Maddalena de 'Medici

Maddalena di Lorenzo de 'Medici (born July 25, 1473 in Florence , † December 2, 1519 in Rome ) was the second eldest daughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449–1492), lord of the city of Florence, and his wife Clarice Orsini (1453– 1488) and was married on February 25, 1487 to the son of Pope Innocent VIII , Francesco Cibo (around 1450–1519). She was also the sister of Piero the Unfortunate (1472–1503), who ruled in Florence from 1492 to 1494, of Giovanni de 'Medici (1475–1521), later Pope Leo X. and of Giuliano de' Medici (1479– 1516), later Duke of Nemours.

Life

Maddalena experienced a happy and sheltered childhood, which was mainly characterized by her close relationship with her brother Giovanni. Lorenzo de 'Medici ensured that his children were well educated, which is why he took the humanist Angelo Poliziano (1454–1494) into his service, and Lucrezia Tornabuoni (1425–1482), Lorenzo's mother, taught her granddaughters basic accounting skills, in accounting and running a household.

However, her childhood was politically shaped by the events of the Pazzi Conspiracy , which was initiated by Pope Sixtus IV (1414–1484) in 1478 against the rule of the Medici in Florence and whose most famous victim was Maddalena's uncle Giuliano . But even after the Pope's death, Roman-Florentine relations did not improve. In 1485, with the support of the new Pope Innocent VIII (1432–1492), who was also the feudal lord of the Kingdom of Naples, Neapolitan barons rose against the rule of King Ferrante (1423–1494), who supported Florence and Milan. Lorenzo therefore signed a pay contract in Florence on November 2, 1485 with Virginio, Vicino, Giulio and Gian Paolo Orsini, who opposed the uprising of the barons on the side of Ferrante. The baron war ended with the peace between the Pope and the King of Naples in August 1486, which granted the insurgents the required amnesty.

Lorenzo the Magnificent was now interested in normalizing relations between Florence and Rome. Therefore, in the autumn of 1486, he sent his brother-in-law, the Archbishop of Florence, Rinaldo Orsini, and the diplomat Pierfilippo Pandolfini to Rome to renegotiate with Innocent VIII on Roman-Florentine relations. Since in the meantime the Roman branch of the Medici Bank practically had to cease operations, a settlement with the Pope was imperative for Lorenzo for economic reasons. Lorenzo also intended to actively promote the church career of his son Giovanni with the help of the Pope.

Innocent VIII was ready for a political comparison with Florence and declared that in future he would follow Lorenzo's advice in political matters. Furthermore, the Pope entrusted the Medici Bank with the financial affairs of the Vatican. However, he expected from Lorenzo that his fourteen-year-old daughter Maddalena was married to his son Francesco.

Francesco Cibo came from his father's great love for a Neapolitan and was recognized by him as a biological son. Franceschetto (Fränzchen), as the Romans called the almost forty-year-old, lived financially on his father. He was a drinker and gambler who spent his money with Girolamo Tuttavilla, the son of the French Cardinal d'Estouteville, at courtesans and whose debts were always paid by Innocent VIII. Lorenzo initially hesitated to marry off his second eldest daughter to the Pope's ill-advised son; however, in January 1487, the Pope concluded an agreement with Venice, which forced the troubled Lorenzo to act quickly. Due to the expected political and economic benefits, he decided to sacrifice his daughter's personal happiness and agreed to a marriage between Maddalena and Francesco.

