Bindo Altoviti
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Bindo Altoviti (26 November 1491 – 22 January 1557) of the Altoviti family was an Italian banker and one of the most influential papal bankers of his generation. A patron of the arts, he cultivated close friendships with artists such as Benvenuto Cellini,
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
,
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
and
Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculpt ...
. His father was Antonio Altoviti, the papal Master of the Mint, and his mother was La Papessa Dianora Altoviti, niece of
Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...
. One of his direct descendants was Pope Clement XII.


Life and career

Bindo Altoviti was born in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
in 1491 to Antonio, a Florentine nobleman, and to Dianora di Clarenza Cibo, Pope Innocent VIII's niece. Little is known about his youth or early education. As the Altoviti had blood ties with the houses of Cybo and Medici, and alliances with the della Rovere, Pope Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere) became a mentor to Bindo, as he was to his later papal successors Leo X (Giovanni de' Medici) and Clemente VII (Giulio de' Medici). Bindo was included among the young noblemen educated at the papal court, where he was in attendance on the hostage Federico Gonzaga, the son of Isabella d’Este and future
duke of Mantua During its history as independent entity, Mantua had different rulers who governed on the city and the lands of Mantua from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. From 970 to 1115, the Counts of Mantua were members of the House of Canoss ...
. During those years, he was also introduced to
Bramante Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style ...
,
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
, and
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
. At this time, the Altoviti family had strong Republican leanings. Bindo became known not for just being a dashing young aristocrat, who had more to his credit than good looks, but was possibly prepared to risk wealth and power for his ideals. He married Fiammetta Soderini, niece of
Piero Soderini Piero di Tommaso Soderini (March 17, 1451 – June 13, 1522) also known as Pier Soderini, was an Italian statesman of the Republic of Florence. Biography Soderini was born in Florence to Tommaso di Lorenzo Soderini, a member of an old family ...
, head of the Florentine government who had, together with his second chancellor
Niccolò Machiavelli Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli ( , , ; 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527), occasionally rendered in English as Nicholas Machiavel ( , ; see below), was an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who lived during the Renaissance. ...
, unsuccessfully raised an army of national militia to defend Florence against the return of the Medici. However, remaining loyal to family, Bindo's career flourished under Leo X and Clemente VII. From the documents in the
Vatican archives The Vatican Apostolic Archive ( la, Archivum Apostolicum Vaticanum; it, Archivio Apostolico Vaticano), formerly known as the Vatican Secret Archive, is the central repository in the Vatican City of all acts promulgated by the Holy See. The Pont ...
, it is possible to trace Bindo’s rise to prominence as a banker. Respected at the papal court, he contributed to the festivities of Leo X. He established partnerships with the Spinelli, Ricci,
Pucci Pucci may refer to: *Members of the Pucci family, a major Florentine political family ** Antonio di Puccio Pucci (c. 1350–1416), Florentine politician and architect **Puccio Pucci (politician) (1389–1449), Florentine politician, son of Antonio ...
and
Ruspoli The House of Ruspoli is historically one of the great aristocratic families of Rome, but is originally from Florence. Following World War II and the fall of Fascism, the newly established Italian Republic officially abolished titles and hereditary ...
, promoting the career of Bartolomeo Ruspoli, who was related to cardinal Niccolò Ardinghelli, an influential member of the Farnese faction and an intimate associate of Alessandro Farnese, future Pope Paul III. After the death of his banking rival
Agostino Chigi Agostino Andrea Chigi (29 November 1466 – April 11, 1520) was an Italian banker and patron of the Renaissance. Born in Siena, he was the son of the prominent banker Mariano Chigi, a member of the ancient and illustrious Chigi family. He moved ...
and the
sack of Rome in 1527 The Sack of Rome, then part of the Papal States, followed the capture of the city on 6 May 1527 by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor during the War of the League of Cognac. Despite not being ordered to storm the city, wit ...
, only a few very solid banks had the capital to prevent economic chaos. Competing with fierce Genoese bankers and the Germans Fugger and
Welser Welser was a German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers to the Habsburgs and financiers of C ...
, the Strozzi, Salviati and Altoviti became the leading Florentine and Papal curia bankers, given the opportunity to participate in massive credit transactions, controlling an enlarging sphere of papal finance. Bindo was appointed as Depository-General, the leading banker of the
Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
and chief commissioner for collecting taxes, mainly allocated for the reconstruction of
St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
. He gradually expanded and diversified his financial activities, established branches of the Altoviti Bank in foreign money markets such as France, the Netherlands and England. Among his clients were Duke Charles III of Savoy and King
Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...
and by shrewd political and financial acumen he amassed one of the largest private fortunes in Italy.His later life and wealth were centered on the Eternal City rather than Florence, but he still followed, and often intervened directly in, the political affairs of his Florentine home. The link was strong between the Altoviti and Strozzi families, dictated not only by kinship but also by political affiliation. He and wealthy businessman Filippo Strozzi ''the Younger'' financed the troops of Emperor Charles V and the siege of Florence in order to restore Medici rule. Victorious in the
