The Pazzi Conspiracy: A Renaissance Power Struggle

A Deadly Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday, April 26, 1478, the city of Florence bore witness to an audacious attempt to alter its destiny. The Pazzi conspiracy, an elaborate plot orchestrated by the powerful Pazzi family and their allies, aimed to unseat the ruling Medici family. The drama unfolded within the sacred walls of the Duomo of Florence, where Lorenzo de' Medici and his brother Giuliano were the targets of an assassination attempt. While Lorenzo managed to escape with injuries, Giuliano was not as fortunate; he succumbed to his attackers, leaving the city and its power dynamics forever changed.

The Roots of Discord

The seeds of this conspiracy were sown years earlier, with the ascension of Francesco della Rovere to the papacy in 1471 as Pope Sixtus IV. Coming from humble beginnings in Liguria, Sixtus IV quickly amassed power and wealth, which he generously bestowed upon his nephews from the della Rovere and Riario families. His ambitions were grand, appointing his nephews as bishops and cardinals, and even orchestrating marital alliances to secure their influence. One such alliance involved Girolamo Riario, potentially the Pope's son, who aspired to establish a new papal state by acquiring the town of Imola, a strategic location on the trade route between Florence and Venice.

However, this acquisition was fraught with tension. Lorenzo de' Medici had initially arranged to purchase Imola from the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, for a hefty sum. Yet, the deal fell through when Sforza opted to sell to Sixtus IV for a considerably lower price, contingent on his daughter Caterina's marriage to Riario. Lorenzo’s refusal to finance this purchase through the Medici bank severed ties with the papacy, forcing Sixtus to turn to the Pazzi bank for support.

Compounding these tensions were disputes over ecclesiastical appointments. The death of key figures left archbishoprics in Florence and Pisa vacant, sparking a power struggle. Lorenzo managed to secure the archbishopric of Florence for his brother-in-law, Rinaldo Orsini, but the Pope’s appointment of Francesco Salviati as Archbishop of Pisa stoked further animosity, as it was done without the Medici's consent.

The Conspirators' Web

The conspiracy itself was a tangled web woven by key figures: Girolamo Riario, Francesco Salviati, and Francesco de' Pazzi. They sought the Pope's blessing, though Sixtus IV couched his support in ambiguous terms. While he refused to explicitly sanction murder, he made his preference for Medici removal clear, promising leniency to those who would act against them.

In a dramatic twist, an encrypted letter uncovered in 2004 revealed Federico da Montefeltro, father-in-law to Giovanni della Rovere, as a co-conspirator. He had agreed to position 600 troops outside Florence, awaiting the signal to strike.

The Day of Reckoning

The attack was meticulously planned to coincide with High Mass at the Duomo. Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici, both present, were attacked simultaneously. Lorenzo fought off his assailants and fled to safety, while Giuliano fell victim to Bernardo Bandini dei Baroncelli and Francesco de' Pazzi. Meanwhile, Salviati and his men attempted to seize the Palazzo della Signoria but failed to inspire the expected uprising against the Medici.

Florence responded with swift and brutal justice. Salviati, Francesco de' Pazzi, and others were hanged from the windows of the Palazzo della Signoria. In the days that followed, more than thirty conspirators met their demise through summary executions. Jacopo de' Pazzi, head of the family, attempted to flee but was captured, tortured, and hanged next to Salviati's decomposing body. His corpse was desecrated in a grotesque display of public contempt.

The Aftermath and Legacy

In the conspiracy's wake, the Pazzi family faced severe retribution. They were banished, their properties confiscated, and their name erased from public records. The Pazzi shield was obliterated from Florence, and anyone bearing the name was forced to adopt a new identity.

The repercussions extended beyond Florence. Pope Sixtus IV, enraged by Salviati's death, excommunicated Lorenzo and his supporters and placed an interdict on the city. Allied troops from Naples and Urbino began assaults on Florentine territory. In a bold move, Lorenzo sailed to Naples, seeking mediation from King Ferdinand I, although the Pope remained unmoved.

The conspiracy inadvertently fortified Medici power, solidifying Lorenzo's influence and prompting political reforms. The episode was immortalized by Poliziano, who penned a vivid account of the events, capturing the high-stakes drama of the Renaissance.

Sources

For further reading on this dramatic historical event, visit the original Wikipedia article.