Medici: The Magnificent (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - Episode #2.1 - full transcript
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Spread out.
Search every building.
Always looking for trouble,
aren't you, boy?
You kill me now,...
...and I'll become a martyr.
A martyr?
You'll be forgotten.
Giuliano? Time to get up!
Wide awake, mother!
Ah, good.
You're already dressed.
I'll get Lorenzo.
- He's not in his room.
You're a mule, Sandro!
And you're an ass!
Actually, you are an artist,
Sandro, and you, Poliziano,...
...you're a philosopher.
Which is another
word for saying an ass...
I paint to honor God.
Yes, we all know
how pious you are...
Oh, I suppose you'd like me
to paint lots of pagan gods...
...and men's penises,...
...like all those Greeks
you worship!
You have much to learn
from the ancients, we all do.
Alright, alright, alright.
You're both right.
And you're both wrong.
You wish to depict the
beauty of God and you...
...you wish to recreate
the wisdom of the ancients.
Precisely.
- Exactly.
But where does that wisdom
come from if not from the Lord?
Don't you get sick of
being right all the time?
Now drink up...
...before my
mother comes knocking...
Not mother...
Me.
Please don't tell me you've
been up all night drinking...
You know, you've become more
and more like mother every day.
We have to be back
in Florence by sundown.
You'd better pray mother
doesn't smell your breath.
Let me help you with that, father.
It's a wonder you can walk, given
all the wine you've been drinking...
Forgive me.
We stayed up rather
later than we should have.
Don't apologize. I'd have joined
you if I'd been 20 years younger.
Enjoy the wine of youth, Lorenzo.
It's a cup from which
you only drink once.
Late night for you too, Giuliano?
One's mouth can
be used for things...
...other than talking, big brother.
It's a fine day, isn't it, brother?
Glorious.
I'm going to miss this place.
It always reminds me of grandfather.
Father!
Go back! Go back!
Turn around!
Go! Go! Go!
The carriage! Let's go!
Father!
Father!
Father!
Take cover!
Just in time, I see...
Giuliano, tell them how I
struck that man with my stick!
Father you looked
like a Greek god,...
...from one of Poliziano's stories.
There, you see?
A gout-ridden Greek god.
I'm perfectly alright.
He's not alright. Sabrini,
fetch a surgeon.
Let's get you to bed.
- Come, Messer Medici. Let me help.
You don't look dead to me!
- Hung over, more like it.
If they had killed Lorenzo, we'd
have to tell our own dirty jokes...
And pay for your own wine.
They said you killed a man.
Yes, and he was
stupidly brave doing it, too.
He ran straight
through a hail of arrows.
Have the Priori been informed?
Jacopo Pazzi called an
emergency meeting at his palazzo.
Why his palazzo?
To seize power behind closed doors.
We should go.
This was an act of terror.
Pure and simple.
An attack on one of
us is an attack on us all.
We must act, and we must act now!
Act against whom, Messer Pazzi?
No one has taken
responsibility for this attack.
And no one will!
Lorenzo! Lorenzo!
He's alive!
It's a miracle!
Lorenzo, we are so
relieved to see you alive.
Thank you, Messer Soderini.
Your father will make
a full recovery, I trust?
I pray that he will, Bastiano.
I pray that he will.
What of the men who attacked you?
Have they named their paymaster?
They claim not to know his name.
Yes, it is without
doubt a foreign agent...
A Venetian! Opposed
to our alliance with Milan!
My thoughts precisely.
May I address the
Restricted Council?
I'm sorry, master Lorenzo,...
...but only members of this
body are afforded that privilege.
I think we can make
an exception, gonfaloniere.
Let our young hero speak.
Florence...
...has prospered these many years
under the leadership of my family.
And so many of the
dreams that my father...
...and his father's father...
...had for this Republic
have come true.
Forgive me, Lorenzo,...
...but one man's dream
is another's nightmare.
My nephew and I
have never understood...
...your family's insistence
on throwing money at the poor...
We offer simple Christian charity...
...so that those not born
into wealth and privilege...
...might have a chance...
...to prosper.
Lorenzo, you waste
funds we can ill afford,...
...putting the future
of this Republic at risk.
What did you wish to say, Lorenzo?
That we need not look abroad...
...to find men who hate the
Florence that we have brought about!
I hope you're not suggesting
anyone here, young man.
There, there, Messer Cellini...
We must forgive
young Master Lorenzo.
His wisdom is
parroted from books,...
...not one through
the trials of life.
Everyone on the Restricted Council
is loyal to your family, Lorenzo.
Indeed.
The Medici take
great pains to ensure it.
I mean no offence, gentlemen.
But I feel certain...
...that war is the last
thing that my father would wish.
I beg for time...
Time to name the
real criminal and keep...
...one crime from being
compounded by another.
Bianca, stay with your father.
Yes.
Boys?
What's happened?
The Priori has given us time to
determine who was behind the attack.
You'll do no such thing...
Jacopo Pazzi believes
that Venice was responsible.
He'll vote for war
unless we can prove otherwise.
A war that would bleed
this Republic dry.
Listen to me. You are safe now,...
...but whoever tried to kill
you today, could do so again.
Which is why we need to
determine who was behind the attack.
Don't worry, mother.
We'll be careful.
Come on.
Lorenzo?
How are you?
I'm fine.
No, you're not.
I can see it.
I killed a man today.
