It was after my recent course about churches in Goa that got me interested in church architecture. I remember gazing at the lantern dome at St Cajetan and thinking of the life during the construction of the beautiful St Peter’s Cathedral at the Vatican.
It was during a random browsing session that I came across the name of Medicis, along with those of Michelangelo and Brunelleschi. I remembered coming across the Medici name in Reign, another series I was watching on Amazon Prime.
Medicis, once upon a time were the richest family in the whole of Europe. They bore excellent ties with the Vatican, keeping both the nobles and the poor in their favour. This series is about the second Medici in the clan.
The series begins with the death of Giovanni de Medici by poisoning. The two brothers, the sons of Giovanni, are not the closest of brothers. Cosimo, the heir to the Medici family, takes it upon himself to hunt down his father’s killer and punish him.
During the course of the series, you get to know Cosimo better. The beauty and the grandeur of Florence is portrayed with distinct poise. An architecture lover is especially going to love the series just for the beautiful setting.
Cosimo was born an artist who had to take up banking to pile up Medici money and take his generation forward. But he does not let the artist in him die. He builds the dome of Florence cathedral which was meant to the greatest architectural/engineering achievement in the city. A dome of that span and height was unthinkable until he discovered the gem of an architect Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi has carved a name for himself in architecture text books. There are several other artists that are often spoken about in the series, to artists’ delight.
Apart from the significant art and architectural description, the series also describes the Medici family to the utmost precision. The slow build of finance with the staggering support of the locals was an impressive work. The era is relived via this series. It is like traveling back in time.
Richard Madden has proved himself in Game of Thrones but one will see him here in a new light. Annabel Scholey is at her best too. But you cannot help but fall for Piero- ‘Alessandro Sperduti’. His slow but significant rise in the signoria towards the end will leave you spellbound.
Medici: Masters of Florence is a historical drama worth watching. You will find yourself wanting more.