On February 25, 1487, Maddalena de 'Medici and Francesco Cibo were married in Rome in the presence of the Pope, but in the absence of the bride, who was represented by her uncle Rinaldo Orsini. Maddalena's dowry was 4,000 fiorini. Also on February 25, 1487, but in Naples, the marriage between Piero de 'Medici and Alfonsina Orsini (1472–1520) was concluded in the absence of the bride and groom, but in the presence of the King of Naples. Lorenzo the Magnificent always knew that the rule of his family was not permanently secured by tradition or law in Florence. With the marriages of Piero and Maddalena and the planned ecclesiastical career of Giovanni, he therefore aimed to create a second foothold for the Medici in Rome, with the aim of securing the future rule of his eldest son Piero in Florence. This should be done with the help of the Roman allies if necessary. Both marriages were a success for the Medici in foreign policy. They found the approval of the Neapolitan king and the regent of the Duchy of Milan, Ludovico il Moro (1451-1508). However, these marriage connections caused unrest within the Florentine oligarchy, so that Lorenzo decided to betroth his remaining daughters Luisa and Contessina to Giovanni de 'Medici and Piero Ridolfi.

Maddalena reached Rome as agreed and accompanied by her mother Clarice Orsini, who was already suffering from tuberculosis, her brother Piero and her brother-in-law Jacopo Salviati (1463-1533) on November 13, 1487. As a novelty in the history of the Popes, she celebrated her wedding to the Pope's son on January 20, 1488 in the papal official residence. In May 1488, Maddalena returned to Florence with her husband and mother to take part in Piero's wedding feast, which was not celebrated due to the death of Luisa (* 1476/77), Maddalena's younger sister. However, Maddalena stayed in Florence, looked after her sick mother until her death on July 30, 1488 and only returned to Rome in September 1488 after Lorenzo's request.

In March 1489, Innocent VIII appointed thirteen-year-old Giovanni de 'Medici cardinal. Although he had to let his office rest until 1492, for Lorenzo a political goal of marrying Maddalena had thus been fulfilled. Giovanni now had ecclesiastical income, which he used from then on for the benefit of the Medici. Thus, at the urging of the Neapolitan King Ferrante, the Pope transferred the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino to Giovanni , which, with its income, extensive possessions and rights, was one of the richest monasteries in Christendom.

Maddalena meanwhile took part in the lively social life in Rome. The Pope held his daughter-in-law in high esteem, he generously presented her with valuable jewelry and, because of her, relaxed the manners in the Vatican. Secular women were now allowed to enter the Pope's rooms without being asked, and in November 1488 Innocent's granddaughter Peretta celebrated her wedding in the Vatican. Lorenzo disapproved of the collapse of papal authority, but more than that he feared the imminent death of the ailing Pope and the hitherto unexplained material provision for his daughter.

As early as the summer of 1487, the previously destitute Francesco Cibo acquired the dominions of Cerveteri and Santa Severa with the help of the Medici Bank . The Medici Bank also financed the acquisition of the county of Anguillara for him, so that Francesco owned a small contiguous area in northern Rome. The loans granted to him were paid by transferring church income to the Medici Bank. Innocent VIII also undertook to repay all of Lorenzo's claims against the papal chamber that originated from the time of Sixtus IV, and on February 21, 1490 he enfeoffed his son with the county of Anguillara. A little later, Francesco was also granted Florentine citizenship. Finally, as a dowry from Maddalena, he received a palace from the confiscated property of Jacopo Pazzi .

Maddalena enjoyed a high social reputation in Rome. So was Rodrigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexander VI. , ready to baptize their eldest daughter Lucrezia. Their marriage was unhappy, however, Franceschetto neglected his young wife and continued his former life soon after the wedding. He moved again with Girolamo Tuttavilla through disreputable neighborhoods, they broke into houses, raped women and ruined themselves in the game. Franceschetto lost 14,000 ducats in one night, which was the value of a palace.

Maddalena's life got a turning point with the death of her father in April 1492 and the death of her father-in-law in July 1492, which soon followed. Francesco Cibo feared that he would be the victim of the usual retribution after the death of a Pope. On the one hand he could not count on the help of the powerful Roman noble family Orsini, on the other hand he could not expect the support of their opponents. For these reasons, he sold his possessions, some at bargain prices, and fled to Florence with his family. Francesco Cibo's renunciation of political power in Rome ensured his family a peaceful life on their properties in Florence, Tuscany, Genoa and Liguria for the next twenty years. The Cibos had no enemies; this enabled the rise of their children, and Maddalena managed to gain economic control of their possessions. She was less successful with the upbringing of her son Innocenzo , who took after his father, fathered four illegitimate children as a teenager and fell ill with syphilis as a young man.

