Giovanni delle Bande Nere - Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 46.500 E 011° 15.304
32T E 681482 N 4849354
A monument honoring Giovanni delle Bande Nere, the father of Cosimo I de Medici, is located outside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy.
Waymark Code: WMV4BX
Location: Italy
Date Posted: 02/21/2017
Views: 2
A monument to Giovanni delle Bande Nere was commissioned in 1540 by his son Cosimo I de' Medici and sculpted by Baccio Bandinelli. It remained unfinished upon the death of the sculptor in 1560. The statue and the base were separate until 1850 when they were joined the engineer Alessandro Manetti.
The marble monument depicts a larger than life statue of Giovanni delle Bande seated on a rock. He is bare chested except for armor on his shoulders. In his right hand he holding baton to his knee. The corners of the 10' base have doric pilaster columns. A bas relief on the front depicts soldiers bringing treasure and captives before a seated ruler. A second bas relief depicts the Medici coat of arms.
A side dado is inscribed:
UNA PARTE DI QUESTO MONUMENTO
DESTINATO DA COSIMO PRIMO
AD ONORARE LA MEMORIA DEL PADRE
GIOVANNI DELLE BANDE NERE
LUNGAMENTE NON CURATA QUI STETTE
E IL VOLGO LA CHIAMÒ LA BASE DI SAN LORENZO
RESTAURATA NELL'ANNO MDCCCL
E POSTAVI LA STATUA DEL GRAN CAPITANO
EBBE ALFINE COMPIMENTO LA PREGEVOLE OPERA
SCOLPITA DAL BANDINELLI
ONE PART OF THIS MONUMENT
DESIGNED BY COSIMO I
TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF HIS FATHER
GIOVANNI DELLE BANDE NERE
BY NO CHOICE STOOD
AND COMMONLY CALLED THE BASE OF SAN LORENZO
RESTORED IN 1850
AND MADE TO HOST THE STATUE OF THE GREAT CAPTAIN
BECOMING FINALLY COMPLETE THE PRIZED WORK
SCULPTED BY BANDINELLI
Giovanni delle Bande Nere was born April 5, 1498 in Forlì, Italy to Giovanni de' Medici and Caterina Sforza. He became a mercenary military captain employed by Pope Leo X (Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici). On March 5, 1516, he led the war against Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino. He then formed his own mounted company. In 1520 he defeated several rebel barons in the Marche. In November 1521, in support of Pope Leo X, he defeated the French army of King Francis I at Vaprio d'Adda.
When Pope Leo X died on December 1, 1521, Giovanni added black stripes to his insignia, gaining the nickname, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, Giovanni of the Black Bands. He died on November 30, 1526 from a gun shot wound in the leg he received during the War of the League of Cognac.