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Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was born in Florence, Italy. He was the son of Averardo de' Medici and Jacopa Spini. Though he is considered the founder of the prosperous Medici dynasty, he was not born into a wealthy family. His father left little money at his death in 1363. This money was then divided between his widow and five sons, leaving Giovanni with very little.{Citation Needed}

Shedden comments: Good, but start adding more information and citations.

Hannah Votsmier Peer Review: I think that this is a really good start when it comes to the background information of Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici. I don't know too much about the family but i do know that they were a very powerful family. The article does not go into great detail about his relationships with other members of the family and how that influenced his work and influence of the family. Because he is one of the first to truly get the family name out, and to the extent of that power there must be some sources that might not be about him but mention him. Maybe even taking a look at his son, and if any of the accomplishments that he did, had any mention to his father. Or in another case, he was the starting foundation of the family and their power, so given that maybe expand on how influential they were, given the how long they had the power.

INTRO:

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360 – 20/28 February 1429) was an Italian banker and founder of the Medici Bank. While other members of the Medici family, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' Medici, who served in the Signoria of Florence in 1201, and Salvestro de' Medici, who was implicated in the Ciompi Revolt of 1378, are of historical interest, it was Giovanni's founding of the family bank that truly initiated the family's rise to power in Florence.[1] He was the father of Cosimo de' Medici (Pater Patriae) and Lorenzo de’ Medici, the first Medici ruler of Florence, and an ancestor of other notable Medici rulers, for example, he was the grandfather of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici; great-grandfather of Lorenzo de' Medici (the Magnificent); and great-great-great-grandfather of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (Hale).

Biography:

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was born in Florence'''. He is the son of Averardo de' Medici and Jacopa Spini. His father, Averardo died in 1336 with a respectable amount of wealth. This inheritance was divided between Giovanni and his four brothers, leaving Giovanni with very little. However, his uncle, Vieri de’ Medici, was still a prominent banker in Florence. Vieri helped Giovanni begin his career in the Florentine banking system. He worked his way up, eventually becoming a junior partner in the branch located in Rome. Vieri de’ Medici retired in 1393 leaving the bank in the hands of Giovanni. From this point the Medici bank grew vastly and quickly. This growth culminated with the acquisition as the Chief Papal Banker, which meant that the Medici Bank now handled the accounts of the Church. The Medici family bank he founded in 1397, his main commercial interest, had branches throughout the northern Italian city-states and beyond, and constituted an early "multi-national" company [Citation Needed].'''

Giovanni was somewhat uninterested in politics, unless the issues pertained to his family or bank. Often, when his name was put forward to participate in the Florentine government, he usually chose to pay a fine rather than serve.[citation needed] His reluctance to assume a position in the Florentine government is exemplified in his writings to his son Cosimo, saying, "Do not make the government-house your work shop, but wait until you are called to it, then show your selves obedient."[2] Nonetheless, he did serve as a Priore in the Signoria in 1402, 1408 and 1411 and as a Gonfaloniere for the statutory two-month period in 1421.[3] In 1407 he also served as the governor of the city called Pistoia (Hale)>

Giovanni owned two wool workshops in Florence and was a member of two guilds: the Arte della Lana and the Arte del Cambio.[5] In 1402, he served as one of the judges on the panel that selected Lorenzo Ghiberti's design for the bronzes on the doors to the Florence Baptistery.[4] '''Giovanni also funded the consruction of the sacristy in the Church of S. Lorenzo in the year 1418 (Hale). He chose Brunelleschi to be the architect and for Donatello to create the scultptures (Hale).'''

In 1414, Giovanni bet on the permanent return of the papacy to Rome after a long period of exile and schism, and was correct; the papacy was permanently installed in Rome in 1417 under a single pope after the deliberations of the Council of Constance [Citation Needed]. Rewarding Giovanni for his support, Pope Martin V gave Giovanni's general manager control of the Apostolic Chamber.[6] Subsequent popes also made use of the services of the Medici banks, and in addition, Giovanni was able to secure tax-farming contracts and the rights to many alum mines from the papacy [Citation Needed]. He set his family on the path to becoming one of the richest dynasties in Europe, thereby making an essential stride towards its later cultural and political prominence. One way in which he laid the groundwork for this was by marrying Piccarda Bueri, whose old and respectable family brought him a large dowry.[7] Despite his growing wealth, Giovanni was diligent in his efforts not to separate the Medici family from the other citizens in Florence. He did so by continuously ensuring that he and his sons dressed and behaved like the average working-class citizens of Florence. This was in part due to his desire not to draw undue attention to himself and his family, and to ensure that, unlike other wealthy families, the Medici remained in the favor of the population. His hopes were to build a positive reputation of his family by avoiding conflicts with the law and keeping the people of Florence happy. His disposition can be understood in his writings, “Strive to keep the people at peace, and the strong places well cared for. Engage in no legal complications, for he who impedes the law shall perish by the law. Do not draw public attention on yourselves yet keep free from blemish as I leave you.”[2]

When he died, he was one of the richest men in Florence, as shown by his tax report of 1429.[8]  '''It was reported that upon his death, he was the second richect man in Florence, leaving an abundance of wealth to his son Cosimo. This wealth and banking system led to cosimo becoming one of the wealthiest men in Europe (Hale)'''. Also upon his death, he had also become a favorite amongst the Florentine public, with even professional rival Niccolò da Uzzano'''. Niccolo states,''' in a letter to Giovanni's sons, that he had made the family beloved by the people and positioned them for great success.[2] In 1420, Giovanni had given the majority of control of the bank to his two sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo.[9] Upon his death in 1429, he was buried in the Old Sacristy of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence,[10] and his wife was buried with him after her death four years later.

[The bold sentences are my edits]