On 23 March 1514, Lorenzino de’ Medici, the man who assassinated his cousin and ruler of Florence, was born in Florence.
Lorenzino, sometimes known as “Lorenzaccio”, became infamous for the killing of Alessandro de’ Medici on 6 January 1537, a murder that shocked Renaissance Italy and triggered a power shift within the Medici dynasty.
Alessandro, Duke of Florence since 1532, was lured to Lorenzino’s apartments on the promise of meeting a woman. After persuading the duke to dismiss his guards, Lorenzino returned accompanied by his servant, Piero. The pair attacked Alessandro with swords and daggers. Despite a struggle, the duke was killed.
The assassination immediately created uncertainty in Florence, where Alessandro had ruled with the backing of Clement VII (not to be confused with the antipope of the same name), the Medici pope who had helped establish ducal rule in the city.
Motive debated for centuries
Historians have long debated Lorenzino’s motive. One theory suggests revenge over an inheritance dispute in which Alessandro sided against him. Another holds that Lorenzino sought notoriety by eliminating the main Medici line.
Lorenzino himself claimed political motives. In a written defence, he argued he had acted out of love of liberty, portraying Alessandro as a tyrant and presenting the assassination as an attempt to restore republican rule in Florence.
After the killing, Lorenzino fled first to Bologna and then to Venice, where he was welcomed by Florentine exiles, including banker Filippo Strozzi. Supporters compared him to Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar.
Medici rule continues
The assassination did not restore the Florentine republic. Instead, Charles V backed the appointment of the 17-year-old Cosimo I de’ Medici as Duke of Florence, consolidating Medici power.
Lorenzino spent the rest of his life in exile, moving between Venice, France and the Ottoman Empire while plotting with opponents of Cosimo I.
Lorenzino’s life ended violently in 1548 when he was murdered in Venice by hired killers. Responsibility for the killing has long been disputed. Some historians attribute it to Cosimo I seeking revenge, while other research suggests the order may have come from Charles V, whose daughter had been married to Alessandro.
The assassination of Lorenzino de’ Medici
The dramatic murder of Alessandro de’ Medici ensured Lorenzino’s place in history, but his actions ultimately strengthened rather than weakened Medici control of Florence.
