Book of Hours of Lorenzo de' Medici the Younger

Book of Hours of Lorenzo de' Medici the Younger

The Book of Hours of Lorenzo de' Medici the Younger is a gem of early 16th century Florentine illumination. It also contains a political component as a wedding gift from Pope Leo X to his nephew Lorenzo II de Medici. The marriage between Lorenzo II de Medici and Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne sealed the link between the French royal family and the famous Pope from the house of Medici. The book is in an unusually small format and impresses with its precious décor by the most significant Florentine miniaturists of their time. It is simultaneously a magnificent attestation of an exciting epoch in history!

The Famous Medici Pope

The patron of the wonderful, diminutive book of hours was Pope Leo X (1475–1521). He, as his real name Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici betrays, was from the Florentine house of Medici. As one of the nine children of Lorenzo the Magnificent, he ascended to the throne of St. Peter in 1513. As Pope Leo X, who loved pomp and an exuberant life, he was a great patron and lover of the arts. He commissioned the manufacture of a precious wedding gift on the occasion of his nephew’s nuptials in 1518.

A Political Wedding

Lorenzo II de Medici (1492–1519) was the son of Piero II de Medici and therefore the nephew of the Pope. In May of 1518, Lorenzo II married Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne in French Amboise at the urging of his uncle. This marriage was a symbol of the alliance between Pope Leo X and the French royal house and was highly political as a result. However, the good fortune of Lorenzo II de Medici and his spouse Madeleine de la Tour did not last long. Both would suffer an early death in the year following the wedding, Madeleine in giving birth to their daughter, and Lorenzo not two weeks later as the result of a medical mistreatment. Nevertheless, their only daughter Catherine de Medici would become the wife of King Henry II of France and thus ascend to become the Queen of France!

A Precious Jewel

The book of hours, the couple’s wedding gift, is stored in the collection of the Fundación Lázaro Galdino in Madrid. This precious jewel with 316 pages measuring 4 x 6 cm probably originated in Florence before 1518. Participating artists included Boccardino the Elder and the Younger and Stefano de Tommaso. The Boccardinos or Boccardis were a significant family of miniaturists in Florence in the late–15th and early–16th centuries. Giovanni Boccardi, called Boccardino the Elder, in particular is considered to be perhaps the most significant of this grand epoch of Florentine illumination. The so-called Florentine miniaturist school is still a term indicating the highest quality of illumination today. The Book of Hours of Lorenzo de' Medici the Younger presents this fantastic art with 11 miniatures, 16 pages with ornamental moldings, so-called ‘candeliari,’ and numerous initials. A Flemish influence is also discernable in the miniatures. Naturally, such a prestigious gift is also not lacking in splendid décor with precious gold.