#di lucca dynasty

[jasmineleeplays]

Finally, we have 50 Living Members in the di Lucca Dynasty, and King Goffredo decides to Found a Holy Order headquartered in the City of Cagli.

King Goffredo becomes the Patron of the Knights Hospitaller, who are headed by Grandmaster Arderico of Knights Hospitaller.

And with that, we have achieved Give a Dog a Bone - what we have set out to accomplish with starting the game as Duchess Matilda (then later Queen Matilda).

The game is now complete. However, I might jump in to play King Goffredo a little bit more before we switch over to the Roads to Power DLC, as Queen Drichglur was pregnant at the end and I'm curious to meet her unborn baby.

[josefavomjaaga]

Mier's letters from Naples, mid-March 1815

Things are starting to fall apart.

Mier to the Duke di Gallo (Copy) Naples 12 March 1815 (morning).

The departure of His Majesty the King, announced as very near, for Ancona, the movement almost general of Neapolitan troops from the interior towards the frontiers of the Kingdom, the order given to the Royal Guard to be ready to march, and many other circumstances and measures taken, prove only too well that His Neapolitan Majesty has projects in view which it is important for Austria, friendly power of the King, to clear up, principally in the present circumstances.

The undersigned Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria to the Court of Naples therefore has the honour of addressing His Excellency the Duke of Gallo, Minister of Foreign Relations, in order to obtain from His Excellency prompt and categorial clarifications and answers in this respect, so that they can be brought to the attention of his Court as soon as possible.

In requesting His Excellency to send him His reply today to be sent by a courier which he is sending tonight to Rome, he has the honour to renew to Him on this occasion etc.

(Signed) Mier. To His Excellency the Duke of Gallo etc.

That sounds a lot like a diplomatic ultimatum. And I can't help but be reminded of the letter Eugène wrote to Murat the year before ("So ... you with us or against us, buddy?")

Mier to Metternich. Postscript

Naples, March 12, 1815, evening.

My Prince!

1) The greater part of the garrison of Naples set out this morning. The few troops which still remained will start tomorrow. Veterans and invalids have occupied all the posts. The officer carrying my present expedition will be able to verify in his journey the number of those who have taken the road to Rome, and will report to Marl Bellegarde; all the rest of the garrison and the troops of the surroundings will have marched towards Ancona. The field crews, the King's treasury, and many people, both civil and military, attached to his person, are leaving tomorrow. Everything proves that the King has made up his mind and that He is only waiting for the first news of Napoleon's enterprise to act. I do not believe that He has the project to march into France. He will try to raise Italy and take possession of it; it will be necessary therefore that He fights with us. Although one wants to make believe that these steps are concerted with Austria, consternation is general here, people distrust the King's head and foresee misfortunes.

2) This morning there was a Circle at Court; several Englishmen attended to take leave of the King. He gave them a long speech on the recent event that occupies all minds. He said that he had news of the Emperor from Grasse; that everywhere he was received with enthusiasm and that there was no doubt that he would succeed in his enterprise; that he could not but ardently desire it, the Bourbons having declared themselves openly his enemies in spite of all the steps and advances he had made to render himself sympathetic; any change of dynasty in France could only be advantageous to his interests; that it would be quite indifferent to Him whether it were Napoleon or some other French general who occupied the throne of France, provided it were not the Bourbons: "I am their enemy, as they are mine". He said that he marched his troops towards the frontiers to be more in touch with events; that moreover his policy remained invariably attached to that of Austria; ... and much other drivel which relates to his military career and his elevation to the throne of Naples.

3) The Princess of Wales left this morning for Rome, from where she intends to go to Civitavecchia and embark for Genoa on the English frigate which had come to Naples to fetch her. She wanted to follow the King to Ancona, but yesterday morning he had his Grand Equerry tell her that the political situation prevented him from receiving her in Ancona. It is said that she was furious and decided to go to Genoa.

4) As the Duke of Gallo has not yet sent me an answer to my note of this morning, and seeing the urgent need for Your Highness, and Mar Bellegarde to whom I am writing at the same time, to be informed of what is being prepared here, I have decided to send my mail to Rome without waiting for this answer, which I will send to Your Highness as soon as I have received it.

5) My position here is becoming very embarrassing and I beg Your Highness not to forget me and to give me His orders as soon as possible.

6) I have the honour of sending herewith to Your Highness the two proclamations of Napoleon to his army in France. I have the honour etc.

Mier.

The proclamations are not cited but according to the author, vary only in details from those in Napoleon's correspondence. Mier actually even received Gallo's reply before sending off this letter to Metternich.

Gallo to Mier

Naples, this 14th of March 1815.

My Lord Count! Having had the honor to submit to the King the note dated the day before yesterday which you did me the honor to address to me: S. M. could not read without surprise that you show concern about the march of His troops towards the frontier when it is known that France gathers considerable forces in Grenoble and Dijon with hostile aims against the King, as the Cabinet of Vienna itself is convinced.

