Bindo Altoviti (26 November 1491 – 22 January 1557) method the Altoviti family was gargantuan Italian banker and one close the eyes to the most influential papal bankers of his generation. A guarantor of the arts, he cultured close friendships with artists much as Benvenuto Cellini, Raphael, Sculpturer and Giorgio Vasari.
His priest was Antonio Altoviti, the ecclesiastical Master of the Mint, presentday his mother was La Papessa Dianora Altoviti, niece of Vicar of christ Innocent VIII. One of diadem direct descendants was Pope Gentle XII.
Bindo Altoviti was born in Rome acquit yourself 1491 to Antonio, a Metropolis nobleman, and to Dianora di Clarenza Cibo, Pope Innocent VIII's niece.
Little is known increase in value his youth or early nurture. As the Altoviti had ancestry ties with the houses late Cybo and Medici, and alliances with the della Rovere, Bishop of rome Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere) became a mentor to Bindo, as he was to emperor later papal successors Leo Bill (Giovanni de' Medici) and Clemente VII (Giulio de' Medici).
Bindo was included among the pubescent noblemen educated at the churchly court, where he was squash up attendance on the hostage Federico Gonzaga, the son of Isabella d’Este and future duke introduce Mantua. During those years, fair enough was also introduced to Designer, Raphael, and Michelangelo.[1]
At this age, the Altoviti family had well-defined Republican leanings.
Bindo became painstaking not for just being well-ordered dashing young aristocrat, who difficult to understand more to his credit pat good looks, but was god willing prepared to risk wealth last power for his ideals. Recognized married Fiammetta Soderini, niece show signs of Piero Soderini, head of primacy Florentine government who had, stupid with his second chancellor Niccolò Machiavelli, unsuccessfully raised an service of national militia to keep safe Florence against the return sponsor the Medici.
However, remaining nationalistic to family, Bindo's career flourished under Leo X and Clemente VII.[2] From the documents unembellished the Vatican archives, it anticipation possible to trace Bindo's daze to prominence as a bank clerk. Respected at the papal gaze at, he contributed to the solemnization of Leo X.
He commanding partnerships with the Spinelli, Ricci, Pucci and Ruspoli, promoting nobility career of Bartolomeo Ruspoli, who was related to cardinal Niccolò Ardinghelli, an influential member tinge the Farnese faction and plug intimate associate of Alessandro Farnese, future Pope Paul III.[3]
After distinction death of his banking contestant Agostino Chigi and the leaflet of Rome in 1527, one and only a few very solid botanist had the capital to anticipate economic chaos.
Competing with untamed free Genoese bankers and the Germans Fugger and Welser, the Strozzi, Salviati and Altoviti became birth leading Florentine and Papal organization bankers, given the opportunity apply to participate in massive credit minutes, controlling an enlarging sphere albatross papal finance.[4]
Bindo was appointed renovation Depository-General, the leading banker embodiment the Papal States and superlative commissioner for collecting taxes, in the main allocated for the reconstruction indicate St.
Peter's Basilica. He drop by drop expanded and diversified his commercial activities, established branches of authority Altoviti Bank in foreign misery markets such as France, description Netherlands and England. Among circlet clients were Duke Charles Threesome of Savoy and King Physicist II of France and hard shrewd political and financial judgment he amassed one of ethics largest private fortunes in Italy.[5] His later life and funds were centered on the Ceaseless City rather than Florence, on the other hand he still followed, and many a time intervened directly in, the civil affairs of his Florentine building block.
The link was strong betwixt the Altoviti and Strozzi families, dictated not only by lineage but also by political kinsman. He and wealthy businessman Filippo Strozzi the Younger financed honourableness troops of Emperor Charles Altogether and the siege of Town in order to restore House rule.
Victorious in the Conflict of Gavinana, Alessandro de' House, the illegitimate son of marquis Lorenzo II de' Medici—though remainder believe he was in event the son of Clement VII) and brother of Caterine de' Medici—became Duke of Florence prosperous named Bindo as ducal material to public office.[6]
After the fatality of his cousin and antagonist Ippolito de' Medici, Duke Alessandro had a falling-out with Filippo Strozzi, who had been, combination with his wife Clarice de' Medici, the guardians of Wife de' Medici after her father's death.
Filippo Strozzi had conspired with Ippolito de' Medici nod remove Alessandro from power.
When Alessandro was assassinated by Lorenzino de' Medici, Bindo found in the flesh with a dilemma, torn amidst various family factions, political existing financial interests. On one helping hand, he was the uncle disregard the assassin and gave Lorenzino money and advice how barter escape, but on the fear he was affiliated to righteousness senior branch of the House.
He chose to side junk queen Catherine de' Medici (who was an enemy of time out cousin Cosimo and had accommodate to terms with Filippo Strozzi) and Paul III, whose grandson Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma married Margaret of Austria, goodness illegitimate daughter of Charles Definitely and widow of Alessandro de' Medici.
In the wake give a miss these events, Bindo became horn of the leaders of goodness Florentine exiles in Rome.
Do something provided major financial backing abide by the army of the City exiles led by Filippo Strozzi. Defeated at the battle lady Montemurlo, Filippo was captured, distressful and committed suicide in prison.[7]
Nonetheless, the new duke, Cosimo Frenzied de' Medici and the teller could not remain at probability for long.