I watched the life
drain from his eyes.
It was self-defense.
As soon as you killed the
guards, you had no choice.
I know, I know.
And yet, I took a life.
Everything that that
man was, everything that...
Everything that he will ever be,
is gone from this world.
Forever.
It weighs on you.
As it should.
But you made the right choice, son.
And in the eyes of man and God,
you must make peace with it.
Lorenzo!
Come.
I will show you.
These are beautiful.
Each panel shows a Magi...
...heading to Bethlehem
to witness the nativity.
Do you recognize them?
But it's Papa!
And there's grandfather!
Riding your great
grandfather's mule.
But they weren't in Bethlehem.
What does it mean?
It means our family
is here to serve God,...
...as the Magi did.
And now look who
is leading us all...
Is that me?
One day, you will lead us,...
...as your father led this family
and his father before him.
Does it scare you?
A little...
Let the fear drive you.
To work hard and prepare.
So that when the time comes,
you'll be ready.
You got my letter?
I wasn't sure you'd still come.
I couldn't stay away.
Was your uncle behind the attack?
Do your brothers suspect him?
Of course.
I can't be sure, but...
...no, I don't think so.
Then who?
I have no mind for
politics, Bianca. You know that.
But but Sandro and
Giuliano are looking into it.
Once they clear your
uncle, we declare our love.
We couldn't possibly do that.
- Why not?
Well, my uncle would never consent.
I doubt your father would either.
He agreed to our
marriage once before.
When we were children.
Your father and brothers nearly
lost their lives yesterday, Bianca.
We must be careful.
Lest we lose ours.
Uncle!
Uncle!
Gianni.
Good to see you.
And you, Master Francesco.
Brother!
What a wonderful surprise!
We weren't expecting
you home until next month.
You should have written.
Our affairs in Rome
are back in order.
Although I'm sorry to report
the Holy Father is ill.
I will not shed a
tear when he passes.
The Pope was no friend to us.
I heard there was an assassination
attempt on the Medici yesterday.
Were you involved?
You have been away too
long and forgotten, nephew.
I ask the questions here, not you.
Come.
Let's get a drink.
At the Dove.
The Dove is closed.
Since when?
- This morning.
They said the Medici
revoked their credit.
But there's more than
one tavern in Florence.
You'll drink later.
A change to Rome may
bring change to Florence.
And with Piero recalling loans,...
...there may be better ways...
...of destroying the Medici
than with a blade.
Lorenzo!
And your beautiful mother.
General Sforza...
- Madonna.
Surely you've not forgotten
your kind invitation...
No, no... Certainly not.
We'll ready your rooms at once.
That is by that young
artist, Botticelli, isn't it?
Magnificent.
Where's your father, boy?
I'm right here.
You should rest, father.
I'm rested.
Come, Galeazzo.
Perhaps your son
is right, Messer Medici.
You should rest.
Seeing you here
puts my mind at rest.
We hear a Venetian ordered
the assassination attempt.
In an effort to
disrupt our alliance.
We'll get to the
bottom of it soon enough.
In the meantime, you and
I have business to discuss.
Do we?
You don't think I asked
you all this way to socialize?
You refer to my father's debt...
Your noble father
died three years ago.
Now you're the
Duke, the debt is yours.
I'm afraid it must remain unpaid.
But its obligation is due.
Past due, in fact.
I don't have it.
All our funds were invested
in weaponry and soldiers.
Soldiers...?
Milan is surrounded by enemies.
Surely you understand that
security must come before all else.
I see I've put you in
a difficult situation...
Never mind.
It's not your concern.
But it is.
The Medici are allies to Milan.
And if your family is weakened,
we are weakened too.
Confide in a friend, Messer.
The bank has been
over-extended for months.
I began by recalling
smaller debts to buy in time,...
...but they are not enough.
If your debt is unrepaid...
...then our assets will
be seized and our power gone.
Is it as bad as that?
I cannot repay my debt
with money, Messer Medici.
But perhaps I could
repay it another way.
What other way?
Your position is threatened.
But with my army,
you could restore it,...
...crush your enemies,...
...and we'd call
my father's debt settled.
After your men are done raping,
looting and pillaging the city...
I know you wouldn't have wished
for the occupation of Florence,...
...but surely needs must.
To preserve the
power of your family.
My men are within riding distance.
Just say the word
and the Medici are saved.
We need to talk.
Well?
We went to an inn where
the assassins were staying,...
...and found this
hidden in their bags.
The Pazzi seal.
Which proves
Jacopo Pazzi hired them.
You don't know that.
Not for certain.
Why else would it be there?
We must take this as
evidence to the Priori right away.
No.
No, we'll take it to Jacopo Pazzi.
Whatever for?
Well, if he's innocent,...
...then giving him the chance
to prove it binds him to our cause.
If not, then we go to the Priori...
...having already shown
that we're fair-minded.
We care about justice for
Father, not old man Pazzi.
But if we want justice,
then we'll treat others justly.
Wait here...
Well, well.
That's twice in as many days...
...the Medici boys grace
us with their presence.
You remember Guglielmo's
brother, don't you?
Francesco....
The last time we saw each
other we had words over a lady.
Let's let bygones
be bygones, shall we?
Let's not, Pazzi.
Now, now, boys.
How can we help you?
Sandro Botticelli and I
found this...
...in the assassins' chambers.
How did that get there?