Battle of Gavinana The Battle of Gavinana was a battle in the War of the League of Cognac. It was fought on 3 August 1530 between the city of Florence and the army of the Holy Roman Empire. History The Imperial forces were led by Philibert of Châlon, Prince of ...
, Alessandro de' Medici, the illegitimate son of duke
Lorenzo II de' Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 12 September 1492 – 4 May 1519) was the ruler of Florence from 1516 until his death in 1519. He was also Duke of Urbino during the same period. His daughter Catherine de' Medici became Queen Consort of Fran ...
—though others believe he was in fact the son of Clement VII) and brother of Caterine de' Medici—became Duke of Florence and named Bindo as ducal counsel to public office. After the death of his cousin and rival
Ippolito de' Medici Ippolito de' Medici (March 1511 – 10 August 1535) was the only son of Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, born out-of-wedlock to his mistress Pacifica Brandano. Biography Ippolito was born in Urbino. His father died when he was only five (1516), a ...
, Duke Alessandro had a falling-out with Filippo Strozzi, who had been, together with his wife Clarice de' Medici, the guardians of Catherine de' Medici after her father's death. Filippo Strozzi had conspired with Ippolito de' Medici to remove Alessandro from power. When Alessandro was assassinated by
Lorenzino de' Medici Lorenzino de' Medici (23 March 1514 – 26 February 1548), also known as Lorenzaccio, was an Italian politician, writer, and dramatist, and a member of the Medici family. He became famous for assassinating his cousin, Alessandro de' Medici, Duk ...
, Bindo found himself with a dilemma, torn between various family factions, political and financial interests. On one hand, he was the uncle of the assassin and gave Lorenzino money and advice how to escape, but on the other he was affiliated to the senior branch of the Medici. He chose to side with queen Catherine de' Medici (who was an enemy of her cousin Cosimo and had come to terms with Filippo Strozzi) and Paul III, whose grandson
Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma Ottavio Farnese (9 October 1524 – 18 September 1586) reigned as Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1547 until his death and Duke of Castro from 1545 to 1547 and from 1553 until his death. Biography Born in Valentano, Ottavio was the second ...
married Margaret of Austria, the illegitimate daughter of Charles V and widow of Alessandro de' Medici. In the wake of these events, Bindo became one of the leaders of the Florentine exiles in Rome. He provided major financial backing to the army of the Florentine exiles led by Filippo Strozzi. Defeated at the
battle of Montemurlo On 1 or 2 August 1537 (both dates are given in sources), near the Tuscan village of Montemurlo, the forces of the newly installed Duke Cosimo I of Florence defeated a hastily organized army of those who wished to overthrow the Medici and restor ...
, Filippo was captured, tortured and committed suicide in prison. Nonetheless, the new duke,
Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...
and the banker could not remain at odds for long. Cosimo's aunts, Cassandra Altoviti and Maria de' Medici Soderini, who was Bindo's sister-in-law, advised them to reconcile and Cosimo turned to the Altoviti Bank for considerable sums of money. Cosimo, careful to consolidate the alliances of his recent power, appointed Bindo Florentine consul in Rome, later senator, moves which kept him out of Florence but in no way mitigated their once again rising mutual contempt. Paul III and Bindo backed
Giulio Cybo Giulio I Cybo-Malaspina (1525 – 18 May 1548) (or Cibo) was an Italian noble from Genoa who was marquis of Massa and lord of Carrara from 1546 until 1548. Born in Rome, he was the son of Ricciarda Malaspina, duchess of Massa and Carrara and L ...
in Genoa and Filippo Strozzi's son
Piero Strozzi Piero (or Pietro) Strozzi (c. 1510 – 21 June 1558) was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi. Biography left, Portrait of Piero Strozzi Born in Florence, Piero Strozzi was the son of Fili ...
, who like his father was no real champion of Florentine liberties but had his own ambitions to secure greater power for his family. During the war of Siena, Bindo fitted out five companies of three thousand infantry, captained by his son Giambattista Altoviti, to join the rebel army. After their defeat in the
Battle of Marciano The Battle of Marciano (also known as the Battle of Scannagallo) occurred in the countryside of Marciano della Chiana, near Arezzo, Tuscany, on August 2, 1554, during the Italian War of 1551. The battle marked the defeat of the Republic of Sie ...
, Piero Strozzi fled to France to the court of Catherine de' Medici. Many members of the Strozzi and Soderini families were exiled, imprisoned or declared rebels. Cosimo declared Bindo a rebel and confiscated all his property in Tuscany, including Raphael's
Madonna dell'Impannata The ''Madonna dell'Impannata'' is an oil on panel (158x125 cm) painting by the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael, executed ''c.'' 1513–1514. It has been preserved at the Palatine Gallery in Florence. History Giorgio Vasari recorded th ...
, which he took for his private chapel in the
Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...
. However, Bindo was still protected by his patrons Paul III and
Pope Julius III Pope Julius III ( la, Iulius PP. III; it, Giulio III; 10 September 1487 – 23 March 1555), born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 February 1550 to his death in March 155 ...
. In fact, he was the recipient of many favors and able to develop a complex financial empire, centered on various papal enterprises, ultimately rising to become one of the most influential bankers of his generation. He continued to support the exiles and the royal
House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the List of French monarchs, French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589 ...
of France. He gave a substantial loan to Catherine de' Medici's husband, King Henry II of France, hoping that the king would move against Florence, in the end he did not, because of his military commitments against England and Spain. Bindo died in 1557, still confident of the liberation of Florence. With the hope of bringing his remains back to Florence, his family had erected a funeral monument in the church of Santi Apostoli, which remained vacant. Instead he was buried in the family chapel in the church of Santa Trinità dei Monte in Rome.