In addition, the extraordinary and unexpected events which are taking place at this moment and which can set the continent ablaze again, are of such a nature as to require that the King be in a position to act for his own preservation, and as a result of the answers which His Majesty impatiently awaits to the overtures which His ministers have been ordered to make to the Cabinet of Vienna.

I have already had the honour of speaking to you about these overtures, as well as about the journey of His Majesty into the provinces and countries occupied by His troops, a journey which was decided upon and announced, as you know, My Lord Count, at the beginning of the winter.

I have no doubt, My Lord Count, that you will find in these clarifications very natural motives for justifying the movements in question.

Please accept the repeated expression of my highest consideration

The Duke of Gallo.

I'm not sure if di Gallo actually expected Mier to believe this.

Mier to Metternich, Postscript

Naples, March 16, 1815.

My Prince!

1) Today at three o'clock in the afternoon I received an invitation from Her Majesty the Queen to come and see her. I hastened to go and found Her Majesty very distressed. The King had just received a letter from Florence from General Pignatelli announcing the arrest of Madame Mère and Princess Pauline by the Commander of our troops at Villa Reggio [correct: Viareggio]; that they were being treated there as state criminals; that one of our officers was always keeping watch over them. The Queen told me that this news had enraged the King, and that she was very saddened by it. I tried to reassure her that there was surely some exaggeration in this report; that I supposed that these ladies having landed at Villa Reggio, the Governor of the Principality of Lucca would have thought it necessary, in the present circumstances, to oblige them to remain there until he received orders concerning them from the Marshal, the Count of Bellegarde; that everyone in his place would have done the same; that moreover I could assure her that these ladies would not be mistreated. The Queen informed me that the King had sent General Filangieri to Marshal Bellegarde to urge him not to oppose the continuation of the journey of these two Princesses to Naples, and that he had charged her to ask me in his name to support this request. I replied that I would do so willingly and that I would take advantage of General Filangieri's departure to write to General Bellegarde, as I did indeed as soon as I got home, and I had my letter delivered to the Queen's Cabinet. This evening Mr. de Gallo gave me the attached note, which I have the honour of bringing to the attention of Your Highness. I confined myself to acknowledging its receipt and to informing him that I had already written on this subject to Marshal Bellegarde at the invitation of Her Majesty the Queen. She must also have addressed His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke of Tuscany to ask him to take an interest in this matter and to try to arrange it in accordance with their request.

The note Mier refers to is not cited, but seems to have repeated Caroline's protest against the way Letizia and Pauline had been treated.

2) I found the Queen very distressed and dismayed at all the King's actions. She repeated to me what she had already told me in this respect, and assured me that she was doing everything in the world to prevent the King's departure, because she foresaw the consequences; that twice in succession he was about to get into a carriage to leave Naples and that she had succeeded in diverting him from it; that in order to persuade Him to give up this journey She had declared to Him that She did not wish to take charge of the regency, or to interfere in any way whatsoever with the affairs of the government in His absence; that if He left She would retire to Portici to live there in the greatest seclusion, and that She did not wish to receive any minister there, and much less to talk to him about business. This statement greatly embarrassed the King; for He knew that in His absence no one was in a position to conduct business but the Queen.

3) She told me how the notes which Your Highness had addressed on February 26th to Campochiaro and on the 25th to Talleyrand had had a bad effect on the King's mind; that in them there was no question of defending the King, but rather the Princes of the House of Austria; that the King believed himself to be on the eve of being sacrificed by our Court. He claims that we have been sparing Him and lulling Him into hope until the moment of a definitive arrangement with the other powers, and that we are now gathering troops in Italy to dictate to Him the rules. The Queen told me that She was far from admitting his ideas, having too high an opinion of the loyalty of the Emperor Francis, but that with the distrustful character of the King it could not be put out of His mind; that these ideas and the appearance of the Emperor Napoleon on the scene at the moment when He believes Himself sacrificed, have turned His head. "He believes that Napoleon's possible successes may help to keep Him on the throne of Naples. You know," she continued, "my opinion in this respect; I do more; I advise the King that if Austria replies that she is determined to oppose the possible successes of the Emperor Napoleon, He should join her, and follow in everything her system and policy. You see that my particular affections and the torment of seeing my family persecuted and covered with disgrace give way to the duties of a mother and those of a Queen of Naples. The King must hold on to a great power which protects Him; if He ventures to fly on His own wings He is lost. I once held to the system of France to the last extremity, because I was convinced that our interests required it. Events have had to change our policy; I have convinced myself that our salvation depends on our intimate union with Austria, and I hold to it with my heart and soul. The Emperor Francis has supported us until now as a loyal ally, and I am sure that He will not abandon us, if we deserve it. It is His duty, His own interests command it." I replied that this was an excellent response. I observed to Her that Austria could not be satisfied with the conduct of the King, mainly in what relates to our Italian provinces and to the affair of the Marches. She tried to defend Him and contradicted several statements I had made in support of my thesis. "But the King's last steps," I said to her, "can only increase our distrust and discontent?" "I fear," she replied, "that they will produce this effect; you know how much I have fought against them; but do not look for much malice in them; it is a spur-of-the-moment move, a foolishness which is repeated and which I hope will not be supported. The King is calmer, more reasonable, and I flatter myself that this state of affairs will continue." She could hardly speak, so weak was she. "You see", she said to me, "in what state my sorrows and the continual debates I have to support have reduced me, I often lose courage. I observed to Her that She would make a well-deserved reproach to herself all her life if at such a decisive moment She allowed herself to become depressed and discouraged, and did not use all her power to prevent false steps. May Your Highness please accept etc.

