by Stefano Cannas

It was 1434 when the Medici family, represented at the time by Cosimo The Elder, rose to a position of power in Tuscany. Starting from that moment, throughout the centuries, the Medici family has been associated with the Renaissance.

Nonetheless, those were times of war and maintaining that power for so many years (the Medici ruled almost continuously until 1737) was definitely a difficult matter. That's the reason why, especially during the XVI century at the hand of Cosimo I, the Medici territories underwent a process of heavy militarisation: among other things, massive and impressive fortresses were erected all around Tuscany, spectacular buildings that deserve to be mentioned when discussing the greatness of the family we all love and thank.

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Source: http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/