golden ear

Chapter 307 I Have Another Good Friend
"It's not easy for you to come here once from a thousand miles away. Let's have dinner together later, and I'll introduce someone to you."

Wu Tianyuan was taken aback, did not expect the Pope to invite him to dinner?Don't eat for nothing, hehe.

"Come on, Marshall, meet the famous treasure hunter, Mr. Wu!"

A shrewd and capable Italian in his early forties walked in enthusiastically, and greeted Wu Tianyuan, "I've known you for a long time. I'm Marshall, from the Medici family."

Wu Tianyuan suddenly realized, took a deep look at the Pope, and said to himself: "Sure enough, he is a treacherous and cunning man!"

The Medici family was a famous family in Florence with powerful influence in Europe from the 13th century to the 17th century.

Without the Medici family, there would be no Italian Renaissance. The heart of the Renaissance is Florence. Most of the most well-known artists are inextricably linked with this city.

When we walk around the World Art Museum to appreciate the "Italian Renaissance Exhibition", when our eyes pass by Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, Da Vinci, Raphael, De La Ria, Michelangi Luo, Mantania and other well-known names, perhaps you should know that there is another name shining behind these Renaissance masters, and that is--Medici.

In fact, many of the works in the exhibition were originally collected by the Medici family. Many portraits and sculptures were made for members of this family. Even the main source of the exhibits is the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, which is also the heritage of this family. .

Giovanni and Cosimo were the founders of the Medici family's wealth and culture. They started in banking and gradually gained political status. They were the de facto rulers of Florence for most of the centuries.

This family also gave birth to three popes, Leo X, Clement VII, and Leo XI, two French princesses Catherine and Mary, and countless nobles and dignitaries.

The magnificent Duke Lorenzo was the most famous art patron in the high Renaissance. Originally, Cosimo was distressed by the untimely death of his son Giovanni, who had high hopes for him. He was worried that there would be no successors in the family. Lorenzo would be the most famous person in the family, known to history as the Magnificent Duke Lorenzo.

Lorenzo first noticed the talented Michelangelo, and he paid more attention and love to him.This 14-year-old boy went in and out of Lorenzo's palace, studied and observed a large number of artworks, and got along with the most famous humanist scholars and poets at that time. Metaphor.

The middle-aged Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Leo X, who was born in Medici, to build a mausoleum for the Medici family in Florence. This project was carried out intermittently for 15 years.The famous four statues of "Day", "Night", "Morning" and "Twilight" are placed on the sarcophagus of the mausoleum.

There is also a statue in the mausoleum, which shows Lorenzo, with a handsome face and gorgeous clothes reflecting deep sorrow, which shows the deep relationship between them.

The most important achievements of the Medici family are in art and architecture, which played a great role in promoting the Renaissance.Giovanni was the first in the family to patronize the arts.Aid Massaccio and order the rebuilding of the Church of San Lorenzo.

Cosimo's famous artistic collaborators were Donatello and Francophile Filippo, and the most brilliant stroke of that period was Michelangelo, who, from Lorenzo onwards, was in the service of generations of Medici.In addition to commissioning work in art and architecture, the Medici also collected extensively, and their collection is currently the core of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

The meal was a joy for both guests and hosts, especially for Marshall and Wu Tianyuan, who felt as if they hadn't seen each other for too long.In all fairness, Wu Tianyuan has met many children from big families, but Marshall is undoubtedly the one with the most artistic temperament and aesthetic taste!

"Okay, since you have become friends, let's work together." The Pope put down his teacup, looked at Wu Tianyuan and said, "Italy is the cultural capital of the world, and it is also the birthplace of luxury goods. I believe you understand what I mean?"

"Of course, don't worry, the Medici family is definitely my most suitable ally!"

Wu Tianyuan knew well that the pope was also a member of the Medici family. This family had supported three popes, and its power in the Holy See was beyond doubt.It is estimated that the two of them have been prepared to meet this time, and they hope to achieve mutual benefit through cooperation.The great Lord does not need wealth, but does man need it?
There is another alliance in Europe, the Medici family in Italy, Marshall has a good understanding of Chinese culture, Wu Tianyuan invited him to the capital once, and the two of them made a good plan for the direction of future cooperation.

"You're so majestic, you're even willing to give away the legendary Holy Spear?"

Wu Tianyuan looked at Hu Jianmin's indignation, and said with a smile, "It's their sacred object, what does it have to do with us? It's not a relic, so what's the use of keeping it?"

"This time I can win the support of the old Pope, and I have a good ally in Italy, which is the luxury capital of the world!"

"What's more, what is a holy gun?" Wu Tianyuan pointed to the information given by the pope in his hand and said: "With these clues, I can find more holy objects in minutes, such as the golden ark of the covenant, the shroud of Turin , the Holy Cross, and the Holy Nail are nothing!"

Hu Jianmin said helplessly: "Remember to change to some top-notch oil paintings next time when you come back. Now Tianyuan has more than one museum. There are also oil painting museums and ancient civilization museums waiting to open. There is not a single collection!"

"Don't worry, there are only so many treasures, if you find one and one is missing, do you think it is endless?"

Wu Tianyuan retorted: "In the end, we still have to rely on Tianyuan Fund and Tianyuantang to make money. This is a long-term business. By the way, how does Japan react to antique porcelain?"

"Little Japan is going crazy!" Hu Jianmin said excitedly: "All the porcelain caused a sensation as soon as it appeared. The Yamanaka family and Goro Sakamoto's Taoli Club organized a party and invited senior collectors to appreciate and appraise it. The result shocked the audience. Even Patriarch Yasuda also I want to customize a few of the top tea sets and prepare them for collection."

"Little Japan's aesthetics are still very high, good things are spot on!" Wu Tianyuan said with satisfaction: "To lose their appetite, let Old Tang accumulate more goods, don't rush to sell, we will talk about it in two months."

"Celadon and Jianyao are the mainstream products, but the top three still rely on the three famous kilns, Brother Ruguan!"

"I know this. Slow work produces meticulous work. All the lost raw materials and secret recipes have been handed over to Lao Tang. The rest is up to time and luck. Not to mention antiques, even the firing back then was one in a hundred. Ten kilns can produce a finished product. It's not bad. Already!"

(End of this chapter)