Luca Pitti
Luca Pitti | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1398 |
| Died | 1472 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, magistrate |
| Years active | 15th century |
| Known for | Chief magistrate (Gonfalonier of Justice) of Florence, commissioning Palazzo Pitti |
Luca Pitti (1398–1472) was a prominent Florentine banker and magistrate who held considerable influence during the republican era dominated by Cosimo de' Medici. Honored with a knighthood, he received substantial rewards from both the Signory of Firenze and the Medici family in recognition of his loyalty throughout Cosimo's final years.
Serving as the chief magistrate, known as the "Gonfalonier of Justice," Pitti orchestrated a power grab in August 1458 aimed at reinforcing Cosimo’s fragile authority. This move bolstered the administration by expelling numerous leading figures from Florence. His chief adversary, Girolamo Machiavelli, resisted this regime, was branded a rebel, and met an enigmatic death in prison following betrayal.
Pitti accumulated vast riches—Niccolò Machiavelli estimated his wealth at around twenty thousand ducats—and endeavored to match the Medici’s grandeur by commissioning the construction of the Palazzo Pitti. This palace was designed to reflect his elevated social standing and is attributed architecturally not to Brunelleschi but most likely to Luca Fancelli. Machiavelli alleged that Pitti’s fortune was partly built on bribery and that he protected criminals who were advantageous to his undertakings, though these assertions remain contested due to potential political partiality.
After Cosimo passed away in 1464, Pitti attempted an unsuccessful coup against Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, but he was eventually forgiven and later became an ally. His influence waned thereafter; work on Palazzo Pitti halted in 1465, and he died seven years later in 1472.
Despite the political turmoil following the Medici's expulsion in 1494 and during the tenure of Girolamo Savonarola, the Pitti lineage maintained authority and residence at Palazzo Pitti until financial difficulties compelled Buonaccorso Pitti to sell it in 1549 to Eleanor of Toledo, spouse of Cosimo I de' Medici. Beginning in 1537, Cosimo I reinforced Medici control over Florence.