Does the Pazzi family still exist?
The Pazzi were a noble Florentine family.Banking was their main trade during the 15th century.After the Pazzi conspiracy in 1478, members of the family were banned from Florence and their property was taken from them.
The traditional story is that the family was founded by Pazzo di Ranieri, the first man over the walls of Jerusalem during the First Crusade, who returned to Florence with flints supposedly from the Holy Sepulchre.The historical basis of this legend has been in question since the mid-nineth century.[2]
The first historical figure in the family is Jacopo de' Pazzi il Vecchio, who was a captain of the Florentine cavalry at the battle of Montaperti on 4 September 1260, and whose hand was severed by Bocca degli.His son was a follower of Charles de Valois.[4]
The Pazzi Chapel was built for the Franciscan community at the Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence.Jacopo de' Pazzi became head of the family in 1464.[2]:131
Cosimo de' Pazzi, the sixth of their sixteen children, became archbishop of Florence in 1508.[5]
The Pazzi Conspiracy was one of the instigators.The plot failed and he, Jacopo de' Pazzi and his brother were executed.[2]:141
Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi was canonised in 1669.[7]: 149
Girolamo Riario, nephew of the pope, Sixtus IV, plotted with a Pazzi bank manager to assassinate Lorenzo de' Medici.Sixtus gave tacit support to the conspirators.The assassination attempt took place during mass in the Florence Cathedral.Lorenzo was wounded but escaped.The Palazzo della Signoria was taken over by mercenaries from Perugia.Five of the conspirators, including Francesco de' Pazzi, were hanged from the Palazzo della Signoria.Jacopo de' Pazzi, the head of the family, escaped from Florence but was caught and brought back.He was hanged from the Palazzo della Signoria next to the decomposing corpse of Salviati.The body was thrown into a ditch after being dug up at Santa Croce.The rotting head was propped up at the door of Palazzo Pazzi, where it was used as a door-knocker.Children fished it out, hung it from a willow tree, and then threw it back into the river.[2]:141