The story of the Medici (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medici) in Florence is one of intense power struggles and patronage of sublime art works which have made the city into a world class treasure trove of beautiful paintings, sculpture and architecture. This is a fascinating recent account which should leave you spellbound. Next thing – go and visit Florence for the jaw dropping beauty. It’s everthing claimed about it. Make sure to see the bronze doors on the Baptistry by Lorenzo Ghiberti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghiberti#Florence_Baptistery_doors). It took the artist 21 years from 1401 to complete the project.
For a survey of European history 1450-1660, covering much of this period, go to the still estimable Renaissance and Reformation (1964) by V.H.H. Green
Listen to a BBC Radio 4 broadcast (26 December 2013) on the Medici available as a podcast at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m7z08
208 pages in Phoenix New Edition paperback, 2001
ISBN 978-1842124567
John R. Hale