'Pierfrancesco di Lorenzo de' Medici' (also 'Pierfrancesco the Elder';
1431 -
March 28 1469) was an
Italian banker and diplomat, a member of the
House of Medici of
Florence.
Born in Florence, he was the son of
Lorenzo the Elder and Ginevra Cavalcanti, and thus nephew of
Cosimo de' Medici and cousin on
Piero the Gouty, ''de facto'' lords of the city from 1459.
Pierfrancesco was orphaned in 1440, and was raised by his uncle. He acted as ambassador (to the Pope in 1458 and to
Mantua in 1463) of the
Republic of Florence and of ''Priore delle Arti'' (1459). After Cosimo's death (1464), Pierfrancesco was initially a supporter of Piero, but later sided against him, being amongst the conjurers who participated to
Luca Pitti's failed coup in
1466. Graced by Piero, he thenceforth took care the family bank.
From his marriage with Laudomia Acciaioli he had two sons:
Lorenzo (1463-1503) and
Giovanni (1467-1498), who were later fierce oppositors of Cosimo's line of the Medici.
Pierfrancesco died in 1469. His sons were adopted by their cousin
Lorenzo il Magnifico.