SHORT HISTORY, LONG ECHOES · A2/B1 · 50 min

The Medici

A family of bankers in Italy who used their money to pay for beautiful art.

Want more detail? Read this lesson at B2/C1 level →

Today: tell the story of the Medici, a rich family in Italy who paid artists to make beautiful things. Talk about money, art and power. Grammar: the past simple (finished actions in the past).
Warm up — talk before we read.
  • The Medici were a rich family in Italy long ago. They paid artists to make beautiful things. Do you know any famous art or buildings from Italy?
  • If you were very rich, would you pay for art, new buildings, or something else? Why?
  • Can a family be powerful without being kings or queens? How?

Now — the words for today's story

Ten new words, in three short activities. Do each one first, then check.

A. Match the word to its meaning

Match each word (1–6) to its meaning (A–F). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is C" — then check.

Words

  1. a bank
  2. a loan
  3. an artist
  4. a painting
  5. a statue
  6. power

Meanings

  • A. money that you borrow and must give back later
  • B. a person who makes art, like pictures or statues
  • C. a place that keeps money and lends money to people
  • D. when you are strong and can tell other people what to do
  • E. a figure of a person or animal, made of stone or metal
  • F. a picture that an artist makes with paint

1 = C (a bank) · 2 = A (a loan) · 3 = B (an artist)

4 = F (a painting) · 5 = E (a statue) · 6 = D (power)

B. Guess the word from the sentence

Read the sentence. What does the bold word mean? Say your idea, then reveal.

7. The Medici gave a lot of money to young artists. Because of this support, the artists could work and make beautiful things.
support — help, often money, that you give to a person so they can do something.
8. The city was full of new art, new ideas and new books. This great time in Italy was the Renaissance.
the Renaissance — a great time in Europe, about 500 years ago, when people made a lot of new art and had new ideas.

C. Which word? (opposite or example)

Read the clue and say the word, then reveal.

9. This word is the opposite of "poor". A person with a lot of money is ___.
wealthy — having a lot of money. (The opposite of "poor". It is like "rich".)
10. The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church. Some men in the Medici family became the ___.
a pope — the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, who lives in Rome.

Now talk — out loud

Before we read:
  • Which words are about money? Which words are about art?
  • Use three of the words to guess: what do you think happens in this story?

The story, in three parts

Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.

Part 1 — A rich family with a bank

The Medici were a family in Florence, a beautiful city in Italy. Long ago, about 600 years ago, they started a bank. The bank became very big and very strong. The Medici lent money to kings, to rich people, and even to the Pope in Rome. They became one of the richest families in all of Europe.

One man in the family was very clever. His name was Cosimo de' Medici. Florence had no king. The people wanted to choose their leaders. But Cosimo had a lot of money, so he had a lot of power. He helped his friends and gave money to important people. In this quiet way, he became the real leader of the city.

Cosimo did not only want power. He also loved beautiful things. He gave money to artists and to builders. He paid for a very big, round roof — a "dome" — on the top of the big church in Florence. People said it was impossible to build. But the builder finished it, and that dome is still on the church today.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. How did the Medici family become rich?

2. How did Cosimo become the leader of Florence, when there was no king?

1. They started a bank and lent money to kings, rich people and the Pope. The bank became very big.

2. He had a lot of money, so he had power. He helped his friends and gave money to important people, and became the real leader.

Talk about it:
  • Cosimo was the leader, but he was not a king. Do you think money can give a person power? How?

Part 2 — Lorenzo and the artists

Cosimo's grandson was called Lorenzo. People called him "Lorenzo the Magnificent" because he was so great. He loved art more than anything. He invited many artists to his house and gave them money and food. A young boy called Michelangelo lived with the family for some time. Later, Michelangelo became one of the greatest artists in the world.

But the Medici had enemies too. Another rich family, the Pazzi, did not like them. In 1478, the Pazzi made a secret plan. During a church service, some men attacked Lorenzo and his brother. They killed Lorenzo's brother, but Lorenzo ran away and was safe. The people of Florence were very angry and helped Lorenzo. After this, Lorenzo was more powerful than before.

Lorenzo loved art, but he was not good with the bank. He spent a lot of money and did not watch the business. Slowly, the family bank started to lose money. But the beautiful art did not stop. When Lorenzo died in 1492, Florence was full of wonderful paintings and statues.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. Who was Lorenzo, and which famous artist lived with his family?

2. What did the Pazzi family do in 1478?

1. He was Cosimo's grandson, "Lorenzo the Magnificent". He loved art. The young Michelangelo lived with his family.

2. They made a secret plan and attacked Lorenzo and his brother in a church. They killed his brother, but Lorenzo was safe.

Talk about it:
  • Lorenzo loved art, but he was not good with money. Is it a problem to love one thing and forget another?