Mier.

Sort of typical: So the boys made a mess of things, and the one woman around is supposed to reproach herself for not having prevented it.

[valorpg]

>>file number: 625<<

Name: Rosalia Genovese Codename: Bambi Aliases: Rose Greene, Marlene Hampton. Gender: Female Pronouns: She/Her Faceclaim: Bella Heathcote Alternate Faceclaims: Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Alexis Bledel.

history:

Date of Birth: May 21, 1940 (28) Place of Birth: New York City, New York Nationality: American/Italian Occupation: Accountant

early life:

Rosalia Genovese, the youngest child and only daughter of New York mafia kingpin Andrea Genovese and his late wife, was born on May 21st, 1940, fated to forever be under-appreciated and underutilized. Growing up in an immensely wealthy and highly feared family, Rosalia never wanted for anything in terms of material possessions, however, as a girl in a mafia family she never seemed to get the respect that she so yearned for and felt she deserved. Even from a young age, it was obvious that Rosalia was exceptionally bright. From the moment she learned how to read, write, and do simple math she was quickly surpassing her peers left and right - eventually going on to take college-level math courses in place of her high school credits. And while her older brother Lucca, heir to the so-called family business, certainly wasn’t stupid, he was nowhere near the logical and creative mind that his sister was. This drove a rift of resentment between the siblings, for while Rosalia was relegated to menial tasks in aid of the mafia as she grew older, Lucca got all the glory for half the skill.

Eager to get out of the tense environment of the family home, after graduating early from high school at the age of seventeen Rosalia attended Barnard College where she studied economics and mathematics. She went on to graduate magna cum laude in 1961 and through her father’s connections earned a position at a well-respected New York accounting firm. Her newly earned degree incidentally also made her more valuable to the crime syndicate and soon she also took over cooking the Genovese books - keeping the finances in the family, so to speak. Despite her newfound independence, however, she often still finds herself being used as a glorified errand girl - something she found irritating but doable when it was her father asking, but absolutely loathsome as of late now that Lucca is the one barking orders.

Rosalia’s relationship with her father has always lingered somewhere between love and hate. She is fully aware that she’d be making his life easier and doing her duty in his mind by settling down and marrying one of his lackeys, but she’s never been ready to fall over and play dead for him (and moreover, she prefers the company of women to men). Nevertheless, out of sense of (ill-thought out in her mind) loyalty she’s almost always done as he’s asked of her. However, with Lucca now in power, any sense of familial devotion to the mob she’s had in the past is dwindling by the second. She exists as the often ignored, snark-barely-veiled voice of reason when she spends time in the family home, and can only sit by idly and watch as her reckless and idiotic older brother fumbles about desperately trying to prove himself. And if she’s being honest she certainly wouldn’t be heartbroken to see him fail.

A hunger to lead that she thought had died down years ago is beginning to come to the forefront once again, but should the day ever come that an opportunity to take over the family presents itself would she be willing to cut all family ties to finally have the respect and fear she’s lacked for her entire life? Only time will tell.

skill set:

Extreme proficiency in mathematics.

Trained in use of Colt .45 caliber handgun and Beretta RS-200 shotgun.

Minimal training in hand-to-hand combat, but she carries a knife on her person at all times.

Skilled at crossword puzzles.

Extremely charismatic and manipulative.

current movements:

Last Seen: New York City, New York. Report: Rosalia Genovese was seen exiting the Genovese House in Mid-Town and headed towards the Upper East Side to a dry cleaning store. She exited an hour later with three large manila envelopes filled with unknown content. Genovese later entered a clothing store, presumable to drop off the files. She was spotted several hours later on the West Side exiting the Playboy Club, a clubhouse entry card in one hand. It is unknown what happened inside the clubhouse. The next morning, $150,000 was reported stolen from Senator Clive Campbell.

known affiliates:

Lucca Genovese: Rosalia has never exactly been close with her older brother Lucca, but lately the tension between the siblings has grown even frostier now that Lucca is acting boss of the family. She’s always believed that her brother would one day run their dynasty into the ground with his recklessness, but she certainly doesn’t enjoy feeling like an accessory to the crime being forced to run his errands and do his dirty work. 

