araldica di firenze: the rucellai

Family: Rucellai
Dates to: 1260
Meaningful shapes, colors and symbols: The shield is divided in two.  The top haf has a sliver
lion on a red background, and the bottom half has blue and gold waves.
Where to find it: Palazzo Rucellai

The Rucellai are a rare Florentine family in that they achieved much and were never enobled. The fact that the Rucellai were successful yet not enobled is, if anything, a testament to their continuing ability to serve Florence ably.

The family's origins date to the 1260s, when an early member known as Alamanno found on a trip abroad a particular type of grass could dye cloth a deep red color. This process brought the family great success in the wool trade that flourished in Florence.  Over time, the family would lend their wealth out through a network of banks. The Rucellai banks were primarily based in Lyon and Constantinople, and increased their wealth greatly.

The Rucellai had their fair share of notable members. Berlinghieri led a Florentine militia to put down a revolt in Sienna, and it was for this effort that the Rucellai have the silver lion on a red background as part of their arms. Berlinghieri's son, Paolo, also showed military skill when he helped drive the Duke of Athens from Florence some years later. During the Medici years, the Rucellai married into the Medici family, but were sometimes rebellioius against them.  In particular, Bernardo Rucellai, who married Nannina de' Medici - the sister of Lorenzo the Magnificant. Though Bernardo was allied to the Medici through his wife, he also supported Savonarola (a sometime Medici opponent). Bernardo is also remembered for hosting the Platonic Academy of Florence in his garden.

By the time the 1700s came around, it seemed as though the Rucellai had established a tradition of supporting liberalizing political movements.  Giulio Rucellai, who lived from 1702-1778, was a politican and professor of law at the University of Pisa. It was partly due to his writings and influence that Tuscany adopted a series of liberal legal reforms under the first Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany (post-Medici).

araldica di firenze: the medici

Family: The Medici
Dates to: as early as 1331
Meaningful shapes, colors and symbols: a gold background with five red balls
and one blue with gold fleur de lis.
Where to find it: Nearly everywhere you look in Florence.
The photo above was taken in Piazza del Duomo

Volumes have been written, and I'm sure more will follow, on the Medici and their impact on Florence, Italy, Europe (the world), art, science, religion, and learning in general. The family were patrons of the arts. It was under their leadership that Florence became the birthplace of the Renaissance.  They were also patrons of learning, and their efforts saved many texts from ruin after the fall of Constantinople.

By profession they were bankers. The Medici bank gave them a vast fortune and created trusted network of contacts across Europe Their bank is what many consider the first international bank.  As their wealth grew, so did their power. They were citizen-politicians and later Dukes, at first rising to their position by popular consent and later on imposing their rule with papal backing. 

The family did face hardships at times - they were banished from Florence and their Palazzo sacked after Piero the Unfortunate failed to prevent Charles VIII from occupying the city - but they ultimately wielded king-like power over Tuscany as Grand Dukes.

It's nearly impossible to walk through Florence today without passing at least one building with a Medici connection, and should you visit any of the city's art galleries you'll see many of the works they commissioned.  Their patronage is perhaps their lasting mark on the city and the world as a whole. So, before you visit the city be sure to read about the family, because in many ways their story is also the story of Florence.

araldica di firenze: the guicciardini

Family: Guicciardini
Dates to: 1199
Meaningful shapes, colors and symbols: Three hunter's horns on a blue background
Where to find it: Palazzo Guicciardini, near Palazzo Pitti

The Guicciardini were very successful Florentine merchants, and became quite wealthy as a result.  As with many notable Florentine families, they were drawn into the city's politics and produces many priori, gonfalonieri and, later, senators of the Grand Duchy.  Members of the Guicciardini family were named ambassador to various Popes, states and courts, including Anjou, Venice, Bologna, Ferrara and Milan.  One of the notable services the family performed for Florence was done by Jacopo Guicciardini.  He was named "altro commissario di guerra" (High Commissioner of War) four times during the tumultuous second half of the 14th century.  In this position he oversaw Florence's participation in wars against Pope Sixtus IV (of Sistine Chapel fame) and the King of Naples, Volterra, Fregoso, and Genoa.  He was a close friend of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the de facto ruler of Florence during this time.

The family can also claim some literary fame. Francesco Gicciardini, a contemporary and friend of Duke Alessandro de' Medici, wrote la Storia d'Italia, which not only provides a rich account of the politics of Italy from the 1490s to the 1530s, but is also the foundation of modern history, as he was one of the first historians to use original documents to verify his writings.  Of course, Francesco had ample documentation from which to work, as he was Pope Leo X's (formerly Giovanni Medici, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent) governor of Reggio and Modena. Later on, he was Pope Clement VII's (formerly Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici) governor of Parma. And, just to round out his resume, he was a General in the Papal Army during the Sack of Rome in 1527.

araldica di firenze: the ridolfi

Family: Ridolfi
Dates to: at least 1306
Meaningful shapes, colors and symbols: A pyramid of 6 gold mountains
on a blue background with a red stripe across
Where to find it: via Maggio

The Ridolfi are a very old Florentine family.  Like the Strozzi, they originated in Fiesole and moved into Florence in the 1300s.  The family had three branches, at least one of which died out in the 1650s.  But the remaining branches made rich contributions to the history of Florence and Europe in general, up to the present day.

In 1306 Cione di Ridolfo was sent as a representative for Florence to the King of France to negotiate trading privileges for Florentine merchants.  The results of his negotiations no doubt helped establish Florence as a center for the production of wool, and later banking.  By the 1500s the family's wealth and influence had grown tremendously.  In fact, in 1570 Roberto Ridolfi, an international banker (who regularly visited London) and devout Catholic, conspired to assassinate England's Queen Elizabeth I and place Mary Queen of Scots on the English throne.  The plot was discovered and he is now primarily remembered for financing of the scheme.  Obviously he never visited England again.

In addition to politics the Ridolfi have been scholars over the years.  Cosimo Ridolfi, born in 1794, founded the Agricultural Institute in Italy at Pisa, was President of the Geography Society in Florence, started a agricultural journal, and also helped found the Cassa di Risparmio bank, which is today known as Banca CR Firenze.  Most recently the Ridolfi family is known for the scholar Roberto Ridolfi, who wrote highly-praised biographies of Savonarola and Machiavelli.  This Roberto Ridolfi passed away in 1991.

araldica di firenze: the frescobaldi

Family: Frescobaldi
Dates to: at least 1250
Meaningful shapes, colors and symbols: Truncated, with the top half of gold and
the bottom half having three silver drums on a red background.
Where to find it: Palazzo Frescobaldi, Piazza de' Frescobaldi (on the oltrarno side of Ponte Santa Trinita)

The Frescobaldi are one of the older families of Florence.  They came from the Val di Pesa, where they had large land holdings.  Through their lands and their success in the wool trade they became very wealthy, and were therefore involved in early international banking.  In fact, the family's bank supported Kings of England, in particular Edward I and II.

The Frescobaldi were active in Florentine politics as well, and one historian says that there were no Florentine political conspiracies that didn't involve the Frescobaldi.  Their contentious role in the city's politics led to their being barred from holding public offices at various times and at least once they were exiled from the city.

Their story isn't only about banking and politics.  Dino Frescobaldi, a Florentine poet who lived from 1271-1316 was a contemporary and friend of Dante Alighieri and is remembered for his sonnets and songs.