Before they achieved renown as patrons of the arts and de facto rulers
of Florence, the Medici family earned their fortune in banking. But even
at the height of the Renaissance, charging interest of any kind meant
running afoul of the Catholic Church's ban on usury. Tim Parks reveals
how the legendary Medicis--Cosimo and Lorenzo "the Magnificent" in
particular--used the diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools
at hand, along with a healthy dose of intrigue and wit, to further their
fortunes as well as their family's standing.