Activity 6
A real Whodunnit! Who was behind the Pazzi conspiracy?
Background Briefing
On Easter Sunday 26th April 1478 a terrible event took place in the Cathedral of Florence which threatened the freedom of Florence. The “Pazzi conspiracy” as it became known, is one of the most heinous and famous bloody events in the history of Italy.
Florence was at the time one of the richest and most powerful cities in Italy; the culture and the shops of artists and artisans were flourishing. Thanks to the economic benefits of bankers and merchants the city came to life as evidenced by the great monuments and artworks created by Leonardo, Verrocchio, Botticelli and Ghirlandaio.
Who were the Medici?
The Medici were the ‘godfathers of the Renaissance’! They were wool merchants and bankers from the Tuscany region and patrons of much of the art and architecture that was produced in Florence at that time. It was their combined wealth and desire to immortalise their own family name that helped make Florence the art capital of the western world.
Although Florence was officially a republic the Medici family, whose leaders were Lorenzo (known as “the Magnificent”) and his younger brother Giuliano, gained political control over Florence in the 1430s and the more they flourished, the more other families were shut out of key positions. Naturally this led to feelings of envy and jealousy amongst rival families, especially the Pazzi family and ultimately to the staging of an attempted coup.
What happened?
It was Easter Sunday 1478. Holy mass was being celebrated in the Cathedral of Florence in the presence of all citizens. When everyone knelt down and bowed their heads, two men, opponents of the Medici, Bernardo Bandini and Francesco de’ Pazzi stabbed Giuliano and his brother Lorenzo from behind. Whilst Giuliano immediately succumbed to Bandini’s brutal dagger strokes, Lorenzo, who was only wounded, managed to escape with the help of his friend and supporter Francesco Nori who died during the attack.
Meanwhile, the conspirators tried to raise the people against the Medici faction to the cry of “Freedom! Freedom!"; but they had not reckoned on the true sentiment of the Florentines. The people did not follow the killers, and rather attacked them and began a real manhunt. Killed by the crowd or sentenced to death by the government, all the conspirators lost their lives and their names were damned from the memory of the city. Thus, Florence did not lose its freedom, on the contrary, it began its most prosperous historical period, remembered as the golden age of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
What happened is not questioned!
The mystery is – who was behind the conspiracy? Who planned the assassination and why? And that’s for you to decide!!
History has recorded a number of key suspects. Your task is to decide who was ultimately responsible for planning the conspiracy. Examine the following cards to find out about each suspect, and a summary of their stated defence after the attack.
Franceso de Pazzi
Pope Sixtus IV
Frederico Da Montefeltro
Duke of Urbino
Lorenzo De Medici
Francesco Salviati Riario
Count Girolemo Riario
Franceso de Pazzi
Wealthy banker and family leader
- We are competitors and happy to see the Medici power challenged.
- Shows they are too weak to even protect themselves let alone Florence.
- No need to do it to gain wealth for the Pope transferred his money into our accounts.
- We’re not stupid!
- We reckon it was power- hungry Lorenzo who wanted to take over from his brother! How did he escape with just a scratch? He just wanted to frame our family.
Pope Sixtus IV
Wanted to take over Florence
- I resented that the Medici didn’t give me a loan I wanted to continue my great work.
- Furious, I removed all money and church business to their rivals – the Pazzi family.
- Why would I be involved in the conspiracy - I could have just excommunicated them from the church!
Frederico Da Montefeltro
In charge of the Pope’s army
- I was not involved.
- I am a mercenary. I used to work for Lorenzo as head of his army and he paid me well.
- The Pope made me a better offer to be head of his guard in Rome.
- I am loyal to the Pope as I was to Lorenzo.
- My daughter is married to the Pope’s nephew.
- I was not in Florence at the time.
Lorenzo De Medici
Ruler of the Medici family
- Perhaps he wanted to be sole family ruler as suggested by enemies of the Medici?
- Known to be arrogant and overly ambitious.
- Ruthless to his enemies.
- Determined to keep all power in his own hands.
- Possibly resented the fact that his brother was more loved by their father.
- His brother was also on the rise within the family.
Francesco Salviati Riario
Ambitious member of the church
- Wanted to be archbishop of Florence but never in favour with the Medici.
- Pope appointed him archbishop of Pisa which Lorenzo opposed – he wanted an ally appointed.
- Lorenzo closed the gates of Pisa so Salviati could not take up the position.
Count Girolemo Riario
A favourite of the Pope
- Pope’s nephew, wealthy prince and ally of the Pazzi.
- Young and ambitious to extend his power and influence.
- He was made governor of Imolia, a town that both the pope and Medici wanted to control.
Your Task
Answer the questions below on screen or in this Word Doc version to save your answers.
Whom did you choose?
Based on the above character sketches, choose the card of the person you think was ultimately behind the conspiracy. Explain your reasons for naming this person as the key conspirator.
My choice of key conspirator
Reference