A Day in the Life: The Medici Academy

“Michelangelo Showing Lorenzo il Magnfico the Head of a Faun,” 1638-1642 by Ottavio Vannini. Fresco. Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy. (Public Domain)

The Italian Renaissance was an exemplary period for the free exchange of ideas coupled with the pursuit of excellence. The discovery of classical Greek texts and works of art helped fuel a greater discussion around our purpose and potential as human beings.

The Medici Academy was an intellectual and artistic haven in Renaissance Italy. Also known as the “Platonic Academy” or “Florentine Academy,” the Medici Academy was founded by Cosimo de Medici in the mid-15th century. The academy would often meet in the sculpture garden on the Piazza San Marco in Florence, owned by the Medici family.

Some of the most significant people of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries were associated with the academy and Medici family. The academy was where Marsilio Ficino, the first to translate Plato’s texts into Latin, led discussions on Platonic philosophy and Christianity. The sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni taught lessons in classical art. Other notable figures included popes Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leo XI, artists such as Michelangelo and Brunelleschi, as well as great thinkers such as Galileo.

What would it have been like to be a part of this academy? What would it have been like to witness some of the greatest artists and thinkers sharing the same space and discussing ideas for the future? Here, we will try to imagine a day at the Medici Academy.

A Day at the Medici Academy

It’s the end of the 15th century. We’ve been at the Medici Academy for quite some time. What we’ve witnessed will be unable to be denied by the canons of history. We hope the future generations will find it in their hearts to recognize the wisdom in the construction of this academy and improve upon it.

As we sit among some of the students’ artworks in the sculpture garden, we often see the young Michelangelo—who appears to be ordained by God— studying and creating works with unparalleled beauty. Here in the garden, he intently sculpts the head of a faun to show to Lorenzo the Magnificent.

Other young artists draw sketches of the recently found sculptures by the ancient Greeks. Bertoldo di Giovanni hopes that we can reproduce the grandeur of the art of the ancients by first copying them. Maybe in mimicking their approach, we will absorb those qualities that made their works of art divine. Other artists who have already gained renown in Italy and other parts of Europe often visit and converse with the young artists.

On the left, Giuliano da Sangallo (an Italian sculptor) is depicted with a drawing for the design of the Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano (one of the most famous Medici villas, located in Prato, Italy). On the right, Michelangelo presents the bust of a faun. Details from “Michelangelo Showing Lorenzo il Magnfico the Head of a Faun,” by Ottavio Vannini. Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy. (Public Domain)

The academy is loosely organized. Since we are affiliated with the Medici family, we can show up and discuss the ideas of Plato, Plotinus, and Christianity freely. Though the Medici family has produced several popes, politics and church business are rarely discussed. We instead focus on notions such as truth, love, and friendship. The discussions can become intense but are always respectful. We are less interested in being “right” and more interested in asking questions to pursue greater truths than the ones we presume to know.

Today is especially significant since we celebrate Plato’s birthday with a banquet. At the banquet, Marsilio Ficino gives a lecture on the notion of Platonic love and friendship. He speaks about the type of love that he interprets from the writings of Plato, a love that is absent of emotion and shares in the contemplation of God; this type of love shared with a friend is synonymous with divine love.

Ficino reiterates his point to the artists: The type of art they are creating is the type of art that points to heaven and shares in the contemplation of the divine. In this way, the artistic creations encouraged by our academy are artistic creations grounded in our understanding of Platonic love and friendship.

We all listen intently and are left inspired to write, create, produce, and hope according to the ideals of love, friendship, and God. Thus, the new forms of writing, painting, and sculpture will go beyond mere technique.

Every day, we wake up, and we hurry to our jobs or school. We become part of a routine that seems to encapsulate us. In this series, we will take a moment from our hectic, fast-paced world, step outside of our routine, and imagine what life may have been like across cultures and eras.