Part 3 — Popes, and art for everyone

The Medici family became very powerful. Some men in the family became the Pope, the leader of the Church in Rome. In total, four Medici men became popes. Two Medici women became queens in France. The family from the small bank was now one of the most important families in all of Europe.

The Medici family ruled Florence for a very long time — about 300 years. But then the family became smaller and smaller. In the end, there were no more children. The last Medici died, and the great family was finished.

But the story has a happy end. The last person in the family gave all the family's art to the city of Florence. She said the art must stay in the city forever. Because of this gift, you can still go to Florence today and see the beautiful paintings and statues. The Medici family is gone, but the art they paid for is still here.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. How did the Medici become powerful outside Florence?

2. Why can people still see the Medici art in Florence today?

1. Four Medici men became popes in Rome, and two Medici women became queens in France.

2. The last person in the family gave all the art to the city of Florence and said it must stay there forever.

Talk about it:
  • The last Medici gave the art to the city. Was this a good idea? Should beautiful art be for everyone?

Grammar: past simple

This story happened long ago and is finished. For finished actions in the past, we use the past simple.

Regular verbs: add -ed.
start → started · love → loved · help → helped · call → called · want → wanted
"The Medici started a bank." "Cosimo helped his friends."
Irregular verbs: learn them one by one.
give → gave · make → made · become → became · run → ran · die → died · pay → paid · build → built
"Cosimo gave money to artists." "Four men became popes."
Time words help you. We often use words like in 1478, long ago, then, later, yesterday with the past simple.

1. Write the past simple (regular verbs)

Change the verb in brackets to the past simple. Add -ed.

1. The Medici (start) a bank in Florence.

2. Cosimo (help) his friends and got power.

3. The people (love) Lorenzo and his art.

1. started

2. helped

3. loved

2. Write the past simple (irregular verbs)

These verbs are irregular. Write the correct past simple form.

1. Cosimo (give) money to artists.

2. Four Medici men (become) popes.

3. Lorenzo (die) in 1492.

1. gave

2. became

3. died

3. Tell a short part of the story

Fill each gap with the past simple of the verb in brackets. Read it aloud when you finish.

Long ago, the Medici (be) a rich family in Florence. Cosimo (pay) for a big dome on the church. His grandson Lorenzo (invite) many artists to his house. The last Medici (give) all the art to the city.

was (irregular) · paid (irregular) · invited (regular, -ed) · gave (irregular)

Remember: regular verbs take -ed; irregular verbs you must learn one by one.

Listen

There is a real podcast about the Medici family. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.

🎧 Heard it already? Good — use this lesson as your recap, and listen for new details next time. Haven't? No problem — you now know the story and the key words, and that makes a fast podcast much easier to follow. The podcast is optional; this lesson works on its own.

Short History Of… The Medici

From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. Open Spotify and search "Short History Of The Medici" to play the episode.

Open the show on Spotify →
While you listen:
  • Write down three words you hear and know from today's lesson (bank, money, art, artist, painting, power…).
  • Can you hear the names Florence, Cosimo and Lorenzo?
  • Find one new thing the podcast says, and tell me about it next time — even just one sentence.

Speak

Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.

Useful language: use the past simple for the story ("the Medici started a bank", "Cosimo gave money to artists", "Lorenzo died in 1492"). To give an opinion: "I think…", "In my opinion…", "For me, the reason is…".
Time remaining: 3:00
Task A · Tell the story (3 minutes)

Tell the story of the Medici in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a rich family with a bank in Florence → Cosimo, the quiet leader, and the big dome → Lorenzo and the young artist Michelangelo → the secret plan of the Pazzi → four popes and two queens → the art that stayed in the city.

Try to use the past simple (started, gave, became, died, paid) and some of the key words (bank, loan, artist, painting, statue, power, support, Renaissance).

Task B · Money and art (3 minutes)

The Medici had a lot of money, and they used it to pay for art. Is this a good way to use money? What do you think rich people should do with their money? Why?

Task C · A story of your own (3 minutes)

Tell a story of your own about the past. Use the past simple (was, went, made, gave, saw).

Not sure what to talk about? Choose one:

  • A beautiful building, museum or park in your city — who made it?
  • A famous artist, painting or statue that you like.
  • A rich person or company that helped people or gave money to a good cause.
  • A time when your family or your city was very different in the past.
  • An old thing (a house, a photo, a story) that a family gave to you.
  • A place you visited that is very old and famous.

To finish

  1. The Medici had money and power, but people remember them for their art. Is that a good thing to be remembered for?
  2. The last Medici gave all the art to the city. Was this kind, or clever, or both?
  3. From memory: say two sentences about the Medici in the past simple. Which verbs did you use?