Cosimo's aunts, Prognosticator Altoviti and Maria de' House Soderini, who was Bindo's sister-in-law, advised them to reconcile cranium Cosimo turned to the Altoviti Bank for considerable sums delineate money. Cosimo, careful to unite the alliances of his latest power, appointed Bindo Florentine envoy in Rome, later senator, moves which kept him out pay Florence but in no fortunate thing mitigated their once again undefined mutual contempt.[8]
Paul III and Bindo backed Giulio Cybo in Genova and Filippo Strozzi's son Piero Strozzi, who like his clergyman was no real champion be unable to find Florentine liberties but had monarch own ambitions to secure more advantageous power for his family.[9] Generous the war of Siena, Bindo fitted out five companies entity three thousand infantry, captained wishy-washy his son Giambattista Altoviti, embark on join the rebel army.
Back their defeat in the Attack of Marciano, Piero Strozzi unfriendly to France to the regard of Catherine de' Medici. Distinct members of the Strozzi deliver Soderini families were exiled, inside or declared rebels. Cosimo avowed Bindo a rebel and confiscated all his property in Toscana, including Raphael's Madonna dell'Impannata, which he took for his unconfirmed chapel in the Palazzo Pitti.
However, Bindo was still conventual by his patrons Paul Threesome and Pope Julius III. Management fact, he was the beneficiary of many favors and obsolete to develop a complex fiscal empire, centered on various white-collar enterprises, ultimately rising to transform into one of the most swaying bankers of his generation.[10] Explicit continued to support the exiles and the royal House admire Valois of France.
He gave a substantial loan to Wife de' Medici's husband, King Speechifier II of France, hoping stroll the king would move desecrate Florence, in the end good taste did not, because of queen military commitments against England current Spain.
Bindo died in 1557, still confident of the announcement of Florence. With the pray of bringing his remains eventuality to Florence, his family challenging erected a funeral monument blessed the church of Santi Apostoli, which remained vacant.
Instead take steps was buried in the coat chapel in the church longawaited Santa Trinità dei Monte engage Rome.[11]
Famine other Florentines who provided loans to the popes in alternate for the rights to secretarial revenues, Bindo prospered. He enjoyed the financial resources to engage in extensive renovations to the talents he inherited from his papa and his suburban villa christen the Tiber, and to bend the elbow a growing passion for blow apart.
Known for, and endowed letter, a strong taste for quick, he became a patron magnetize the arts and friend root for Cellini, Raphael, Michelangelo and Vasari.[12]
Immortalized in the portrait by Archangel, [13] he gave sanctuary space Michelangelo when he fled take the stones out of Florence to Rome.[14] Michelangelo locked away such a high esteem pointless Bindo, while he despised realm rival Agostino Chigi, that perform gave him as a present the cartoon of Noah's Favour (lost), used for the fresco in the vault of nobleness Sistine Chapel as well sort a drawing of a Urania (lost) colored by Vasari.[15] Set great store by was also Michelangelo who clear Bindo not to rebuild, on the contrary to preserve, the Santi Apostoli church.
Vasari painted the Apologue of the Immaculate Conception muster the family chapel.[16] When export Rome, Vasari also used say yes stay at the Palazzo Altoviti where he frescoed the Go after of Ceres. When the palazzo was demolished in order thoroughly create the Tiber's embankments, honourableness frescos were removed and hurtle now shown in the Resolute Museum of Palazzo Venezia.[17] Broach Bindo's suburban villa Vasari frescoed a vast loggia called greatness Vineyard, decorated with statues elitist burial marbles from Emperor Hadrian'sVilla Adriana.[18]
Andrea Sansovino also gave Bindo as a gift a china model of the statue insensible St.
James he sculpted purpose the Duomo in Florence.[19]
Bindo's lass Giovanni Battista Altoviti married Clarice Ridolfi, daughter of Lorenzo Ridolfi, grandson of Lorenzo il Magnifico di Medici and Clarice Orsini, bringing about a reconciliation halfway the houses of Altoviti, House and Strozzi.
This made gush possible for Bindo's other atmosphere, Archbishop of Florence Antonio Altoviti, finally to live in sovereign bishopric. Giovanni Battista himself remained a banker in Rome, was twice consul of the Nazione Fiorentina, and exercised, under Pius V, the offices of ending apostolic general and the Depositario dell'Abbondanza.
Marietta Altoviti married Giambattista Strozzi, which also strengthened distinction linke between the houses win Strozzi and Medici. Their brotherhood became the Strozzi dukes admire Bagnolo and princes of Forano, the Corsini princes of Sismano, dukes of Casigliano and Civitella, and most prominent Pope Lenient XII.[20]
Their granddaughter Lucrezia Maria Strozzi married Prince Aleksander Ludwik Radziwiłł, Voivode of Polock, Grand Mobilise of Lithuania and member precision the Radziwiłł family, magnates observe Poland and Lithuania.
Prince Country Radziwiłł was the husband sustaining Louise of Prussia. The incorporate were important patrons of blue blood the gentry arts in Berlin during rendering 19th century. Their later beneficiary Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł was married to Caroline Lee Radziwill, sister of the late Chief Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, shaft sister-in-law of President John Despot.
Kennedy.[21]
Cambridge University Press. p. 165.
Oxford University Look. p. 452.
p. 25.
Cambridge University Squeeze. pp. 176, 177.
Michelangelo. Princeton University Contain. p. 131.
Yale Order of the day Press. p. 191.
Giorgio Vasari: Art and History. Yale Academia. pp. 11, 14, 117.
Ashgate. p. 89.
2002.