Overview

The book examines the roles that rare and exotic animals played in the cultural self-fashioning and the political imaging of the Medici court during the family's reign, first as Dukes of Florence (1532-1569) and subsequently as Grand Dukes of Tuscany (1569-1737). The book opens with an examination of global practices in zoological collecting and cultural uses of animals. The Medici's activities as collectors of exotic species, the menageries they established and their deployment of animals in the ceremonial life of the court and in their art are examined in relation to this wider global perspective. The book seeks to nuance the myth promoted by the Medici themselves that theirs was the most successful princely serraglio in early modern Europe.

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Reviews

What is made very clear is the highly significant and important role the collecting, ownership, and display of rare and exotic animals had for the Medici rulers of Florence. Both for this and the light it sheds on contemporary perceptions of these animals, Groom's book is immensely valuable and rewarding. Adriana Turpin, Society for the History of Collecting, inIsis volume 111 (2020) Collecting exotic plants and animals from distant global markets underscored the commercial reach of the Medici family in Florence and their wide-flung networks. This well-written, carefully researched study [...] belongs to a new, relevant field of study, namely that of animal studies and zoological collections, the rise of global menageries and its impact upon Renaissance art history and early modern collecting. This well-designed book is supported by a table of the Medici dynasty, useful transcriptions (Appendices 2-4) and colour illustrations. Annemarie Jordan Gschwend, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, in Archives of Natural History (DOI: 10.3366/anh.2019.0612) The menageries of lions, rare animal species, as well as aviaries, the author argues, were key requirements in the manifestation of princely magnificence [...] The Medici practices of collecting and exchanging animals built on practices established during the Republic,when lions became an important religious and civic symbol, and helped to establish the political legitimacy of the new Medici regime [...] A fascinating case study that provides new understandings of the significance of animals at the Medici court. The author has uncovered fascinating examples that will amaze readers. This richly illustrated monograph - often even in colour! - should therefore speak to a wide readership interested in both animal studies and the history of Renaissance Italy. Stefan Hanss, University of Manchester, in Nuncius, volume 34, pp 713-716 This book by Angelica Groom presents well-documented evidence of Medici self-promotion from a practical viewpoint, revealing a malevolent aspect that has been insufficiently explored. A brief overview of animal collections and menageries, established by Asian and European sovereigns, introduces the Medici collections in relation to a wider global phenomenon of cultural activities centered on animals. [...] This book is recommended for those interested in Medici history, animal collecting, menageries, hunting, animal exploitation, spectacles, and imagery. Simona Cohen, Tel Aviv University, in Medici Renaissance Quarterly volume 73, issue 4. (DOI: 10.1017/rqx.2020.238)

Author Information

Angelica Groom, Ph.D. (2013, University of Sussex), is senior lecturer in History of Art and Design at the University of Brighton. She has contributed chapters to edited volumes on courtly collecting and on the relationship between zoological illustrations and sixteenth-century natural history.

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