Leo X, Maddalena's brother Giovanni, was elected Pope on March 11, 1513, and he soon allowed his sisters to participate in court life in Rome. Lucrezia , Contessina and Maddalena moved to Rome together and harassed their brother with excessive demands. Leo X, who felt obliged above all to Maddalena - whose marriage made his advancement possible - already appointed her twenty-two-year-old son Innocenzo cardinal on September 23, 1513 and guaranteed him immense income. The Pope also gave Innocenzos siblings goods and ample gifts of money. Maddalena received Roman citizenship in 1515, her husband Francesco was granted governor of the Duchy of Spoleto as a new source of income in 1516. Maddalena's favor by the Pope and her erroneously assumed political influence led to envy and resentment of her sisters, so that Leo X. their sons Giovanni Salviati (1490–1553) and Niccolò Ridolfi (1501–1550) on July 1, 1517 also appointed cardinals .

Maddalena died, sorely missed by Leo X, a few weeks after the death of her husband Francesco Cibo on December 2, 1519 in Rome. In 1520 their son Innocenzo was appointed Archbishop of Genoa and Archbishop of Turin.

children

The following children came from the marriage between Maddalena de 'Medici and Francesco Cibo (* around 1450 - † July 25, 1519) in Rome on February 25, 1487:

• Lucrezia Cibo (December 1489 - July 1492) was baptized on January 4, 1490 by Rodrigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexander VI.
• Clarice Cibo (December 1490; † 1492) was born as a disabled child.
• Innocenzo Cibo (born August 25, 1491 in Genoa, † September 23, 1550 in Rome) was appointed cardinal by Pope Leo X on September 23, 1513 and served as Archbishop of Genoa from 1520 to 1550 and as Archbishop from 1520 to 1548 from Turin.
• Eleonore Cibo (1499–1557) was abbess of the monastery of Santa Maria in Genoa.
• Lorenzo Cibo (July 20, 1500 - March 14, 1549); Duke of Ferentillo, he married Ricciarda Malespina (1497–1553) on May 14, 1520 and founded the Cibo Malespina family with her.
• Caterina Cibo (born September 13, 1501 - † February 17, 1557) married Giovanni Maria da Varano, Duke of Camerino in 1520.
• Ippolita Cibo (1503–1562) married Roberto Ambrogio da Sanseverino († 1532), Margrave of Colorno and Count of Cajazzo in 1522.
• Giovanni Battista Cibo (6 May 1505 - 15 March 1550) became Bishop of Marseille in 1530.

literature

• Ingeborg Walter : The Magnificent - Lorenzo de 'Medici and his time . Munich: Piper, 2005 ISBN 3-492-24204-9
• Alois Uhl; “The Popes and Women” ; Piper Verlag GmbH; Munich; July 2007; ISBN 978-3-492-24890-7
• James Cleugh; "The Medici - Power and Splendor of a European Family" ; Approved license issue for Bechtermünz Verlag in Weltbild Verlag GmbH; Augsburg 1996; ISBN 3-86047-155-4
• Cay Rademacher ; “The Godfather of Florence” ; GEO EPOCHE - The Magazine for History, Issue No. 19, Verlag Gruner + Jahr AG & Co. KG, 2005
• Volker Reinhardt; “The uncanny Pope - Alexander VI. Borgia 1431-1503 " ; Verlag CH Beck; Munich; 1st edition in the Beck series 2007; ISBN 978-3-406-54753-9
• Ivan Cloulas; "The Borgia - Biography of a Family Dynasty" ; Wilhelm Heyne Verlag Munich; 1993; ISBN 3-453-06082-2