Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The Medici family was descended from a knight called Averardo, who fought for Charlemagne during his conquest of Lombardy in the eighth century. They came to Florence in the thirteenth century. #2 The first Medici to be mentioned in the records of Florence is one Chiarissimo, who appears on a legal document dated 1201. The family became money-changers and gradually prospered. By the end of the thirteenth century, they had become one of the better-known business families in the city. #3 The city of Florence was the main economic power in Europe in the thirteenth century, due to the new growth industry of banking. The setting up of banks in the main trading centers greatly facilitated this burgeoning international trade, and in the process merchant bankers accumulated large assets. #4 During the fourteenth century, Florence became known for its banking supremacy and the trustworthiness of its bankers. The city’s currency, the florin, became an institution.