IF THE MEDICI HAD THEIR RENAISSANCE, WHAT WILL TRUMP HAVE?

I was going to title this article “Trump Borgia” to point out the character of this character from the start.

But I realized that I was wrong with the title.

That title would confuse the reader and lead him to believe that Trump and only Trump and no one else but Trump are corrupt.

The same thing happens in the case of the Borgias.

The name of that dynasty has already been reduced to cliché. Saying “Borgia” is synonymous with adjectives that no longer need to be explained. People who are not even aware that it is a proper name, already “know” what “Borgia” means.

But if someone thinks about it for a moment, I would ask: hey, in their time, in their days, in their sphere, in the political positions they held, were the Borgias the only corrupt group? The only nepotistic family? The only family that resorted to murder theft, fraud and deceit, and betrayal to maintain and expand its power?

I think the moment someone asks that question, they realize that it would be impossible for the Borgias to have committed all their faults unless the environment was propitious. Unless many, many… many other people and many groups committed the same kinds of faults that they committed.

Examples abound. I will refer to one that the reader has surely heard of, although perhaps does not know the details: the assassination attempt against the Medici.

On April 26, 1478, during a mass in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, an audacious assassination attempt was carried out against the Medici brothers, Lorenzo and Giuliano. This plot, known as the Pazzi Conspiracy, was the result of years of rivalry between the powerful Medici and Pazzi families.

The actual perpetrators were Francesco de’ Pazzi, a prominent member of the Pazzi family. It was he who fatally stabbed Giuliano de’ Medici during mass. Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli, another member of the Pazzi family was directly involved in Giuliano’s murder. He was tasked with distracting Lorenzo de’ Medici while Francesco attacked him. Antonio Maffei, a mercenary hired to assassinate Lorenzo de’ Medici, missed and was also wounded.

The signal to attack the Medici brothers was the precise moment when the priest raised the sacred host to consecrate it. At that solemn and sacred moment, it was decided that it was the signal to go in for the kill.

The masterminds were Jacopo de’ Pazzi, Francesco’s cousin and also a member of the Pazzi family. Although he was not present in the cathedral, he played a crucial role in planning and organizing the plot. Francesco Salviati, Archbishop of Pisa and ally of the Pazzi. He was tasked with securing Pope Sixtus IV’s support for the conspiracy. Girolamo Riario, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV and husband of Caterina Sforza. He was a major financier of the plot and was responsible for coordinating the actions of the conspirators.

Other conspirators included Stefano da Bagnone, a mercenary who participated in the plot. Giovanni Battista de Montesecco, another mercenary hired to assassinate Lorenzo de’ Medici, also failed. Several minor members of the Pazzi family and their allies: Played secondary roles in the conspiracy, such as providing shelter to the conspirators or spreading rumors.

The Pazzi sought to weaken the power of the Medici and take control of Florence. They believed that by eliminating Lorenzo and Giuliano they could destabilize the government and rise to power. Pope Sixtus IV, for his part, saw the Medici as a threat to his authority and wished to take revenge on them.

Despite the audacity of the plan, the conspiracy failed in its main objective. Lorenzo de Medici survived the assassination and violently eliminated the conspirators.

Note the small role played by the mercenaries. There are more members of the Pazzi family than mercenaries. Note the open complicity of a Pope who was not a Borgia.

So, were the Borgias the only corrupt ones? The worst?

Is Trump the only corrupt one in the American and world political environment? The worst, or the one who has been given the worst reputation?

The Medicis got their name associated with the immense achievements of the Renaissance in art and culture because of the generous donations they made to many artists and because of their excellent eye for talent.

Is Trump more like the Borgias or the Medicis?

It would be interesting to use this filter.