# Medici: Masters of Florence (2016)

> The Medici family climbs from Florentine merchants to rulers, gathering powerful enemies along the way.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/58801

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 24
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Frank Spotnitz, Nicholas Meyer
- Network: Rai 1
- Cast: Richard Madden, Daniel Sharman, Stuart Martin, Synnøve Karlsen, Annabel Scholey, Alessandra Mastronardi, Guido Caprino, Sebastian de Souza
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5057130/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: sweeping, dramatic, intriguing, opulent

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with a strong overall rating for its lavish period production and dynastic power politics, though the middle season was rated lower than the others.

## Synopsis

Medici: Masters of Florence (2016-2019) is an Italian national-television historical drama series created by Frank Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer for Rai 1. Following the rise of the Medici banking family from simple merchants to the most powerful figures in Florence, the story centers on Cosimo de' Medici (Richard Madden), whose shrewd financial dealings turn commerce into political control. Around him, Lorenzo de' Medici (Daniel Sharman) and Contessina de' Medici (Annabel Scholey) navigate marriage alliances, family rivalries, and the rising tensions of the city. Sandro Botticelli (Sebastian de Souza) brings the artistic world of the era into view, while Girolamo Savonarola (Francesco Montanari) stands for the religious fervor pressing against the family's ambitions. Each season is a serialized chronicle of bargains, betrayals, and political maneuvering in Renaissance Florence, where every loan and marriage carries consequences. The series is a three-season run of eight episodes each, with the lush palaces, markets, and churches of 15th century Florence providing a rich backdrop. Its tone is sweeping and dramatic, balancing grandeur with intrigue and violence. Fans of The Borgias and The Tudors will find resonance in its dynastic scheming and period opulence.

## Shows like Medici: Masters of Florence

- [Leonardo (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/81221)
- [Wolf Hall (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/54963)
- [The Spanish Princess (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/73417)
- [Hotel Portofino (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/118050)
- [Maximilian and Marie De Bourgogne (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61682)
- [The White Princess (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61432)
- [Borgia (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/31653)
- [Reign (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/43886)
- [Domina (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/89159)
- [The Borgias (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/30388)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt