内容简介


The remarkable story of the Renaissance's preeminent financiers.

Their name is a byword for immense wealth and power, but before their renown as art patrons and noblemen the Medicis built their fortune on banking—specifically, on lending money at interest. Banking in the fifteenth century, even at the height of the Renaissance, meant running afoul of the Catholic Church's prohibition against usury. It required more than merely financial skills to make a profit, and the legendary Medicis—most famously Cosimo and Lorenzo ("the Magnificent")—were masterly in wielding the political, diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools that were needed to maintain their family's position.

In this brisk and witty narrative, Tim Parks uncovers the intrigues, dodges, and moral qualities that gave the Medicis their edge. Vividly evoking the richness of the Florentine Renaissance and the Medicis' glittering circle, replete with artists, popes, and kings, Medici Money is a brilliant look into the origins of modern banking and its troubled relationship with art and religion. 14 illustrations.

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  • 牙齿酷酷猫
    2011春从图书馆借阅。作者并非历史学家,写出这样的书实属不易,然而细节上不很严密,史料观点也没有超出几种常见文艺复兴佛罗伦萨史的范畴。不过妙在语言幽默生动,读起来非常有趣。08-14

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