinci’s scientific work, especially his experimentation with anatomy, a controversial and unpopular practice in that era. Through the Medici’s support, Leonardo da Vinci improved the invention of scissors, sketched the first parachute, and attempted to use his engineering skills to discover flight methods. Most notably, though, was his use of anatomical knowledge to paint the most realistic works of art of the time [3]. Without Lorenzo de’ Medici’s love for scientific discovery and his patronage for those who could positively affect the lives of Europeans, the name Leonardo da Vinci would probably not be a household name. Because of that support, Leonardo da Vinci’s innovation in art and science will always be a part of the Medici legacy.
Later members of the Medici family continued to build upon their forefathers’ legacy. The Grand Duke of Tuscany, a Medici, bestowed Galileo Galilei with the title “First Professor of Philosophy and Mathematics” after years of funding Galileo’s scientific work and shielding him from controversy. Galileo had just discovered Jupiter’s moons, which are called the Medicean Stars, prior to receiving this title. Additionally, Cosimo de’ Medici, a descendent of the first Cosimo, later watched over Galileo as he worked on his theory of heliocentrism. This would be to the detriment of the Medicis’ political standing with the Vatican; yet, Cosimo kept funding Galileo’s work in the name of a scientific renaissance [4].
Unlike many politicians today, the Medici family’s legacy was built on the foundation of their support for the arts and sciences. Instead of fearing political disapproval or backlash, members of the Medici kept funding scientific discovery for centuries. While many today look negatively upon the Medici’s political rule, the family is still admired for its support of innovators like Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei, whose discoveries continue to benefit the world.
History overflows with lessons that are too often ignored. It is about time politicians learn from the Medici family and support science experimentation and discovery, no matter what current political backlash may come with it. Future generations will look back and thank them for it.
[1] A. D. Fraser Jenkins, "Cosimo de' Medici's Patronage of Architecture and the Theory of Magnificence." Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 33 (1970): 162-70.
[2] Christopher Hibbert, The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall (New York: William Morrow Paperbacks, 1999).
[3] Paul Strathern, The Medici (New York: Pegasus Books, 2017).
[4] Richard S. Westfall, "Science and Patronage: Galileo and the Telescope." Isis 76 (March 1985): 11-30.
