On February 7, 1469, a jousting match was held in Florence to honor 20-year-old Lorenzo de’ Medici. The Medicis were bankers who had made a tremendous fortune. They gained power in Florence by lending great amounts of money to people outside the city walls. Their borrowers included kings, dukes, and even popes.
In the 1400s, Italy was not yet a unified nation. Instead the country was divided into many small city-states. The people did not call themselves Italians. Instead they named themselves after the area in which they lived. They were Venetians, Romans, Milanese, or Tuscans. Although the members of the Medici family did not yet have any actual political power in Italy, their wealth and influence made them more like lords than businessmen.
The February celebration welcomed Lorenzo de’ Medici into public life and celebrated his upcoming marriage to Clarice Orsini. As he rode his horse through the city streets in a grand parade, colorful banners of silk, taffeta, and velvet fluttered above him. The sunlight bouncing off his armor looked like shooting stars. At his side, he carried a long white charger, a gift from the king of Naples.
Sacred shows that took place on holy days were another form of public theater. These performances were big productions with great special effects. Huge revolving disks were used to change the scenery. Wires and pulleys helped the actors fly through the air. Leonardo da Vinci watched the shows in wonder. He, no doubt, saw the performance of the Annunciation—a story about the angel Gabriel descending from heaven to the Virgin Mary. During this visit, the angel tells Mary how she will give birth to the Christ child.
Leonardo da Vinci was dazzled by the energy and splendor of the theater. As the handsome, young artist stood at the edge of the crowd admiring the entertainment, he had a quizzical look on his face at all times. He was not just watching the events. He was studying how everything was done.
