giovanni de popolano – The Medici Podcast

This time, we check in on the sons of Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, the brothers Popolano, Lorenzo and Giovanni. While Lorenzo tried to play a small, non-partisan role in Florence’s new government, Giovanni fell in love with one of the most famous and daring women of the Renaissance.

“La dama dei gelsomini” (“The Lady of Jasmine”) by Lorenzo di Credi, date unknown. It is believed to be a contemporaneous portrait of Caterina Sforza. Source: The Picture Gallery of Forli.

A portrait by Filippino Lipi thought to possibly be of Giovanni di Pierfrancesco “il Popolano” (ca. 1490). Source: U.S. National Gallery of Art.

A portrait of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco “il Popolano” by Sandro Botticelli (1479). Source: Pitti Palace, Florence.

Transcript

Before we finally return to Piero de’ Medici, we need to check in on his cousins, the sons of Pierfrancesco, Lorenzo and Giovanni. They’re not to be confused with Lorenzo the Magnificent or any of the other Giovannis in the Medici family, which is one of the reasons I’m mostly only talking about them in their own episode. Plus honestly not much happened with the two after they plotted against Piero, becoming exiled, and then trying to ingratiate themselves with King Charles of France.