'Medici': Everything that happened in Season 2 and how that will affect what comes in Season 3
The Medici family was one of the most influential families in 20th Century Europe. The family served as bankers for the Vatican and ended up becoming one of the biggest political dynasties in the world at the time.
The British-Italian series, 'Medici' chronicles some of the most defining events in the Medici family history.
In Season 1 — which starred Dustin Hoffman as Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici and Richard Madden as Cosimo de' Medici — the start of the Medici family's might is shown when the new Pope is a candidate supported by them in the year 1429.
So begins the unparalleled economic power of the Medicis. Along with this, we are also shown how Cosimo's interest in art and architecture also shaped Florence's landscape.
This also sets up how the Medici family supported some of the greatest artists ever known to mankind, including Michaelangelo, Botticelli and even Leonardo da Vinci.
Season 2 of 'Medici' saw a different cast with Daniel Sharman playing Lorenzo de' Medici and Bradley James playing Giuliano de' Medici. Lorenzo and Giuliano were Cosimo's grandsons. The main plot of Season 2 of the show revolved around the Pazzi conspiracy which took place in 1478.
By 1478, the Medicis had become one of the most powerful families not just in Italy, but also in Europe and by that virtue, the world. The Pazzi family — rivals to the Medicis and also another banking family — plotted to overthrow the Medicis and take their power, but their plot was unsuccessful.
Sean Bean played Jacopo de' Pazzi, the lead conspirator who instigated his nephew Francesco de' Pazzi (Matteo Martari) — who was once Lorenzo's friend — and Francesco Salviati, the archbishop of Pisa to lead an assassination attempt on the Medici brothers.
In the Season 2 finale, we saw this come to fruition as Giuliano is assassinated. However, Lorenzo is able to stop the rest of the conspirators and hangs Jacopo, Francesco and Salviati in retaliation for what was done.
This began a two-year war with the papacy which is what Season 3 will depict. The Vatican — in an effort to turn the people of Florence against the Medici family once and for all — excommunicated Florence.
One of the leading figures against the Medici was Girolami Riario, who was also one of the conspirators during the Pazzi conspiracy. Riario was then the Lord of Imola and he wanted to become the Lord of Florence as well.
Throughout his life, he promoted several other plots against the Medici family. He was later assassinated in 1488 by another family he had a dispute with.
Lorenzo de' Medici came out of the Pazzi conspiracy and the war with the Vatican stronger than before — now, more than ever, his people supported him and his power was consolidated.
Season 3 will also see the arrival of Giulio de' Medici, Giuliano's bastard son. Though the elder de' Medici brother might have been hesitant to accept the boy as his brother's child, history tells us that Lorenzo raised Giulio as his own son. Giulio has an even bigger role in history — he went on to become Pope Clement VII.
All episodes of Season 3 of 'Medici' will be available to stream on Netflix on May 1.
