Individual Details

Biography

Piero was born between 1414 and 1416, the son of Cosimo de' Medici and Contessina de Bardi. He had been prevented from playing an active role in business or political life since his youth by hereditary gout which caused arthritic pains in his limbs and rendered him virtually an invalid. Even his father expected him not to live long, and rested his hopes on Piero's younger brother Giovanni. But Giovanni died a year before their father, leaving Piero as his sole heir.

On 3 June 1444 Piero married Lucrezia Tornabuoni, daughter of Francesco Tornabuoni and Selvaggia degli Alessandri. They had two sons who would have progeny, and three daughters. With few exceptions Piero continued to patronise the painters his father had known, and whom, in many cases, his own son Lorenzo would also patronise. The last artistic tribute to Piero was the magnificent marble and porphyry tomb for him and his brother Giovanni designed by Donatello's pupil, and later Leonardo's master, Andrea del Verocchio (1435-1488) in the old sacristy of San Lorenzo.

Pierro died in Florence on 3 December 1469.