The Memoir of Marco Parenti: A Life in Medici Florence

by Mark Salber Phillips

Originally published by Princeton University Press, The Memoir of Marco Parenti is now available only in this edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Italy, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

He's listed on the Library of Congress website as Mark Salber Phillips and Phillips, Mark 1946-

Reviews

[Alana White · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished this memoir, I felt as if I were saying farewell to a valued friend. Marco Parenti's story of his life experiences in Renaissance Italy is unlike most others in that he was neither a Medici, nor the wealthy member of any other high-ranking Renaissance family. He was a moneyed silk merchant and ordinary citizen of Florence with minor political standing whose upward mobility in the city came from his marriage to Alessandra Stozzi's daughter, Caterina. Once wed, Marco found himself the go-between for Caterina's brother, Filippo Strozzi, who was in exile in Naples, and the Florentine government, which adamantly refused to allow Filippo's return to his homeland.

At the time, the Medici were in the very air in Florence as the de facto "rulers" of the republican government. Through Marco, we live through a revolt against the Medici family after the death of Cosimo de' Medici in 1464—will Cosimo's sickly son and heir, Piero de' Medici, survive attempts to assassinate him and his son, Lorenzo, by those who wish to take their places? Will Filippo ever be allowed to return home from Naples? Yes, and yes, again.

The Medici remained at the helm of the Florentine government for another thirty years, until 1492, when Lorenzo de' Medici died a relatively young man. (It is primarily through Lorenzo and his golden circle of poets and philosophers that we have the Renaissance.) And of course Filippo Strozzi not only returned to his city but also became one of the richest men in Florence and the builder of the grandest private Florentine palazzo of his century (the Stozzi Palace, now a museum open to the public). (Success, Marco!)

What made Marco's observations (through his record book, his correspondence with his exiled in-laws, and the memoir itself) dear to me is that Marco is not part of Florence's inner circle. He is an observer—one who is startled and as wide-eyed as we are when on occasion he is not viewed as an outsider, but as someone who is welcome in the home of one of the government's most important men. It is also interesting to have Marco's "take" on that government—he is not a Medici man, by any means. No, as Mark Phillips states in his preface to this work, Marco has high hopes for a more open regime.

The connection with Alessandra Strozzi is interesting, too. Alessandra's own, well-known collection of letters—in which Alessandra laments, for one thing, that her family cannot possibly attend the latest Medici wedding: they cannot afford the clothes!—are a constant source of study for scholars of the Italian Renaissance. Seeing Alessandra and the Strozzi family come alive through Marco's comments is a nice peek into 15th-c daily life.

Note: This is not a "casual" read. The politics are in-depth—a close look at the machinations of powerful men and Marco Parenti's response to them.

[Bob Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t at all sure how I would rate this book. It is definitely for the serious student of 15th century Florence and not for a wider audience. The strength of the book comes at the end when Phillips puts the Memoir in its proper historical context. It is worth the effort to get to his summation.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In his study, alone with his books and papers, a man is most fully the head of his household, most clearly the living representative of the family spirit." (36)

[Nicola Peard · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anyone has a passing interest in Medici Florence, this is an INCREDIBLE place to start. It is a wonderful and insightful study of one man's life, how he recorded his history and that of his city. It absolutely hooked me on biographies and I can't get enough. Absolutely would recommend.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent look into Florentine politics from the death of Cosimo de Medici and the early years of Lorenzo the Magnificent's reign. Marco is not a commoner and not yet a member of the patrician class or a regular member of the Signoria. We view Marco's work through the lens of a man who interacts in person and through letter with the likes of Lucca Pitti and has direct access to their politics, but who also is neither a regular in interactions with the patricians nor well versed is in Greek or spiritual philosophy.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for one of my history classes and enjoyed reading about a real person, though not a famous person, who lived during the Middle Ages. It was a great tie-in with all of my Medieval/Renaissance art classes.

[Alterstuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really transports you, buy it if you find it!