Medici's

Just finished Medici book section on Cosimo. He seems to be the one that really launched the family as a cultural catalyst--they already had a pretty big banking business though he also took that to new levels. He had a strong appreciation for the Classics, and was a big backer of the arts. Donatello one example of an artist that he supported in a big way...seems like others didn't appreciate him much, one funny story of a businessperson who wanted to pay Donatello a florin per day or something like that. D. gets upset, knocks the statue off a railing and breaks it.

Not much in this part at least of bringing artists/thinkers together...more "bilateral" support from Cosimo...that comes later?