Della Winters: She was hesitant when Della was hired on by her family at the club. There was something about the woman that irked her, however she has grown to actually really like her and often speaks to her when she can, perhaps more openly than she should.

Lyle Hart: A dirty rat if she ever saw one, while Rosalia knows the family needs him on their side, she doesn’t trust him one bit. Something she has often told Lucca, who continually brushes her off about it.

>>THIS OPERATIVE IS OPEN.<<

[paradoxcase]

So my niece showed up with 28k troops, and I was actually kind of afraid and raised all my levies and called in the king of France (who I recently betrothed to one of my granddaughters), but then the AI was incredibly stupid and split their stack into two and sat one in Genoa and the other moved to Lucca.  But I thought both stacks were going to Genoa because that’s what I’d do, so I accidentally landed some troops in Lucca and they got attacked.  Fortunately there were about 20k guys one county over, and they managed to get to Lucca before the battle ended (I’m sure this would not be possible in reality, but in the game battles can last weeks) and defeated them.  This gave me an obscene amount of warscore and I only had to defeat them one more time and then won.  So that was alright.  The war ended before most of my troops from Hungary could even get within range of an enemy.

But I’m trying to work out what would have happened if she’s won.  The war was over Italy, but I have two other kingdoms and an empire by now.  So she would have gotten the kingdom title, but I would have kept all of my castles (because she, now being merely a queen, wouldn’t be able to vassalize me).  She would probably get all of my vassals in de jure Italy, but none of the other ones.  That kind of sucks, because they provide most of my vassal levies, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world and I would get a claim, and all those vassals would hate her for being a foreign conquerer.  Also, she’s a Premyslid.  The head of the Premyslid family is the king of Bohemia, who’s in the HRE.  His succession law in seniority (oldest male dynasty member inherits).  If my niece died without losing Italy and successfully passed it on to a male Premyslid, probably eventually some Premyslid king of Italy would inherit Bohemia through seniority succession, which would take Bohemia out of the HRE.  Kind of interesting to think about.

[irinache]

Cosimo de' Medici

Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (called 'the Elder' (Italian il Vecchio) and posthumously Father of the Nation (Latin pater patriae); 27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician, the first of the Medici political dynasty, de facto rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance.

Despite his influence, his power was not absolute; Florence's legislative councils at times resisted his proposals, something which would not have been tolerated by the Visconti of Milan, for instance;[1] throughout his life he was always primus inter pares ("first among equals").[2] His power derived from his wealth as a banker, and he was a great patron of learning, the arts and architecture.[3]

Biography Early life and family business Cosimo de' Medici was born in Florence to Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici and his wife Piccarda de' Bueri on 10 April 1389. At the time it was customary to indicate the name of one's father in one's name for the purposes of identification between two like-named individuals; thus Giovanni was the son of Bicci, and Cosimo's name was properly Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici. He had a twin brother, Damiano, who died shortly after birth. The twins were named after the Saints Cosmas and Damian, whose feast day was then celebrated on 27 September; Cosimo would later celebrate his own birthday on that day, rather than on the actual date of his birth.[4] Cosimo also had a brother, Lorenzo the Elder, who was some six years his junior and participated in the family's banking enterprise.

