Francesco de' Pazzi (4 June 1444 – 26 April 1478) was a Florentine nobleman and banker who was the second-in-charge of the House of Pazzi, which was ruled by his uncle Jacopo de Pazzi. He was a key member of the Pazzi Conspiracy.
Biography[]
De Pazzi was born on June 4, 1444 and raised in Florence to the noble Tuscan House of Pazzi, who had a long-standing rivalry with the wealthy House of Medici, who tried to climb the social ladder. With the downfall of his bank and loss of government influence, Francesco became a sworn enemy of the Medici family, ruled by Lorenzo de Medici.
During the 1470s, Francesco conspired with the Knights Templar to remove the Medici from power by ways of murder: the Pazzi Conspiracy. In 1476, however, