Lorenzo de' Medici

1 9.1

An Italian leader in Renaissance Florence who supported artists and learning

proper noun

: Lorenzo de' Medici

As head of Florence, Lorenzo de' Medici balanced political diplomacy with a passion for culture.

Examples

Lorenzo de' Medici played a pivotal role in fostering the Italian Renaissance through his patronage of artists and scholars.
The famous Lorenzo de' Medici was known as the 'Magnificent'.
Many of the most famous Renaissance works were made possible by the support of Lorenzo de' Medici.
Did Lorenzo de' Medici support Michelangelo's early works?
Lorenzo de' Medici played a pivotal role in fostering the Italian Renaissance through his patronage of artists and scholars.
As head of Florence, Lorenzo de' Medici balanced political diplomacy with a passion for culture.
Many of the most famous Renaissance works were made possible by the support of Lorenzo de' Medici.

Synonyms

Lorenzo the Magnificent

vsLorenzo de' Medici

1 9.9

A ruler of Florence in the late 1400s who supported Renaissance artists like Michelangelo

is the personal family name form rather than the honorific title

Surface Forms

Lorenzo de' Medici main

Morphology

Lorenzo + de' + Medici

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical individual; the referential meaning (an Italian statesman and patron of the arts) cannot be compositionally derived from the parts. Even if a learner knows 'de\'' means 'of' and 'Medici' as a family name, that only signals family affiliation, not his role or historical significance, so the expression is not predictable from its constituents.

Etymology

Lorenzo de' Medici was a leader from a rich banking family in Florence who used his money to pay artists and invite scholars. Because he supported so much art and learning, people later called him 'the Magnificent' and remember him as a major supporter of the Renaissance.