logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
42m 27s

Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent

History Hit
About this episode

All this month, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is taking a deep dive into the complex and controversial House of Medici, which left an indelible mark on Western civilisation.


In this second episode, Suzannah talks to Dr. Alexander Lee about Lorenzo de’ Medici, the consummate Renaissance man. But Machiavelli portrayed him as a cunning and ambitious ruler, purely self serving in pursuit of personal power. So what should we make of Lorenzo, whose life and achievements left such an indelible mark on Florence and the cultural landscape of Italy that it earned him the title Il Magnifico?


Not Just the Tudors is presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Ella Blaxill and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.


Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’


You can take part in our listener survey here >


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Witchfinder General
In the aftermath of the Civil War, a remote corner of Essex witnessed the most brutally devastating witch-hunt in English history. A dangerous maverick Matthew Hopkins - the 'Witchfinder General' - hunted down vulnerable people across East Anglia, exploiting the anxiety and lawle ... Show More
36m 20s
Oct 26
How Persia Influenced Elizabeth I
Could an ancient Persian drama have stopped Mary, Queen of Scots from being executed?When Queen Elizabeth I faced an agonising dilemma over her captive cousin, a performance about Cyrus the Great offered her a provocative lesson: executing an anointed monarch risked shattering di ... Show More
47m 23s
Oct 22
Thomas, Oliver and the Cromwell Dynasty
From Thomas Cromwell's rise under Henry VIII to Oliver Cromwell’s rule as Lord Protector, how did the faith, ambition, and power of one family shape the course of British history?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr Miranda Malins to unravel the extraordinary saga and lega ... Show More
52m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2025
573. The Medici: Lorenzo the Magnificent (Part 2)
Who was Lorenzo the Magnificent, the most glamorous, glittering, and blood-soaked of all the Medici, who became his family’s formidable but compulsive “Godfather” from the age of only twenty one? What was the Pazzi Conspiracy, in which he was almost murdered in a bloody plot to e ... Show More
57m 16s
Oct 2017
The Medici
Historian and author Mary Hollingsworth reflects on the powerful dynasty who dominated the Italian Renaissance but whose tale also includes tyranny, crime and murder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice ... Show More
32m 47s
Jun 2025
574. The Medici: Curse of the Mad Monk (Part 3)
Did Lorenzo de’Medici’s rule in Florence incur prosperity, or was it a corrupt and autocratic regime, rife with torture, that would spell the doom of the former Republic? While building an edifice of power, wealth and luxury, how was he secretly bankrupting his famous family and ... Show More
59m 33s
Jun 2025
575. The Medici: The Bonfire of the Vanities (Part 4)
Following the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was his Medici successor? Could he overcome the political turmoil and religious fervour in Florence, and rebuff the storm clouds of war gathering over his city with the approaching French army? How did this burgeoning catastroph ... Show More
1h 9m
Jun 2025
572. The Medici: Masters of Florence (Part 1)
What are the origins of one of history’s most glittering, and for a time, most powerful families in Europe; the Medici? How were they able to seize supreme power in the Republic of Florence , one of the most dazzling cities in the world, during the 15th century, at the height of ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 2020
A Renaissance Woman: Isabella d'Este
In this episode I discuss the biography of Isabella d'Este, the Marchesa of Mantua. We will discuss topics including epistolary etiquette, warfare on the Italian peninsula, the Borgias, Leonardo da Vinci, and the rule of a woman consort during the Renaissance. Thank you for liste ... Show More
37m 25s
Apr 2021
Not Just the Tudors
When thinking about the 16th century the Tudor dynasty often comes to the fore, but the was so much more to this extraordinary period to be explored. In celebration of the launch of her new History Hit podcast, Professor Suzannah Lipscombe joins Dan to discuss all things <a href= ... Show More
32m 14s
May 2021
The Story Behind Machiavelli's Philosophy - Dr Alexander Lee - #321
Alexander Lee is a renaissance historian at the University of Warwick and an author. Niccolo Machiavelli is one of the most famous political philosophers of all time. His work is often considered ruthless, brutal and manipulative, but who was the man behind the words? Alexander h ... Show More
1h 1m