Medici: Masters Of Florence Shattered Viewership Records — And Historical Timelines
NetflixRichard Madden and Daniel Sharman in Medici: Masters of Florence.
When the series Medici: Masters of Florence debuted in Italy, it pulled in a record-breaking 7 million viewers who were excited to dive into the story of the Medici family, one of the most influential families in Italian history.
But as The Florentine acknowledges, there are numerous liberties taken with the television series that stray a bit far from the truth.
From the beginning, the show introduces Dustin Hoffman as Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, the patriarch of the Medici family who meets a brutal demise at the hands of a hooded assassin. The ominous implication here is clear: Someone wanted Giovanni out of the way.
But historical records indicate that Giovanni’s death in 1429 was from natural causes. Presumed foul play undoubtedly makes for good television, but there is nothing to suggest that this is what actually happened in real life.
Likewise, the show portrays the construction of the Duomo as an undertaking that could have only happened after Giovanni’s death, as his son Cosimo follows his passion for the arts in the wake of his father’s passing.
In reality, though, the construction of the Duomo began nearly a decade before Giovanni died. And Donatello’s statue of David — which serves as evidence for Cosimo’s supposed lack of morals in the show — wasn’t created until long after the trial that sees Cosimo exiled in the series.
According to Into Florence, the role of Contessina, Cosimo’s wife, is also significantly overplayed in the series for the sake of drama.
The real Contessina was much more of a background figure in Cosimo’s life, and she did not interfere with his banking business or political affairs. And she certainly didn’t ride on horseback to beg for her husband’s life and to convince the Signoria to convert his death sentence to exile.
In the series, Contessina also helps her husband eventually return to Florence. However, the real Cosimo’s return was largely due to his influence and his powerful connections — not his wife’s scheming.
But despite the inaccuracies in these scenes, they clearly make for good TV.
