"Cosimo di Giovanni de´ Medici, called "the Elder" (Italian: il Vecchio) and posthumously "Father of the Fatherland" (Latin: pater patriae) (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464), was an Italian banker and politician, the first member of the Medici family that de facto ruled Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. Despite his influence, his power was not absolute; Florence´s legislative councils at times resisted his proposals throughout his life, and he was always viewed as primus inter pares ("first among equals") rather than an autocrat. His power derived from his wealth as a banker, and he was a great patron of learning, the arts and architecture." - (en.wikipedia.org 31.01.2020)
