April Blood

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One of the world's leading historians of Renaissance Italy vividly depicts the vibrant yet violent society of fifteenth-century Florence. The narrative begins with a shocking event on a Sunday in April 1478, when assassins attacked Lorenzo de' Medici and his brother during Mass. Lorenzo narrowly escaped while Giuliano bled to death on the cathedral floor. The story unfolds from this pivotal moment, revealing a culture rife with tangled passions, ambition, treachery, and revenge. The conspiracy, led by the noble Pazzi family, arose from their resentment of the Medici's newfound political power, but the intrigue extended throughout Italy, involving bankers, mercenaries, the Duke of Urbino, the King of Naples, and Pope Sixtus IV. Florence was soon embroiled in conflict, with Lorenzo fighting for his family's survival. The failed assassination attempt had dire consequences for the Pazzi; Medici retribution was swift and brutal, resulting in hangings, beheadings, and the public display of bodies. All remaining Pazzi family members were forced to change their surname, and their public symbols were eradicated. This account provides a fresh perspective on Renaissance Florence, where artistic brilliance coexisted with violence and ruthless politics, centered around Lorenzo the Magnificent—a poet, statesman, patron of the arts, and formidable leader.