{"product_id":"magnifico-the-brilliant-life-and-violent-times-of-lorenzo-de-medici-9780743254359","title":"Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo De' Medici","description":"\u003cb\u003eA vividly colorful portrait of one of the greatest and most fascinating figures of the Renaissance, Lorenzo de' Medici, focusing on his role as a brilliant--sometimes ruthless--statesman who was responsible for the artistic flowering of Florence, the city where the Renaissance first blossomed.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLorenzo de' Medici--a leading statesman, the uncrowned ruler of Florence during its golden age, a true Renaissance man known to history as \u003ci\u003eIl Magnifico\u003c\/i\u003e (the Magnificent). Lorenzo was not only the foremost patron of his day but also a renowned poet, equally adept at composing philosophical verses and obscene rhymes to be sung at Carnival. He befriended the greatest artists and writers of the time--Leonardo, Botticelli, Poliziano, and, especially, Michelangelo, whom he discovered as a young boy and invited to live at his palace--and, in the process, turned Florence into the cultural capital of Europe. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Though Lorenzo's grandfather Cosimo had converted the vast wealth of the family bank into political power, Lorenzo's position was precarious. Bitter rivalries among the leading Florentine families and competition among the squabbling Italian states meant that Lorenzo's life was under constant threat. Those who plotted his death included a pope, a king, and a duke, but Lorenzo used his legendary charm and diplomatic skill--as well as occasional acts of violence--to navigate the murderous labyrinth of Italian politics. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Florence in the age of Lorenzo was a city of contrasts, of unparalleled artistic brilliance and unimaginable squalor in the city's crowded tenements; of both pagan excess and the fire-and-brimstone sermons of the Dominican preacher Savonarola. Florence gave birth to both the otherworldly perfection of Botticelli's \u003ci\u003ePrimavera\u003c\/i\u003e and the gritty realism of Machiavelli's \u003ci\u003eThe Prince\u003c\/i\u003e. Nowhere was this world of contrasts more perfectly embodied than in the life and character of the man who ruled this most fascinating city.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnger, Miles J.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Miles J. Unger writes on art, books, and culture for \u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e. Formerly the managing editor of \u003ci\u003eArt New England\u003c\/i\u003e, he was a contributing writer to \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author of \u003ci\u003ePicasso and the Painting That Shocked the World\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eThe Watercolors of Winslow Homer\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eMagnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eMachiavelli: A Biography\u003c\/i\u003e; and \u003ci\u003eMichelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces. \u003c\/i\u003eVisit MilesJunger.com.","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50726155419922,"sku":"9780743254359","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_8bd35037-76d8-47e6-9f30-ca33ab15330e.jpg?v=1734855631","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/magnifico-the-brilliant-life-and-violent-times-of-lorenzo-de-medici-9780743254359","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}