The late medieval mark of the Medici Bank (Banco Medici), used for the authentication of documents. Florenz, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Ms. Panciatichi 71, fol. 1r. Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in banking from his father. Giovanni had gone from being a moneylender to joining the bank of his relative, Vieri di Cambio, before founding his own bank, Medici Bank, around 1397. He had been independently running Vieri's branch in Rome since the dissolution of the latter's bank into three separate and independent entities, and in 1397 he left Rome to return to his home of Florence. Over the next two decades, the Medici Bank opened branches in Rome, Geneva, Venice, and temporarily in Naples; the majority of profits was derived from Rome. The branch manager in Rome was a papal depositario generale, managing Church finances in return for a commission.[5] Cosimo would later expand the bank throughout western Europe, having offices also in London, Pisa, Avignon, Bruges, Milan,[6] and Lübeck,[7] which rendered it the best bank for the business of the papacy; bishoprics would be able to pay their fees into the nearest branch whose manager would then issue a papal license, and the popes could more easily order a variety of wares – such as spices, textiles, and relics – through the bankers' wholesale trade.[7] In fifteen years he would make a profit of 290,791 florins.[6] In 1415, Cosimo allegedly accompanied the Antipope John XXIII at the Council of Constance, and in the same year he was named "Priore of the Republic". Later he acted frequently as ambassador, showing a prudence for which he became renowned. In 1410, Giovanni had lent John XXIII, then simply known as Baldassare Cossa, the money to buy himself into the office of cardinal, which he repaid by making the Medici Bank head of all Papal finances. This gave the Medici family tremendous power, allowing them to threaten defaulting debtors with excommunication, for instance.[8] Misfortune hit the Medici Bank this year when the Council of Constance unseated John XXIII, thus taking away the near monopoly they had held on the finances of the Curia; thereafter the Medici Bank had to compete with other banks. However, after the Spini Bank went insolvent in 1420, they again secured priority.[5] John XXIII, facing the enmity of the council where he had been accused of, among other things, being a pagan, a liar, an oppressor, a thief, lecher, simoniac, and a traitor, was confined by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor to Heidelberg Castle until the Medici paid his ransom and gave him asylum.[9] Giovanni withdrew from the bank in 1420, leaving its leadership to both of his sons. He left them 179,221 florins upon his death in 1429.[10] Two-thirds of this came from the business in Rome, while only a tenth came from Florence; even Venice offered better business than Florence. The brothers would earn two-thirds of the profits from the bank, with the other third going to a partner. Besides the bank, the family owned much land in the area surrounding Florence, including Mugello, the place from which the family originally came.[11] Florentine politics[edit]

Cosimo goes into exile, Palazzo Vecchio. Cosimo's power over Florence stemmed from his wealth, which he used to control votes. As Florence was proud of its "democracy", he pretended to have little political ambition and did not often hold public office. Enea Piccolomini, Bishop of Siena and later Pope Pius II, said of him: Political questions are settled in [Cosimo's] house. The man he chooses holds office... He it is who decides peace and war... He is king in all but name.[12]

Portrait by Jacopo Pontormo; the laurel branch (il Broncone) was a symbol used also by his heirs[13] In 1433 Cosimo's power over Florence, which he exerted without occupying public office, began to look like a menace to the anti-Medici party, led by figures such as Palla Strozzi and the Albizzi family, headed by Rinaldo degli Albizzi: in September of that year he was imprisoned in the Palazzo Vecchio, accused for the failure of the conquest of Lucca, but he managed to turn the jail term into one of exile despite the fact that some, such as Filelfo, demanded his execution,[14] a fate which may have been almost certain without the influence of the monk Ambrogio Traversari.[2] He went to Padua and then to Venice, taking his bank along with him and finding friends and sympathizers wherever he went, especially because of his willingness to accept exile rather than resume the bloody conflicts which had afflicted the streets of Florence from time to time. Venice sent an envoy to Florence on his behalf, requested they rescind the order of banishment. When they refused, Cosimo settled down in Venice, his brother Lorenzo accompanying him. However, prompted by his influence and his money, others followed him, such as the architect Michelozzo, whom Cosimo commissioned to design a library as a gift to the Venetian people;[15] within a year, the flight of capital from Florence was so great that the decree of exile had to be lifted. Cosimo returned a year later in 1434, to greatly influence the government of Florence (especially through the Pitti and Soderini families) and to lead by example for the last 30 years of his life of 75 years.[citation needed] Cosimo's time in exile instilled in him the need to squash the factionalism that resulted in his exile in the first place. In order to do this, Cosimo, with the help of favorable priors in the Signoria, instigated a series of constitutional changes to secure his power through influence. Following the death of Filippo Maria Visconti, who had ruled the Duchy of Milan from 1412 until his death in 1447, Cosimo sent Francesco I Sforza to establish himself in Milan to prevent the impending advance of the Republic of Venice. Francesco Sforza was a condottiere, a mercenary soldier who had stolen land from the papacy and proclaimed himself its lord; he had yearned to establish himself at Milan, as well, an ambition which was aided by the fact that the current Visconti head lacked legitimate children save for a daughter, Bianca, whom Sforza ultimately married in November 1441, after a failed attempt at winning her hand from her father.[16] The resultant balance of power with Milan and Florence on the one side and Venice and the Kingdom of Naples on the other created nearly half a century of peace and allowed the development of the Renaissance in Italy.[17] However, despite the benefits to Florence from keeping Venice at bay, the act was an unpopular one for Cosimo among his fellow citizens, primarily because they were called upon to finance the Sforza succession. The Milanese made a brief attempt at democracy before Sforza finally was acclaimed duke by the city in February 1450.[18]

A posthumous portrait of Contessina de' Bardi, Cosimo's wife, attributed to Cristofano dell'Altissimo, 16th century. In terms of foreign policy, Cosimo worked to create peace in Northern Italy through the creation of a balance of power between Florence, Naples, Venice and Milan during the wars in Lombardy, and discouraging outside powers (notably the French and the Holy Roman Empire) from interfering. In 1439 he was also instrumental in convincing pope Eugene IV to move the Ecumenical council of Ferrara to Florence. The arrival of notable Byzantine figures from the Empire in the East, including Emperor John VIII Palaiologos himself, started the boom of Greek culture and arts in the city.