Patron of the arts

Like other Florentines who provided loans to the popes in exchange for the rights to papal revenues, Bindo prospered. He enjoyed the financial resources to undertake extensive renovations to the properties he inherited from his father and his suburban villa on the Tiber, and to indulge a growing passion for art. Known for, and endowed with, a strong taste for art, he became a patron of the arts and friend to
Cellini Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...
,
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
,
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
and
Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculpt ...
. Immortalized in the portrait by Raphael, he gave sanctuary to Michelangelo when he fled from Florence to Rome. Michelangelo had such a high esteem for Bindo, while he despised his rival Agostino Chigi, that he gave him as a gift the cartoon of Noah's Blessing (lost), used for the fresco in the vault of the
Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its name ...
as well as a drawing of a Venus (lost) colored by Vasari. It was also Michelangelo who convinced Bindo not to rebuild, but to preserve, the Santi Apostoli church. Vasari painted the Allegory of the Immaculate Conception for the family chapel. When in Rome, Vasari also used to stay at the Palazzo Altoviti where he frescoed the Triumph of Ceres. When the palazzo was demolished in order to create the Tiber's embankments, the frescos were removed and are now shown in the National Museum of Palazzo Venezia. For Bindo's suburban villa Vasari frescoed a vast loggia called the Vineyard, decorated with statues and burial marbles from Emperor Hadrian's
Villa Adriana Hadrian's Villa ( it, Villa Adriana) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the ruins and archaeological remains of a large villa complex built c. AD 120 by Roman Emperor Hadrian at Tivoli outside Rome. The site is owned by the Republic of I ...
.
Andrea Sansovino Andrea dal Monte Sansovino or Andrea Contucci del Monte San Savino (1529) was an Italian sculptor active during the High Renaissance. His pupils include Jacopo Sansovino (no relation). Biography He was the son of Domenico Contucci of Monte S ...
also gave Bindo as a gift a terracotta model of the statue of St. James he sculpted for the Duomo in Florence.


Descendants

Bindo's son Giovanni Battista Altoviti married Clarice Ridolfi, daughter of Lorenzo Ridolfi, grandson of Lorenzo ''il Magnifico'' di Medici and
Clarice Orsini Clarice Orsini (1453–1488) was the daughter of Iacopo Orsini, and his wife and cousin Maddalena Orsini both from the Orsini family, a great Roman noble house and was the wife of Lorenzo de' Medici. Life Clarice and Lorenzo married 4 June ...
, bringing about a reconciliation between the houses of Altoviti, Medici and Strozzi. This made it possible for Bindo's other son, Archbishop of Florence Antonio Altoviti, finally to live in his bishopric. Giovanni Battista himself remained a banker in Rome, was twice consul of the Nazione Fiorentina, and exercised, under
Pius V Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...
, the offices of an apostolic general and the Depositario dell'Abbondanza. Marietta Altoviti married Giambattista Strozzi, which also strengthened the linke between the houses of Strozzi and Medici. Their descendants became the Strozzi dukes of Bagnolo and princes of Forano, the Corsini princes of Sismano, dukes of Casigliano and Civitella, and most prominent Pope Clement XII. Their granddaughter Lucrezia Maria Strozzi married Prince Aleksander Ludwik Radziwiłł, Voivode of Polock,
Grand Marshal of Lithuania Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and co ...
and member of the Radziwiłł family,
magnates of Poland and Lithuania The magnates of Poland and Lithuania () were an aristocracy of Polish-Lithuanian nobility ('' szlachta'') that existed in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and, from the 1569 Union of Lublin, in the Polish–Lit ...
. Prince Anton Radziwiłł was the husband of Louise of Prussia. The couple were important patrons of the arts in Berlin during the 19th century. Their later heir Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł was married to Caroline Lee Radziwill, sister of the late First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and sister-in-law of
President John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until assassination of Joh ...
.


References

{{Authority control 1491 births 1557 deaths 16th-century people of the Republic of Florence Italian bankers 16th-century Italian businesspeople