The Family Medici: the hidden history of the Medici dynasty

Prologue: A city under siege: 'Florence in ashes rather than under the Medici'

1. Migrants: Bonagiunta, Chiarissimo and their descendants, 1216-1348

2. Survivors: Salvestro, Foligno, Bicci and Vieri, 1348-1400

3. The fortune: Giovanni di Bicci, 1400-1425

4. Politics: Giovanni di Bicci, Averardo and Cosimo, 1426-1433

5. For honour and profit: Cosimo the banker, 1434-1450

6. The republican toga: Cosimo the politician, 1451-1464

7. The succession crisis: Piero the Gouty, 1464-1469

8. Youth at the helm: Lorenzo and Giuliano, 1469-1479

9. Pride: Lorenzo the Magnificent, 1480-1492

10. Nemesis: Piero and Cardinal Giovanni, 1492-1503

11. Exile: Cardinal Giovanni, Giulio and Giuliano, 1504-1512

12. Age of gold: Pope Leo X, 1513-1521

13. Age of iron: Pope Clement VII, 1521-1530

14. Imperial poodles: Pope Clement VII, Ippolito, Alessandro and Cosimo, 1531-1543

15. The new Augustus: Cosimo I, 1544-1559

16. Grand Duke: Cosimo I, 1560-1574

17. Adultery: Francesco I and Cardinal Ferdinando, 1574-1587

18. Cardinal to Grand Duke: Ferdinando I, 1587-1609

19. The unlucky prince: Cosimo II, Christine of Lorraine and Maria Magdalena of Austria, 1609-1668

20. Science and religion: Ferdinando II, 1628-1670

21. Vanity: Cosimo III, 1670-1723

22. Extinction: Gian Gastone, 1723-1737

Epilogue: Revival.