The floor tomb of Cosimo de' Medici in San Lorenzo, Florence. Family and death[edit] "[Cosimo was] the father of a line of princes, whose name and age are almost synonymous with the restoration of learning; his credit was ennobled into fame; his riches were dedicated to the service of mankind; he corresponded at once with Cairo and London; and a cargo of Indian spices and Greek books were often imported in the same vessel." Edward Gibbon (1880). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Philadelphia: Nottingham Society. pp. 456-457 About 1415, Cosimo married Contessina de' Bardi (the daughter of Giovanni, count of Vernio, and Camilla Pannocchieschi).[19] The wedding was arranged by his father as an effort to reaffirm relations with the long-standing noble Bardi family, who had operated one of the richest banks in Europe until its spectacular collapse in 1345; they nevertheless remained highly influential in the financial sphere. Only part of the Bardi family were involved in this marriage alliance, for some of the branches considered themselves the opponents of the Medici clan.[20] The couple had two sons: Piero the Gouty and Giovanni de' Medici.[21] Cosimo also had an illegitimate son, Carlo, by a Circassian slave, who would go on to become a prelate. On his death in 1464 at Careggi, Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero, father of Lorenzo the Magnificent or Il Magnifico. After Cosimo's death the Signoria awarded him the title Pater Patriae, "Father of the Country", an honor once awarded to Cicero, and had it carved upon his tomb in the Church of San Lorenzo. Patronage[ Cosimo de' Medici used his vast fortune to control the Florentine political system and sponsor a series of artistic accomplishments.[22] Arts

Donatello's David, a Medici commission. Cosimo was also noted for his patronage of culture and the arts during the Renaissance, liberally spending the family fortune (which his astute business sense considerably increased) to enrich Florence. According to Salviati's[disambiguation needed] Zibaldone, Cosimo stated: "All those things have given me the greatest satisfaction and contentment because they are not only for the honor of God but are likewise for my own remembrance. For fifty years, I have done nothing else but earn money and spend money; and it became clear that spending money gives me greater pleasure than earning it."[23] Additionally, his patronage of the arts both recognized and proclaimed the humanistic responsibility of the civic duty that came with wealth.[24] Cosimo hired the young Michelozzo Michelozzi to create what is today perhaps the prototypical Florentine palazzo, the austere and magnificent Palazzo Medici. The building still includes, as its only 15th-century interior that is largely intact, the Magi Chapel frescoed by Benozzo Gozzoli, completed in 1461 with portraits of members of the Medici family parading through Tuscany in the guise of the Three Wise Men. He was a patron and confidante of Fra Angelico, Fra Filippo Lippi, and Donatello, whose famed David and Judith Slaying Holofernes were Medici commissions. Cosimo's patronage enabled the eccentric and bankrupt architect Brunelleschi to complete the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore (the "Duomo") which was perhaps his crowning achievement as sponsor.[citation needed]

Cosimo Pater patriae, Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Libraries[edit] "Cosimo de' Medici... [was] a citizen of rare wisdom and inestimable riches, and therefore most celebrated all over Europe, especially because he had spent over 400,000 ducats in building churches, monasteries and other sumptuous edifices not only in his own country but in many other parts of the world, doing all this with admirable magnificence and truly regal spirit, since he had been more concerned with immortalizing his name than providing for his descendants." Francesco Guicciardini. The History of Italy. Translated by Sidney Alexander. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. p. 60 In 1444, Cosimo de' Medici also founded the first public library in Florence, at San Marco. It was of central importance to the humanist movement in Florence during the Renaissance. It was designed by Michelozzo, a student of Ghiberti who later collaborated with Donatello and was also a good friend and patron to Cosimo. Cosimo contributed the funds necessary to repair the library and provide it with a book collection, which people were allowed to use at no charge. "That Cosimo de'Medici was able to finance the construction of such a site placed him in a privileged position of leadership in the city. He hand-selected those individuals who were given access to this laboratory of learning, and, through this social dynamic, he actively shaped the politics of the Republic."[25] He also commissioned Michelezzo to design a library for his grandson, Lorenzo de' Medici. His first library, however, was designed by Michelozzo while the two were in Venice, where Cosimo had been temporarily exiled. In 1433, in gratitude for the hospitality of that city, he left it a gift of a new library, his only such work outside Florence.[26] His libraries were noted for their Renaissance style of architecture and important artwork. Cosimo had grown up with only three books, but by the time he was thirty his collection had grown to 70 volumes. After being introduced to humanism by a group of humanists who had asked for his help in preserving books, he grew to love the movement and gladly sponsored the effort to renew Greek and Roman civilization through literature. The humanists also engendered in him an interest in the collecting of books. "Heartened by the romantic wanderlust of a true bibliophile, the austere banker even embarked on several journeys in the hunt for books, while guaranteeing just about any undertaking that involved books. He financed trips to nearly every European town as well as to Syria, Egypt, and Greece organized by Poggio Bracciolini, his chief book scout."[26] He engaged 45 copyists under the bookseller Vespasiano da Bisticci to transcribe manuscripts, and paid off the debts of Niccolò de' Niccoli after his death in exchange for control over his collection of some 800 manuscripts valued at around 6,000 florins.[27] Philosophy In the realm of philosophy, Cosimo, influenced by the lectures of Gemistus Plethon, supported Marsilio Ficino and his attempts at reviving Neo-Platonism. Cosimo commissioned Ficino's Latin translation of the complete works of Plato (the first ever complete translation) and collected a vast library which he shared with intellectuals such as Niccolò de' Niccoli and Leonardo Bruni.[28] He also established a Platonic Academy in Florence in 1445 for the study of Plato.[29] He provided his grandson, Lorenzo il Magnifico, with an education in the studia humanitatis. Cosimo had an inestimable influence on Renaissance intellectual life, diminishing the influence of Scholasticism with his financing of the reintroduction of the Greek classics.[citation needed] Fictional depictions[edit] A young Cosimo is portrayed by Richard Madden in the television series Medici: Masters of Florence. [30] See also[edit] Republic of Florence Italian Renaissance Medici Bank House of Medici History of Florence Lorenzo di Giovanni de' Medici Villa Medici at Cafaggiolo

