Lorenzo de Medici's Wardrobe and Jewelry

by Vangelista di Antonio Dellaluna

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492) was one of the most famous men of his time. Certainly he was one of the most wealthy and powerful. He ruled Florence from 1469-1492, one of the most remarkable periods in history.

So how did a boy of his station go through life? He had an Uccello painting on his wall, Donatello statues in his garden. He learned Greek and Latin, his curiosity aroused by courtyard sculptures reproducing ancient cameos. His chapel had a Gozzoli fresco adorning its walls (the famous Cavalcade of the Magi). The young Lorenzo slept on a canopied bed covered in gold-embroidered quilts, with velvet and silk tapestries on his walls. Somehow he kept his head despite all these trappings.

He became a fairly good pupil, memorizing Ovid and Aristotle in their original languages in his early teens. He learned philosophy by the very best teachers of his day. Despite his intelligence, studying was not his love. Sports had already captured his heart. He loved horseback riding, jousting, hunting, drinking, and singing. He was regarding as the life of the party; he was immensely popular. He was also very brave and quick-witted, saving his father's life from assassins' blades when he was only 17.

You might imagine from all this that Lorenzo's attire matched his station. At one joust, his brother, Guliano, is said to have worn:

    a silk doublet embroidered in pearls and silver. His black velvet cap was
    adorned with three feathers worked in gold thread, and set in pearls and 
    rubies.

Lorenzo himself wore:

    a surcoat with puffings of red and white silk at the shoulders, and over 
    the surcoat a broad silk scarf embroidered with roses, some fresh, some
    withered, with the motto "Le Temps Revient" [Time Returns], picked out 
    upon the scarf in pearls. His black velvet cap was studded with pearls,
    and from it sprang a feather of gold thread, spangled with rubies and
    diamonds...

Lorenzo got married in June 1469 to a nice Roman girl, Clarice Orsini (from an exquisitely powerful and influential family). Naturally, the wedding garb was sumptuous. The bride wore a gown of gold and white brocade, with details, alas, not available. The Medici palace was a riot of opulence, adorned with ermine and Oriental rugs, lit brightly with thousands of real wax candles.

More to come...

This page last updated: July 10, 2009

All text copyright Vangelista di Antonio Dellaluna, except where otherwise noted. All portraits are understood to be copyright- free and are presented as research aids only.