Lorenzo "The Magnificent" de' Medici - Florence, Italy - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

A life size marble statue Lorenzo "The Magnificent" de' Medici was created by Gaetano Grazzini and placed in a niche in the colonnade of the Uffizi Gallery next to his grandfather, Cosimo de' Medici. The statues were added to the empty niches, originally created by Giorgio Vasari. The statues were funded by a public subscription program that began in 1834.

Lorenzo de' Medici is depicted standing while wearing an ankle neck cassock with over-sized sleeves. To is right is a young boy, possibly is son Piero. His right hand is in the shoulder of the boy and his left arm is bent at the elbow and his hand is next to his waist with his thumb and index finger outstretched.

The marble plinth is inscribed:

Lorenzo de Medici was born on January 1, 1449. He was Florentine statesman and the de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic from the age of twenty, when his father, Piero di Cosimo de Medici, died until his death on April 8, 1492 at age 49.

He is famous for being the foremost patron of the Renaissance culture in Italy. Among the artist receiving patronage from Lorenzo were Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, and Domenico Ghirlandaio. Lorenzo himself was an artist and wrote poetry.

Lorenzo also expanded the Medici Library begun by his grandfather Cosimo. He employed a great number of workers to copy books and spread them across Europe.