We were hoping you could
help us out with that...
You can't think I had
anything to do with it...?
Well, the medallion
bears your seal, does it not?
Can you explain that?
Giuliano must have planted it.
In an effort to distract
from his ridiculous father.
Messer Pazzi, I---
- Guards!
Stop! Please!
Put down your weapons!
We come here in peace!
And your brother leaves in chains!
Arrest him!
It was an accident!
It was an accident!
It's alright, brother.
I don't mind
spending a night in jail.
Not if it means
the Priori get to see...
...what Pazzi justice
is really like!
You'll hang for attempted murder!
It won't be me who hangs for that!
Well, that went well...
We are the wounded party,
and now Jacopo gets to play...
...the victim.
I'm telling you,
Giuliano's temper...
Medici?
Piero de' Medici's boy!
Yes.
Thank God that arrow didn't
hit your father in the heart.
Thank you, friend.
- Oh, I'm no friend.
If it had hit
your father's heart,...
...it would have bounced off stone.
He gives a working man a loan,...
...and two years to pay it off,...
...and then demands
it all in a week?
I graft and graft,...
...and with a flick of his
quill I loose my business,...
...and my family are
living on the street!
I think there must be some mistake.
There are plenty of mistakes.
I know a dozen merchants...
...chucked out of their homes
thanks to your father.
Let's go. We need to go.
Your grandfather would
never have done this...
He fired those arrows!
They came from the heavens!
Will I live?
Hm.
Your humors are out of balance.
But the pus indicates your
body is ridding itself of toxins.
You are to drink plenty of wine.
A most welcome prescription.
Well, I'm not dead.
And from the
looks on your faces,...
...one would think you've come
to my funeral.
Our son has just seen the Pazzi.
We found evidence that
Jacopo hired the assassins.
But there was an altercation...
...and Giuliano is being
held until the Priori convenes.
See that he is given
clean water and good food.
We don't want him
poisoned like his grandfather.
What else are you not telling me?
It's what you haven't told us.
Lorenzo was accosted
in the street by merchants.
They say you've
recalled dozens of loans.
I was hoping to spare you both.
The bank is over-extended.
But surely the Pope's tithes...
I've already borrowed
against the Pope's tithes,...
...and still we come up short.
But to take from those
who can least afford it...
Lorenzo...
As your grandfather said,...
...sometimes it is necessary
to do some bad in order to do good.
Their labor built
this Republic, Father.
They turn against
us and we've got nothing.
It's alright.
I've come to an
agreement with the Duke.
Sforza will repay his father's loan?
Yes.
Then I'm greatly relieved.
As am I.
Well?
My brother provoked yours.
He didn't mean to hurt my uncle.
This is the last thing we needed.
I think that I can prove...
...that my uncle didn't try
to have your father killed.
It would almost certainly lessen
the tensions between our families.
Can you?
I might.
You're brilliant.
Ground gold.
My physician says it extends life.
A costly prescription...
I can think of no better use
for money than to extend one's life.
Of course, there's always art.
Your young artist, Botticelli...
I would like him to
come paint for me in Milan.
Well, you may ask him, General,...
...but I very much
doubt he'll accept.
Why not?
I'll pay him well.
Sandro was an orphan.
We recognized his talent and we
raised him alongside our own sons.
They're like brothers.
You Medici have strange
ways of treating artists.
And repaying a favor.
A favor?
Your husband told you of
our arrangement, did he not?
My husband merely told me
you were repaying a debt, Duke.
With something more
precious than money.
I thought you weren't coming.
Is your husband here?
Out on business.
Sorry about yesterday.
Well, I've heard
some shoddy excuses...
...for standing up a lover, but...
...saving your father's life?
You'll have to do better than sorry.
How is he?
He's in pain.
He's shaken.
But alive.
Were you hurt?
No.
Not even a slight ache here?
No.
Not even here?
No.
What about here?
No.
What is that brilliant
mind of yours thinking?
About...
...about whether it is
necessary sometimes...
...to do bad in order to do good.
What do you mean by that?
My father had struck a deal
with the Duke of Milan.
But I fear that their terms
are more dire than he's said.
So ask him.
I can't.
Why?
He sees me as a boy.
He's trying to
shield me from the truth.
But you are not a boy, Lorenzo.
You're a man.
An asset to your father.
If only he could see it.
So how do I help him?
You'll find a way.
Will I?
Where are you going?
We have to present our case
against Jacopo Pazzi to the Priori.
Wish me luck.
The Medicis have accused
me of hiring assassins,...
...and paying them with this...
...gold medallion.
But I can prove that this coin
did not belong to any assassin.
Tell me, Messer Fanti,
do you recognize this?
Yes, Signore.
I told your nephew it
has my initials on it: A.F.
Arturo Fanti.
There must be a
thousand AFs in Tuscany.
This one is bent.
Put it on a flat
surface, it will wobble.
You must have been very pleased
to receive it, but you've sold it...
...because it's bent?
Because it's gold.
And the Medici
recalled my loan last week.
Did you?
So the Medici case is: I...
...or one of my nephews...
...paid a hired assassin
with a second-hand medal...
...we bought on the market,...
...rather than use any of the
untraceable gold in our bank vaults?
Only the Pazzi hate my
father enough to try to kill him!
It is natural for a son...
...to be blind to the faults
of his father,...
...and for that reason,...
...if Giuliano de'
Medici apologizes,...
...I am willing to forgive
and forget his slander...
...and physical assault.
Signor,...
...on behalf of the Medici,...
...I apologize to the
noble Pazzi family for...
...my brother's
intemperate reaction...
...to the murderous
attack on our father.
We accept now that we were mistaken.
I was hoping your brother
might speak for himself...
Just say sorry.
You don't have to mean it.
But never mind...
I'll take his silence
as an apology.
I'd still like to know...
...how that medallion got
into the assassin's room.
Where are you going?
I need some air.
Lorenzo!
Everyone go home.
I'll meet you there.
Messer Soderini...
Tell him what you saw, son.
It's the Pazzi...
They've been spreading
word the Medici are insolvent.
Come back tomorrow!
You will all be paid tomorrow!
With one hand, they
force a run on your bank.
And with the other,
they offer to assume...
...the merchants' distressed
credit at a discounted rate.
The Pazzi bank will pay you
five lire to the florin.
It is not what the Medici
bank promised you, of course...
But it is cash in your hand.
And more than you will see
from the Medici, who are insolvent.
They've acquired accounts
from dozens of merchants...
...at a discounted rate,...
...enriching their
bank while crippling yours.
If this continues,
you'll be bankrupt within days.
Medici?
You didn't find Fanti's medal...
...in that assassin's room.
Or if you did, it
was you who put it there.
I don't know how he did it.
But it was your uncle who hired him.
This just proves my point.
Kill me now,...
...and you'll be the first
man the Priori come looking for.
The streets are teeming with
mobs calling for Medici blood.
Good luck inventing
evidence to prove...
...I had anything to do with this.
Giuliano!
Fetch some towels and water!
Who did this to you?
Pazzi.
Francesco Pazzi.
He will pay for this.
Lorenzo, summon the Priori.
We must demand justice.
There'll be no need for that,
will there, Father?
Lorenzo, what do you mean?
I mean the Duke is no longer
repaying the loan with money.
The Duke's men are
outside the city walls.
They will march on
Florence at midnight.
Those men will
sack this city, Father!
And you agreed to it.
I know what they will do.
Father!
- No, you must not do this.
What choice is there?
Would you see us ruined,...
...and the Pazzi
undo all the good...
...we have done for
the people of Florence?
Piero!
Piero!
I have loved and
supported you my entire life.
But this...
this you must not do.
There is no choice.
Husband.
There is always a choice.
Only if you are prepared to loose.
My father and his
father before him never were.
And neither am I.
Now we ride!!
Yeeessss!!!
One day, you will lead us.
Does it scare you?
A little...
Let the fear drive you
to work hard and prepare.
So that when the time comes,
you'll be ready.
Lorenzo...
Are you alright?
Send messengers to summon
the members of the Priori.
Here?
Yes.
Lorenzo?
What's the meaning of this?
Yes, young Medici.
What's your business
with the Priori this time?
Not more baseless charges, I hope.
I've called you
here to save Florence.
We didn't know it needed saving.
You are aware...
...that my father
has called in debts...
...to cover a loan that he
made to the Duke of Milan's father.
And that ordinary
citizens are suffering...
...and that they're rightly angry.
Now the Duke intends to repay
his debt by unleashing an army...
...on our people.
This is deeply troubling, Lorenzo.
Why are you telling us this?
Because my father...
...is a good...
...and he's an honorable man.
But he is no longer
the head of this bank.
But that's ridiculous.
Who removed him?
I am going to.
Right now.
Provided the Restricted Council...
...agree to give me
his seat in the Signoria.
Or the Duke's men
will overrun our city.
Is that right?
I will cancel the loan recalls
that my father has issued,...
...and I will send
the Duke back to Milan.
You stab your own
father in the back.
Why should we trust you?
You trust me,...
...because your nephew attacked
my brother in the street today.
Oh, now that sounds familiar.
You trust me...
...because I forgive him.
Because maybe my brother...
...unjustly accused your
family of being behind the plot...
...to kill my father.
And perhaps Francesco
felt that he had to retaliate.
But I forgive him.
Because the
settling of old scores...
...has never settled anything.
We have to put our
feuds behind us, gentlemen.
To do good, we have to be good.
For the future of Florence.
For the future of us all.
A vote.
Open these gates!
Open them or my men
will smash through them...
...and carry your heads on pikes!
All in favor?
Lorenzo, debts don't just go away.
They have to be accounted for.
Oh, I understand.
I have an offer.
An alliance...
...between your
family's bank and mine...
Forged in marriage:
...your sister Bianca
and my son Bastiano.
He's always had a
great affection for her.
Have you?
You have a deal.
Stop your men, Duke.
Out of our way, Lorenzo.
We have an understanding
with your father.
I am now the head of the bank.
And your presence here is illegal.
You brand me a criminal,
and then expect me to retreat?
Well, if you do, I
will write a letter,...
...saying that I implored you
to protect this city,...
...and that you stayed
your hand at my request.
You'll be seen as a hero,...
...not as a criminal.
And my father's debt?
It remains unpaid, while
your control of the city crumbles.
I'll find another way
to save to this bank...
...and the city.
A shame.
I was greatly
looking forward to this.
But it's your grave, Medici.
Good luck.
You did it.
You saved Florence.
Without so much
as raising your sword.
I destroyed my father.
And compelled the
Priori to act from fear.