[jasmineleeplays]

Queen Matilda's grandson and heir, Count Goffredo III of Bouillon has reached the age of majority and became a Grey Eminence under her tutelage. In addition, he is Trusting, Compassionate, Fickle, Lustful, Contrite and Beautiful, having once been a Curious child. Overall, he is good in Diplomacy, terrible at Intrigue and average at everything else.

Speaking of heirs and succession, while travelling back from a neighbour's hunt, Queen Matilda encounters a danger event where her Caravan Master Arcibaldo has failed to properly store provisions leaving her entourage hungry. We select "Nature will provide for us!" with a 1% chance of Queen Matilda dying from eating the worst plant, but of course we have no such luck and she survives.

Upon reaching home, Queen Matilda immediately declares war against Count Claudio of Ravenna for the Counties of Ravenna and Casentino in order to reclaim the missing peninsula territory and unify Italy. It doesn't help that Count Claudio is a recent convert to the Waldensian heresy - another reason to rid of him.

After 5 long years, the Liberty War waged by the Greek vassals of the Byzantine Empire finally ends in defeat for Basileus Eusebios "the Hawk" of the Byzantine Empire and his allies. As Queen Matilda was one of those allies, she receives the Defeat message.

After just 7 months of sieging Count Claudio's lands, the counties of Ravenna and Casentino fall to Queen Matilda.

Meanwhile, Queen Matilda joins her liege's Holy War for the County of Labda, the Duke of Calabria's conquered overseas territory and considered now part of Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. Here, we are battling High Chieftain Musa of Cyrenaica at the Battle of Castrogiovanni.

The "di Lucca" Dynasty sigil gains more prominence amongst Italian nobility. At the same time, Queen Matilda's friend, Duke Hartmann of Bar gifts her "Mittens' Pelt", the tanned hide of his beloved deceased cat, Mittens.

Queen Matilda's liege, Kaiser Konrad II is very superstitious. So she finally snaps and shows him the error of his ways and manages to persuade Kaiser Konrad to abandon his superstitions, gaining a Weak Hook on him in the process. The hook however, can barely be used for anything, as all his Council positions are filled with fellow vassals who have used a hook on him already.

[jasmineleeplays]

It turns out that Queen Matilda's eldest granddaughter, Anna di Canossa is a Homosexual (lesbian) and developed a crush on Giuseppa Pannocchieschi - the daughter of our deceased Accclaimed Knight Raimondo - who is a Bisexual herself.

We also discover that Queen Matilda's courtier, Elianora de Lacon-Gunale, the Giant is an Asexual, one of the rarer sexual orientations in the game.

The war on the Taifa of Mayurqa rages on with 2 sieges, then we enter the Battle of Alcudia, which we handily trounce their severely underpowered troops. Just like that, we take the Duchy title and vassalise Count Ali "the Honest" and Count Abbas, Muslims who now swear fealty to a Catholic Queen.

With the Duchy of Mallorca title (previously Taifa of Mayurqa) under Queen Matilda's control, she is able to take the decision to Secure the Mediterranean which gives House Canossa "Masters of the Mediterranean" house modifier, a Mediterranean Conquest Casus Belli and the Kingdom of Baleo-Tyrrhenia title.

