Explain how the Medici encouraged "exploration". Why did they do it?

The Medici family encouraged not physical, geographical exploration, but the exploration in peoples' minds. They did this through many ways and it all started with their money and power in Florence. Giovanni Medici was the first of the Medici family to come to power in Florence after getting a new Pope elected who then returned the favor by making the Medici Bank the bank of the Vatican. Through this backing of the Church, the Medici family had achieved great amounts of money, power, and respect. When Giovanni died, his son, Cosimo Medici, filled his shoes in Florence. Cosimo was the Medici who brought about much of the internal exploration. One way he did this was by sponsoring upcoming artists like Botticelli. This funding of their works made the known and then that led to a new rise of art in Italy. Later on, Lorenzo Medici funded many other artists that revolutionized art like Leonardo De Vinci and Michelangelo which led to new explorations in the art all over Europe. Another part of 'exploration' that the Medici brought to Florence was when Cosimo funeded Brunelleschi to build the great dome on the Cathedral of Florence, which in a way way like re-exploring ancient architecture.

The Medici family did all of these thing to make themselves well known and they saw the potential in these brilliant artists. By funding all of these changes they left their mark on history forever by being the Godfathers of the Renaissance.

Works Cited

"House of Medici." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Medici_family.

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Medici.svg