http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavio_Biondo
The second was the highly popular De Roma triumphante (Rome Triumphant, (1459)) about pagan Rome as a model for contemporary governmental and military reforms. The book was highly influential in reviving Roman patriotism and respect for ancient Rome, while presenting the papacy as a continuation of the Roman Empire.[/quote
... an improvement for the Medici situation in Florence (the Medici stabilized after a longer political weakness in 1458) and naturally ALSO the development of the Trionfi games we're ALSO talking about.
So .... let's understand the 3 Magi in Florence.
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Emperor Barbarossa in 1162-1164 caused major destruction to the city of Milan in his 3rd Italian campaign. As part of this operation the bones of the 3 Magi (a young man of 15, a middle-aged man of c. 30, an old man of 60 years) were transferred from to the city of Cologne.
The bones were earlier located in the Basilika of St. Eustorgios near Milan (that's of some importance)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustorgius_I
The city of Cologne was definitely master in the marketing of relics of saints. It's engagement made the 3 Magi (3 Kings in the German language) very popular North of the
Alps ... which first hadn't too much influence on Italy, which is a place with a lot of old bones.
So we have, that 6th of January is called Dreikönigstag (day of 3 Holy King's) in Germany, but Epiphanias elsewhere.
The relations Germany-Italy slowed down after 1250 (death of Fredrick II.) and it endured till 1312, before the next Emperor visited Italy. But after this (plague etc.) there was also not much opportunity. So the German love for the 3 holy kings seems to have stayed a German mystery in Italy.
In 1395 Giangaleazzo, Signore of Milan, bought the duke title from King Wenzel in Prague. This was a major impact in German-Italian relations and German nobility took it as a reason to depose King Wenzel in 1400. This was later ... but Peter of Milan, catholic martyr in the activities against catharic heretics in Milan, was made patron of the Cologne beer producers in 1396. A minor occurrence, but this seems to have been part of a renewed friendship between Milan and Cologne. A second saints-trade operation seems to have been, that suddenly the 3 Magi appear in Bologna around the same time, also we have, that the future archbishop of Cologne had studied in Bologna, Dietrich II. von Moers, archbishop from 1414 - 1463 (that's a rather long time and mean, that he was archbishop in an important position, when the Trionfi cards developed).
But we're interested of 3 Magi in Florence ... it seems, that signs of some 3 Magi adoration in Florence started at the end of 14th century (possibly parallel to the Giangaleazzo duke title and the 3 Magi adoration in Bolgna ?). Then (when precisely ?) a Compagnia dei Magi formed and as a result we have the appearances of 3 Magi pictures in Florence.
Altar piece, commissioned by the Strozzi family; 1423, Gentile da Fabriano,
Further it seems, that special religious 3 Magi activities at 6th of January were installed, which grew in their importance with the time.
In 1435 the Dominicans got the object, which was later called San Marco. The Dominicans requested the help of Cosimo in 1437 ...
In 1435 the Benedictines were replaced by Dominicans from the Convent of San Domenico in Fiesole. Two years later, they appealed to Cosimo de' Medici the Elder, who lived nearby in the family palace, now known as the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, to fund the renovation of the entire complex. The works were entrusted to Michelozzo. Each cell of the monks cloister and many other walls were decorated by Fra Angelico in collaboration with others, including Benozzo Gozzoli. Cosimo de' Medici had a cell at the convent for his personal retreat.
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The church was consecrated in 1443, in the presence of Pope Eugene IV.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco,_Florence
Then a traditional 3 Magi march developed leading from St. Marco to the Baptisterium, taking it's way also beneath the Medici palace. The Baptisterium was the natural place of the John-the-Baptist veneration and this was the traditional strongest religious cult in Florence. A connection between Epiphanias (6th of January; Jesus baptised as a child) with John the Baptist (Jesus baptised as grown up) has some internal logic.
It's said that the Medici dominated the Compagnia dei Magi since the 1440's and that they made it their political home.
Now we have, that Dominicans were traditionally strong in Cologne, and also we have, that Cosimo di Medici had been in exile in 1434 in Venice. Cologne and Venice had also traditionally strong trade connections, and about the Medici we know, that they became for some time the dominating international bank of Europe. And these international connections helped, that Cosimo could soon return to Florence and his enemies had to disappear from Florence.
How this all operated would likely be a difficult task to research, but we have after 1435 a following orientation of the Medici towards the cult of the 3 Magi, which gets its highest development with the Medici-chapel by Gozzoli since 1459. This is said to have been completed in 1464.
In 1465 (likely around 6th of January), there was a great triumphal celebration in Florence around the theme of the 3 Magi.
With this background the young Lorenzo di Medici made in May 1465 his big journey towards Milan (he introduced himself as a future important man in Florence in various cities, personally just 16 years old) to partake at the celebrations of the marriage of Ippolita Sforza with a prince of Naples.
The 5x14-theory calculates, that around this time the six-added-trumps of the Pierpont-Morgan-Bergamo (including the complete triade Sun-Moon-Star) ...
... were produced likely with some influence from the Florentine development (1466 the name Minchiate appears for the first time in a document; this clearly seems to indicate, that the number of trumps were increased since then from 14 or 16 before).
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For the church St Eustorgios in Milan (where the Magi bones had been first) we have the background, that Florence and Milan had rather bad relations during the whole first half of 15th century. This changed, when Sforza took Milan in 1450 (Sforza was friend of Cosimo). Then Cosimo became the banker of the Sforza and the banking house had a representatie in Milan. In the 1460's this representative engaged especially for the church St. St. Eustorgios and sponsored a personal chapel there.
Generally the Medici were interested in the trade with Northern Europe. Engaging for a cult, which was popular in Northern Europe, had been a natural way to get international sympathies.