Our enemies will come
at us from all sides now.
---
Spread out.
Search every building.
Always looking for trouble,
aren't you, boy?
You kill me now,...
...and I'll become a martyr.
A martyr?
You'll be forgotten.
Giuliano? Time to get up!
Wide awake, mother!
Ah, good.
You're already dressed.
I'll get Lorenzo.
- He's not in his room.
You're a mule, Sandro!
And you're an ass!
Actually, you are an artist,
Sandro, and you, Poliziano,...
...you're a philosopher.
Which is another
word for saying an ass...
I paint to honor God.
Yes, we all know
how pious you are...
Oh, I suppose you'd like me
to paint lots of pagan gods...
...and men's penises,...
...like all those Greeks
you worship!
You have much to learn
from the ancients, we all do.
Alright, alright, alright.
You're both right.
And you're both wrong.
You wish to depict the
beauty of God and you...
...you wish to recreate
the wisdom of the ancients.
Precisely.
- Exactly.
But where does that wisdom
come from if not from the Lord?
Don't you get sick of
being right all the time?
Now drink up...
...before my
mother comes knocking...
Not mother...
Me.
Please don't tell me you've
been up all night drinking...
You know, you've become more
and more like mother every day.
We have to be back
in Florence by sundown.
You'd better pray mother
doesn't smell your breath.
Let me help you with that, father.
It's a wonder you can walk, given
all the wine you've been drinking...
Forgive me.
We stayed up rather
later than we should have.
Don't apologize. I'd have joined
you if I'd been 20 years younger.
Enjoy the wine of youth, Lorenzo.
It's a cup from which
you only drink once.
Late night for you too, Giuliano?
One's mouth can
be used for things...
...other than talking, big brother.
It's a fine day, isn't it, brother?
Glorious.
I'm going to miss this place.
It always reminds me of grandfather.
Father!
Go back! Go back!
Turn around!
Go! Go! Go!
The carriage! Let's go!
Father!
Father!
Father!
Take cover!
Just in time, I see...
Giuliano, tell them how I
struck that man with my stick!
Father you looked
like a Greek god,...
...from one of Poliziano's stories.
There, you see?
A gout-ridden Greek god.
I'm perfectly alright.
He's not alright. Sabrini,
fetch a surgeon.
Let's get you to bed.
- Come, Messer Medici. Let me help.
You don't look dead to me!
- Hung over, more like it.
If they had killed Lorenzo, we'd
have to tell our own dirty jokes...
And pay for your own wine.
They said you killed a man.
Yes, and he was
stupidly brave doing it, too.
He ran straight
through a hail of arrows.
Have the Priori been informed?
Jacopo Pazzi called an
emergency meeting at his palazzo.
Why his palazzo?
To seize power behind closed doors.
We should go.
This was an act of terror.
Pure and simple.
An attack on one of
us is an attack on us all.
We must act, and we must act now!
Act against whom, Messer Pazzi?
No one has taken
responsibility for this attack.
And no one will!
Lorenzo! Lorenzo!
He's alive!
It's a miracle!
Lorenzo, we are so
relieved to see you alive.
Thank you, Messer Soderini.
Your father will make
a full recovery, I trust?
I pray that he will, Bastiano.
I pray that he will.
What of the men who attacked you?
Have they named their paymaster?
They claim not to know his name.
Yes, it is without
doubt a foreign agent...
A Venetian! Opposed
to our alliance with Milan!
My thoughts precisely.
May I address the
Restricted Council?
I'm sorry, master Lorenzo,...
...but only members of this
body are afforded that privilege.
I think we can make
an exception, gonfaloniere.
Let our young hero speak.
Florence...
...has prospered these many years
under the leadership of my family.
And so many of the
dreams that my father...
...and his father's father...
...had for this Republic
have come true.
Forgive me, Lorenzo,...
...but one man's dream
is another's nightmare.
My nephew and I
have never understood...
...your family's insistence
on throwing money at the poor...
We offer simple Christian charity...
...so that those not born
into wealth and privilege...
...might have a chance...
...to prosper.
Lorenzo, you waste
funds we can ill afford,...
...putting the future
of this Republic at risk.
What did you wish to say, Lorenzo?
That we need not look abroad...
...to find men who hate the
Florence that we have brought about!
I hope you're not suggesting
anyone here, young man.
There, there, Messer Cellini...
We must forgive
young Master Lorenzo.
His wisdom is
parroted from books,...
...not one through
the trials of life.
Everyone on the Restricted Council
is loyal to your family, Lorenzo.
Indeed.
The Medici take
great pains to ensure it.
I mean no offence, gentlemen.
But I feel certain...
...that war is the last
thing that my father would wish.
I beg for time...
Time to name the
real criminal and keep...
...one crime from being
compounded by another.
Bianca, stay with your father.
Yes.
Boys?
What's happened?
The Priori has given us time to
determine who was behind the attack.
You'll do no such thing...
Jacopo Pazzi believes
that Venice was responsible.
He'll vote for war
unless we can prove otherwise.
A war that would bleed
this Republic dry.
Listen to me. You are safe now,...
...but whoever tried to kill
you today, could do so again.
Which is why we need to
determine who was behind the attack.
Don't worry, mother.
We'll be careful.
Come on.
Lorenzo?
How are you?
I'm fine.
No, you're not.
I can see it.
I killed a man today.
I watched the life
drain from his eyes.
