"Ascendancy" is both the subtitle of the first book in Matteo Strukul's bestselling Masters of Florence series and the title of the season one finale of the Medici TV series . Both follow the high-stakes rise of Cosimo de' Medici after the death of his father, Giovanni. 📚 The Book: Medici - Ascendancy
If you are using these as a guide to the real Medici, keep these facts in mind:
Starts in 1429 with the death of Giovanni de' Medici. Medici - Ascendancy ...
While the show depicts Albizzi being murdered in the woods, he actually died in natural exile in Ancona eight years later. 💡 Historical Reality vs. Fiction
Many deaths in the show/book (like Giovanni or Lorenzo the Elder) are dramatized; in reality, most died of natural causes. "Ascendancy" is both the subtitle of the first
Cosimo was indeed exiled in 1433 by the Albizzi, but his return in 1434 effectively made him the "unofficial ruler" of Florence.
Cosimo secures his power by convincing the Signoria to exile the Albizzi family rather than execute them—though the mercenaries have other plans. While the show depicts Albizzi being murdered in
The novel by Matteo Strukul is a fast-paced historical thriller. It captures a Florence described as a "nest of vipers" where the young, untested Medici brothers must fight for survival.