These sweeping, lavishly illustrated biographies of influential Renaissance figures draw on the most recent and authoritative scholarship available. The dawn of the Renaissance reintroduced classical learning, advanced scientific thought. and humanist ideals to a Europe that had been plagued by war, disease, tyranny, and superstition. Driven by the rediscovery of Greek and Roman texts lost during the barbarian invasions of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance era was characterized by tremendous artistic, scientific, economic, and political development. All of these astonishing developments influenced the leaders and artists of the time. The six books in this extraordinary series provide a solid and fascinating survey of the Renaissance and bring the creative environment of that time to life. No other leader in history has had such an impact on the world of art as Lorenzo de' Medici. Not only a great patron of the arts, Lorenzo wrote plays and poems and reveled in the world of ancient Greek philosophy. Learning from his early political missteps, he strove to keep the various city-states of Italy in alliance, which was a huge feat at the time. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of this impressive man, whose support of the arts, whose implementation of balance of power, and whose passion for learning truly earned him the title "Lorenzo the Magnificent."