It was self-defense.
As soon as you killed the
guards, you had no choice.
I know, I know.
And yet, I took a life.
Everything that that
man was, everything that...
Everything that he will ever be,
is gone from this world.
Forever.
It weighs on you.
As it should.
But you made the right choice, son.
And in the eyes of man and God,
you must make peace with it.
Lorenzo!
Come.
I will show you.
These are beautiful.
Each panel shows a Magi...
...heading to Bethlehem
to witness the nativity.
Do you recognize them?
But it's Papa!
And there's grandfather!
Riding your great
grandfather's mule.
But they weren't in Bethlehem.
What does it mean?
It means our family
is here to serve God,...
...as the Magi did.
And now look who
is leading us all...
Is that me?
One day, you will lead us,...
...as your father led this family
and his father before him.
Does it scare you?
A little...
Let the fear drive you.
To work hard and prepare.
So that when the time comes,
you'll be ready.
You got my letter?
I wasn't sure you'd still come.
I couldn't stay away.
Was your uncle behind the attack?
Do your brothers suspect him?
Of course.
I can't be sure, but...
...no, I don't think so.
Then who?
I have no mind for
politics, Bianca. You know that.
But but Sandro and
Giuliano are looking into it.
Once they clear your
uncle, we declare our love.
We couldn't possibly do that.
- Why not?
Well, my uncle would never consent.
I doubt your father would either.
He agreed to our
marriage once before.
When we were children.
Your father and brothers nearly
lost their lives yesterday, Bianca.
We must be careful.
Lest we lose ours.
Uncle!
Uncle!
Gianni.
Good to see you.
And you, Master Francesco.
Brother!
What a wonderful surprise!
We weren't expecting
you home until next month.
You should have written.
Our affairs in Rome
are back in order.
Although I'm sorry to report
the Holy Father is ill.
I will not shed a
tear when he passes.
The Pope was no friend to us.
I heard there was an assassination
attempt on the Medici yesterday.
Were you involved?
You have been away too
long and forgotten, nephew.
I ask the questions here, not you.
Come.
Let's get a drink.
At the Dove.
The Dove is closed.
Since when?
- This morning.
They said the Medici
revoked their credit.
But there's more than
one tavern in Florence.
You'll drink later.
A change to Rome may
bring change to Florence.
And with Piero recalling loans,...
...there may be better ways...
...of destroying the Medici
than with a blade.
Lorenzo!
And your beautiful mother.
General Sforza...
- Madonna.
Surely you've not forgotten
your kind invitation...
No, no... Certainly not.
We'll ready your rooms at once.
That is by that young
artist, Botticelli, isn't it?
Magnificent.
Where's your father, boy?
I'm right here.
You should rest, father.
I'm rested.
Come, Galeazzo.
Perhaps your son
is right, Messer Medici.
You should rest.
Seeing you here
puts my mind at rest.
We hear a Venetian ordered
the assassination attempt.
In an effort to
disrupt our alliance.
We'll get to the
bottom of it soon enough.
In the meantime, you and
I have business to discuss.
Do we?
You don't think I asked
you all this way to socialize?
You refer to my father's debt...
Your noble father
died three years ago.
Now you're the
Duke, the debt is yours.
I'm afraid it must remain unpaid.
But its obligation is due.
Past due, in fact.
I don't have it.
All our funds were invested
in weaponry and soldiers.
Soldiers...?
Milan is surrounded by enemies.
Surely you understand that
security must come before all else.
I see I've put you in
a difficult situation...
Never mind.
It's not your concern.
But it is.
The Medici are allies to Milan.
And if your family is weakened,
we are weakened too.
Confide in a friend, Messer.
The bank has been
over-extended for months.
I began by recalling
smaller debts to buy in time,...
...but they are not enough.
If your debt is unrepaid...
...then our assets will
be seized and our power gone.
Is it as bad as that?
I cannot repay my debt
with money, Messer Medici.
But perhaps I could
repay it another way.
What other way?
Your position is threatened.
But with my army,
you could restore it,...
...crush your enemies,...
...and we'd call
my father's debt settled.
After your men are done raping,
looting and pillaging the city...
I know you wouldn't have wished
for the occupation of Florence,...
...but surely needs must.
To preserve the
power of your family.
My men are within riding distance.
Just say the word
and the Medici are saved.
We need to talk.
Well?
We went to an inn where
the assassins were staying,...
...and found this
hidden in their bags.
The Pazzi seal.
Which proves
Jacopo Pazzi hired them.
You don't know that.
Not for certain.
Why else would it be there?
We must take this as
evidence to the Priori right away.
No.
No, we'll take it to Jacopo Pazzi.
Whatever for?
Well, if he's innocent,...
...then giving him the chance
to prove it binds him to our cause.
If not, then we go to the Priori...
...having already shown
that we're fair-minded.
We care about justice for
Father, not old man Pazzi.
But if we want justice,
then we'll treat others justly.
Wait here...
Well, well.
That's twice in as many days...
...the Medici boys grace
us with their presence.
You remember Guglielmo's
brother, don't you?
Francesco....
The last time we saw each
other we had words over a lady.
Let's let bygones
be bygones, shall we?
Let's not, Pazzi.
Now, now, boys.
How can we help you?
Sandro Botticelli and I
found this...
...in the assassins' chambers.
How did that get there?
We were hoping you could
help us out with that...
