ABSTRACT
The Medici, unlike many other fi fteenth-century Italian
rulers, did not offi cially owe the legitimacy of their posi-
tion either to the Holy Roman emperor or to the pope in
Rome. Outside of Florence and a few other oligarchical
states such as Siena, Padua, and Venice, territories were
ruled by the courts and their lords or, in the case of the
Papal States, by the authority of the pope. Links between
the European courts created complex political and cul-
tural connections, and rulers typically used imagery to
promote power. Those with humanist leanings used
Classical models to reinforce their legitimacy.
