Date of Award
Spring 2024
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Visual & Performing Arts; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Jill Pederson
Abstract
The Age of Conquest marked a turning point in global history, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges between the Eastern and Western hemispheres and paving the way for colonial expansion. Despite Italy's lack of direct involvement in the exploration of the Americas, various city-states eagerly sought to acquire objects and knowledge from the recently exploited lands. This essay focuses on Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici and his efforts to portray Florence as a global center through the collecting, commissioning, and cultivating of objects from and related to the Americas. I investigate mirabilia (objects that evoked wonder or astonishment) associated with the Medici collection, mainly turquoise masks that now belong to the Pigorini Museum in Rome and the British Museum in London. I assess the presence of the Americas in Florence by analyzing the La Dovizia tapestry in the Museo degli Argenti in Florence. I also look at the Gardens of Simples in Pisa, established under the direction of Cosimo, which housed and maintained a collection of flora from the Americas and the shell grotto at the Villa di Castello outside of Florence. Through these endeavors, Cosimo aimed to assert his cultural authority over the Americas, shaping a distinct image of worldly power and sophistication to rival his European counterparts.
Recommended Citation
Hauer, Jillian, "A City of Global Ambition: Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici’s Florence and the Americas" (2024). Capstone Showcase. 2.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2024/arts/2
Included in
Cultural History Commons, European History Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, Latin American History Commons, Renaissance Studies Commons
A City of Global Ambition: Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici’s Florence and the Americas
The Age of Conquest marked a turning point in global history, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges between the Eastern and Western hemispheres and paving the way for colonial expansion. Despite Italy's lack of direct involvement in the exploration of the Americas, various city-states eagerly sought to acquire objects and knowledge from the recently exploited lands. This essay focuses on Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici and his efforts to portray Florence as a global center through the collecting, commissioning, and cultivating of objects from and related to the Americas. I investigate mirabilia (objects that evoked wonder or astonishment) associated with the Medici collection, mainly turquoise masks that now belong to the Pigorini Museum in Rome and the British Museum in London. I assess the presence of the Americas in Florence by analyzing the La Dovizia tapestry in the Museo degli Argenti in Florence. I also look at the Gardens of Simples in Pisa, established under the direction of Cosimo, which housed and maintained a collection of flora from the Americas and the shell grotto at the Villa di Castello outside of Florence. Through these endeavors, Cosimo aimed to assert his cultural authority over the Americas, shaping a distinct image of worldly power and sophistication to rival his European counterparts.