You can't think I had
anything to do with it...?
Well, the medallion
bears your seal, does it not?
Can you explain that?
Giuliano must have planted it.
In an effort to distract
from his ridiculous father.
Messer Pazzi, I---
- Guards!
Stop! Please!
Put down your weapons!
We come here in peace!
And your brother leaves in chains!
Arrest him!
It was an accident!
It was an accident!
It's alright, brother.
I don't mind
spending a night in jail.
Not if it means
the Priori get to see...
...what Pazzi justice
is really like!
You'll hang for attempted murder!
It won't be me who hangs for that!
Well, that went well...
We are the wounded party,
and now Jacopo gets to play...
...the victim.
I'm telling you,
Giuliano's temper...
Medici?
Piero de' Medici's boy!
Yes.
Thank God that arrow didn't
hit your father in the heart.
Thank you, friend.
- Oh, I'm no friend.
If it had hit
your father's heart,...
...it would have bounced off stone.
He gives a working man a loan,...
...and two years to pay it off,...
...and then demands
it all in a week?
I graft and graft,...
...and with a flick of his
quill I loose my business,...
...and my family are
living on the street!
I think there must be some mistake.
There are plenty of mistakes.
I know a dozen merchants...
...chucked out of their homes
thanks to your father.
Let's go. We need to go.
Your grandfather would
never have done this...
He fired those arrows!
They came from the heavens!
Will I live?
Hm.
Your humors are out of balance.
But the pus indicates your
body is ridding itself of toxins.
You are to drink plenty of wine.
A most welcome prescription.
Well, I'm not dead.
And from the
looks on your faces,...
...one would think you've come
to my funeral.
Our son has just seen the Pazzi.
We found evidence that
Jacopo hired the assassins.
But there was an altercation...
...and Giuliano is being
held until the Priori convenes.
See that he is given
clean water and good food.
We don't want him
poisoned like his grandfather.
What else are you not telling me?
It's what you haven't told us.
Lorenzo was accosted
in the street by merchants.
They say you've
recalled dozens of loans.
I was hoping to spare you both.
The bank is over-extended.
But surely the Pope's tithes...
I've already borrowed
against the Pope's tithes,...
...and still we come up short.
But to take from those
who can least afford it...
Lorenzo...
As your grandfather said,...
...sometimes it is necessary
to do some bad in order to do good.
Their labor built
this Republic, Father.
They turn against
us and we've got nothing.
It's alright.
I've come to an
agreement with the Duke.
Sforza will repay his father's loan?
Yes.
Then I'm greatly relieved.
As am I.
Well?
My brother provoked yours.
He didn't mean to hurt my uncle.
This is the last thing we needed.
I think that I can prove...
...that my uncle didn't try
to have your father killed.
It would almost certainly lessen
the tensions between our families.
Can you?
I might.
You're brilliant.
Ground gold.
My physician says it extends life.
A costly prescription...
I can think of no better use
for money than to extend one's life.
Of course, there's always art.
Your young artist, Botticelli...
I would like him to
come paint for me in Milan.
Well, you may ask him, General,...
...but I very much
doubt he'll accept.
Why not?
I'll pay him well.
Sandro was an orphan.
We recognized his talent and we
raised him alongside our own sons.
They're like brothers.
You Medici have strange
ways of treating artists.
And repaying a favor.
A favor?
Your husband told you of
our arrangement, did he not?
My husband merely told me
you were repaying a debt, Duke.
With something more
precious than money.
I thought you weren't coming.
Is your husband here?
Out on business.
Sorry about yesterday.
Well, I've heard
some shoddy excuses...
...for standing up a lover, but...
...saving your father's life?
You'll have to do better than sorry.
How is he?
He's in pain.
He's shaken.
But alive.
Were you hurt?
No.
Not even a slight ache here?
No.
Not even here?
No.
What about here?
No.
What is that brilliant
mind of yours thinking?
About...
...about whether it is
necessary sometimes...
...to do bad in order to do good.
What do you mean by that?
My father had struck a deal
with the Duke of Milan.
But I fear that their terms
are more dire than he's said.
So ask him.
I can't.
Why?
He sees me as a boy.
He's trying to
shield me from the truth.
But you are not a boy, Lorenzo.
You're a man.
An asset to your father.
If only he could see it.
So how do I help him?
You'll find a way.
Will I?
Where are you going?
We have to present our case
against Jacopo Pazzi to the Priori.
Wish me luck.
The Medicis have accused
me of hiring assassins,...
...and paying them with this...
...gold medallion.
But I can prove that this coin
did not belong to any assassin.
Tell me, Messer Fanti,
do you recognize this?
Yes, Signore.
I told your nephew it
has my initials on it: A.F.
Arturo Fanti.
There must be a
thousand AFs in Tuscany.
This one is bent.
Put it on a flat
surface, it will wobble.
You must have been very pleased
to receive it, but you've sold it...
...because it's bent?
Because it's gold.
And the Medici
recalled my loan last week.
Did you?
So the Medici case is: I...
...or one of my nephews...
...paid a hired assassin
with a second-hand medal...
...we bought on the market,...
...rather than use any of the
untraceable gold in our bank vaults?
Only the Pazzi hate my
father enough to try to kill him!
It is natural for a son...
...to be blind to the faults
of his father,...
...and for that reason,...
...if Giuliano de'
Medici apologizes,...