At the same time, Dynasty Lucca unlocks another Dynasty Legacy - this time we choose Noble Veins, the first legacy of the Blood track to get that good Congenital Trait inheritance going in our dynasty.

We finally are able to receive an invitation to a Grand Tournament, when previously there was a bug where we can't join nearby realm Grand Tournaments. This time, we are invited to join Countess Hedwig of Gottingen's Grand Tournament in Kassel within the Duchy of Angria in the HRE. Queen Matilda immediately sets out with her entourage to represent House Canossa and the Italian people in the competition.

Meanwhile, Queen Matilda's new Clan vassals (the Muslims) require a Tax Collector to oversee their payable taxes to the crown. So we hire Martina Pontio's husband, Jaromir z Divisova who has excellent aptitude.

Count Ali II "the Honest" of Yabisa resisted conversion to Catholicism, requesting to be paid a sum of 200+ gold before converting, which gives Queen Matilda an imprisonment reason. We will get back to his impending imprisonment after Queen Matilda returns to Firenze from the Grand Tournament.

[jasmineleeplays]

Our dynasty member (Dynasty Lucca) of House Parma, Countess Matilda III of Arezzo gets matrilineally betrothed to Queen Matilda's stepson, Ralph de Penthievre, the blind Court Poet. We have to do some dynasty management in order to maintain power and lineage.

The Primary Heir to the Basileus of the Byzantine Empire, Prince Eusebios of the Byzantine Empire (who is quite good looking) at age 12, gets match-made with Queen Matilda's granddaughter, Anna di Canossa, age 9.

With the previous Podesta of Urbino, Mariano "the Historian" finally dead at age 80+, it is time to declare war on the new Podesta, Podesta Gianfranco of Urbino.

We quickly lay waste to his 500+ troops, with Queen Matilda personally leading her own 1500+ Men-at-Arms by donning her Burnished Scale Armor and wielding her Old Faithful (Fine Sword).

After the war is over, we grant the County of Urbino to Count Manfredo of Urbino, the new husband of Countess Raingarda Lantpertidi, so that they will make babies who will inherit the Prize Mail that Countess Raingarda has in her possession.

[jasmineleeplays]

Our Dynasty (Lucca) member, Duchess Giuditta di Oberto of Jerid, was granted the Duchy of Jerid as a reward for House Parma's contribution to the Crusade for Africa. This reward would be short-lived however, as Duchess Giuditta's primary heir is a daughter of a different house and dynasty (Orsini).

Queen Matilda's knight, Altfrid Brunswick, finally finishes his Inspiration and produced an Illustrious Armor named Burnished Scale Armor which gives +11 Prowess.

[jasmineleeplays]

2 out of 3 of King Ribald's adult sons arrives at Queen Matilda's court unannounced after wandering around as guests in other courts for awhile.

One of his sons is Ralph mab Ribald de Penthievre, a blind poet whom Queen Matilda appoints as a Court Poet. The other is Raynaud mab Ribald de Penthievre whom we marry with a Genius Salian named Ingeltrude and plan to land when Queen Matilda has conquered another county.

Meanwhile, the Faction to Install Duke Konrad of Luxembourg on the Holy Roman Throne kicks off with a whooping 19 members participating. It seems a lot of people are unhappy with having a child and foreigner (Hungarian) Emperor on the throne. As Regent, Queen Matilda chooses to diplomatically not involve herself with either side.

Queen Matilda's dynasty member (House Parma) and vassal, Countess Matilda II of Arezzo has grown up and we ensure she marries matrilineally to Luitgard von Eppenstein, Queen Matilda's one-time crown maker.

In order to get the achievement "Give a Dog a Bone", we are playing the long game to ensure each dynasty member of Dynasty Lucca produces children of our dynasty until we reach 50 dynasty members.

Queen Matilda begins to make headway on the main island of Sardinia, vassalizing Judike Constantinu of Gallura after gifting him 100 gold.

While being pulled into an overseas Holy War against the Muslims in North Africa by Duke Guy of Calabria (Duke Robert "the Fox" of Apulia's 2nd son), Queen Matilda became ill and immediately summoned her Court Physician Bianca Savazzi to treat her. Bianca levelled up her Physician trait to become a Renowned Physician after successfully treating Queen Matilda with a potion remedy that gives her Reduced Disease Symptoms.

Duke Konrad of Luxembourg ousted Emperor Zoltan in a Faction-led war to become Kaiser Konrad II of the Holy Roman Empire again. This is the 6th time there has been a change in Queen Matilda's liege. Shortly thereafter, Kaiser Konrad appoints Queen Matilda as Steward of the HRE.

Finally, Prince Goffredo and Countess Tatyana produce a daughter named Anna di Canossa who is Quick. Queen Matilda offers to take her granddaughter in as her ward and Prince Goffredo accedes.