Medici, Piero de'

Medici, Piero de', 1416–69, Italian merchant prince

Medici, Piero de' (pyĕ`rō dā mĕ`dĭchē, Ital. mā`dēchē), 1416–69, Italian merchant prince. He succeeded his father, Cosimo de' Medici, as head of the Medici family and as leader of the Florentine state. His ill health earned him the nickname Il Gottoso [the gouty]. In 1466, Piero put down a conspiracy of nobles headed by the Pitti family, and although it was directed at his life, he allowed the conspirators to go free. His son, Lorenzo de' Medici (Lorenzo il Magnifico), succeeded him as head of the family.

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Medici, Piero de', 1471–1503, Italian merchant prince

Medici, Piero de', 1471–1503, Italian merchant prince. He succeeded his father, Lorenzo de' Medici (Lorenzo il Magnifico), as head of the Medici family and as leader of the Florentine state. In 1494 he surrendered the chief fortresses of Tuscany to the invading army of Charles VIII of France. The democratic party in Florence, led by Savonarola, took advantage of Charles's approach and of Piero's weakness to expel the Medici, who had virtually ruled Florence for half a century. After Piero's death the Medici regained (1512) control over Florence with the help of the Holy League. Giuliano de' Medici and Pope Leo X were brothers of Piero. Piero's son, Lorenzo de' Medici, became (1516) duke of Urbino.