...I am willing to forgive
and forget his slander...
...and physical assault.
Signor,...
...on behalf of the Medici,...
...I apologize to the
noble Pazzi family for...
...my brother's
intemperate reaction...
...to the murderous
attack on our father.
We accept now that we were mistaken.
I was hoping your brother
might speak for himself...
Just say sorry.
You don't have to mean it.
But never mind...
I'll take his silence
as an apology.
I'd still like to know...
...how that medallion got
into the assassin's room.
Where are you going?
I need some air.
Lorenzo!
Everyone go home.
I'll meet you there.
Messer Soderini...
Tell him what you saw, son.
It's the Pazzi...
They've been spreading
word the Medici are insolvent.
Come back tomorrow!
You will all be paid tomorrow!
With one hand, they
force a run on your bank.
And with the other,
they offer to assume...
...the merchants' distressed
credit at a discounted rate.
The Pazzi bank will pay you
five lire to the florin.
It is not what the Medici
bank promised you, of course...
But it is cash in your hand.
And more than you will see
from the Medici, who are insolvent.
They've acquired accounts
from dozens of merchants...
...at a discounted rate,...
...enriching their
bank while crippling yours.
If this continues,
you'll be bankrupt within days.
Medici?
You didn't find Fanti's medal...
...in that assassin's room.
Or if you did, it
was you who put it there.
I don't know how he did it.
But it was your uncle who hired him.
This just proves my point.
Kill me now,...
...and you'll be the first
man the Priori come looking for.
The streets are teeming with
mobs calling for Medici blood.
Good luck inventing
evidence to prove...
...I had anything to do with this.
Giuliano!
Fetch some towels and water!
Who did this to you?
Pazzi.
Francesco Pazzi.
He will pay for this.
Lorenzo, summon the Priori.
We must demand justice.
There'll be no need for that,
will there, Father?
Lorenzo, what do you mean?
I mean the Duke is no longer
repaying the loan with money.
The Duke's men are
outside the city walls.
They will march on
Florence at midnight.
Those men will
sack this city, Father!
And you agreed to it.
I know what they will do.
Father!
- No, you must not do this.
What choice is there?
Would you see us ruined,...
...and the Pazzi
undo all the good...
...we have done for
the people of Florence?
Piero!
Piero!
I have loved and
supported you my entire life.
But this...
this you must not do.
There is no choice.
Husband.
There is always a choice.
Only if you are prepared to loose.
My father and his
father before him never were.
And neither am I.
Now we ride!!
Yeeessss!!!
One day, you will lead us.
Does it scare you?
A little...
Let the fear drive you
to work hard and prepare.
So that when the time comes,
you'll be ready.
Lorenzo...
Are you alright?
Send messengers to summon
the members of the Priori.
Here?
Yes.
Lorenzo?
What's the meaning of this?
Yes, young Medici.
What's your business
with the Priori this time?
Not more baseless charges, I hope.
I've called you
here to save Florence.
We didn't know it needed saving.
You are aware...
...that my father
has called in debts...
...to cover a loan that he
made to the Duke of Milan's father.
And that ordinary
citizens are suffering...
...and that they're rightly angry.
Now the Duke intends to repay
his debt by unleashing an army...
...on our people.
This is deeply troubling, Lorenzo.
Why are you telling us this?
Because my father...
...is a good...
...and he's an honorable man.
But he is no longer
the head of this bank.
But that's ridiculous.
Who removed him?
I am going to.
Right now.
Provided the Restricted Council...
...agree to give me
his seat in the Signoria.
Or the Duke's men
will overrun our city.
Is that right?
I will cancel the loan recalls
that my father has issued,...
...and I will send
the Duke back to Milan.
You stab your own
father in the back.
Why should we trust you?
You trust me,...
...because your nephew attacked
my brother in the street today.
Oh, now that sounds familiar.
You trust me...
...because I forgive him.
Because maybe my brother...
...unjustly accused your
family of being behind the plot...
...to kill my father.
And perhaps Francesco
felt that he had to retaliate.
But I forgive him.
Because the
settling of old scores...
...has never settled anything.
We have to put our
feuds behind us, gentlemen.
To do good, we have to be good.
For the future of Florence.
For the future of us all.
A vote.
Open these gates!
Open them or my men
will smash through them...
...and carry your heads on pikes!
All in favor?
Lorenzo, debts don't just go away.
They have to be accounted for.
Oh, I understand.
I have an offer.
An alliance...
...between your
family's bank and mine...
Forged in marriage:
...your sister Bianca
and my son Bastiano.
He's always had a
great affection for her.
Have you?
You have a deal.
Stop your men, Duke.
Out of our way, Lorenzo.
We have an understanding
with your father.
I am now the head of the bank.
And your presence here is illegal.
You brand me a criminal,
and then expect me to retreat?
Well, if you do, I
will write a letter,...
...saying that I implored you
to protect this city,...
...and that you stayed
your hand at my request.
You'll be seen as a hero,...
...not as a criminal.
And my father's debt?
It remains unpaid, while
your control of the city crumbles.
I'll find another way
to save to this bank...
...and the city.
A shame.
I was greatly
looking forward to this.
But it's your grave, Medici.
Good luck.
You did it.
You saved Florence.
Without so much
as raising your sword.
I destroyed my father.
And compelled the
Priori to act from fear.
Our enemies will come
at us from all sides now.