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The Medici Popes

In total there were four popes that came from the powerful Medici family.

They were as follows:

Pope Leo X (born Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici) Papacy: 1513 – 1521 – The 217th Pope.

Pope Clement VII (born Giulio di Giuliano de’ Medici) Papacy: 1523 – 1534 – The 219th Pope.

Pope Leo XI (born Alessandro Ottaviano de’ Medici) Papacy: April 1605 (reigned for only 27 days) – The 232nd Pope.

Pope Pius IV (born Giovanni Angelo Medici) Papacy: 1559 – 1565 – Pius IV was not directly related to the main Medici family of Florence, but was a distant relative. – The 224th Pope.

The Medici family were originally wool merchants back in 13th-century Florence. They eventually got into banking and rose to prominence, with Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (1360-1429) establishing the Medici Bank that became one of Europe’s largest financial institutions.

The Medici family effectively ruled Florence for much of the Renaissance, starting with Cosimo the Elder (1389-1464) and later Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492), often as de facto leaders rather than official rulers.

Their influence spilled over into art, politics, culture and religion.

The Medici Coat of Arms