All About Royal Families

The Basilica San Lorenzo in Florence is situated in the heart of the city, near the main market. It is surrounded by excellent restaurants with the nicest food and beverages. However the Basilica San Lorenzo was the parish church of the de' Medici family. So, let's take a look at the very interesting royal history of this amazing royal destination. Royal History The Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of the oldest churches in Florence, originally consecrated in 393 AD. Over centuries, it underwent multiple reconstructions, with the most significant transformation beginning in 1419, under the direction of Filippo Brunelleschi, a pioneer of Renaissance architecture.  Commissioned by Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici , the rebuilding of San Lorenzo marked the start of a centuries-long relationship between the church and the Medici family. The Medici family, renowned patrons of art and politics, played a pivotal role in the evolution of the Basilica. Giovanni di Bicci’s contributions la...

 As we are with the royal destination blogposts in Florence with the de' Medicis, we can't go on, without some family history.  The founder of the de Medici bank and thus the one who laid the fa'mily's wealth and influence in Florence was Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici. Who was Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici? Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was born in Florence, Italy. He was the son of Averardo de' Medici and Jacopa Spini. His father, Averardo died in 1363 with a respectable amount of wealth. This inheritance was divided among Giovanni and his four brothers, leaving Giovanni with very little. However, his uncle, Vieri de' Medici, was still a prominent banker in Florence. Vieri helped Giovanni begin his career in the Florentine banking system. He worked his way up through the ranks, eventually becoming a junior partner in the branch located in Rome. Vieri de' Medici retired in 1393 leaving the bank in the hands of Giovanni. From this point the Medici ba...

Gardening has numerous advantages, spanning physical, mental, and environmental benefits.  I must admit, I adore gardening as much as visiting a wonderful royal garden. After the visit of Palazzo Pitti in June 2024, I visited the Boboli Gardens, which are located directly behind the Palazzo Pitti, the main residence of the de' Medici Family.  The Boboli Gardens are known for its strict and formal Italian style. As it was a very hot day in Florence, the shadow brought some refreshment but not a lot. However the Boboli Gardens really are a wonderful royal destination with again lots of royal history. Some royal history The Boboli Gardens were laid out for Eleonora di Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de' Medici.The name may be a corruption of "Bogoli"or "Borgoli", possibly the name of a family who had previously owned the land. The first stage had scarcely been begun by Niccolò Tribolo when he died in 1550, after which the construction was continued by Bartolomeo ...

First of all, I want to wish you all a very happy 2025! I hope the year started well for you. A new year gives new expectations, wishes and the most important: new energy. In November and December it became so busy, that I did not get around to writing and blogging, but I do not want to break my promise I've made last year. So let's resume the trip to Florence and discover more about the de' Medici family. My fifth castle visit of 2024 took place in Florence and it was a fantastic one. There, I visited the Palazzo Pitti, the main residence of the de' Medici family.  The Palazzo Pitti some royal history At the beginning the building of Palazzo Pitti was ordered by banker, Luca Pitti , a  friend and supporter of Cosimo de' Medici. However the building works stopped, when Luca Pitti suffered financial losses after the death of Cosimo de' Medici. Luca Pitti died in 1472, while the Palazzo still was unfinished. Luca Pitti, source picture: Wikipedia In 1549, the Palaz...

During our stay in Florence (Firenze) in Italy we saw the coat of arms of the de Medici family regularly. The House of Medici was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici during the first half of the 15th century.  The family originated in the Mugello region of Tuscany, and prospered gradually until it was able to fund the Medici Bank. This bank was the largest in Europe during the 15th century and facilitated the Medicis' rise to political power in Florence, although they officially remained citizens rather than monarchs until the 16th century. However they had the official title Grand Duke from 1569. However in this post we will not talk about the family members, but about their interesting and beautiful coat of arms, which you will see almost everywhere in Florence. The blazon of the de' Medici family is a golden shield with five red balls, and a blue one decorated with three golden ...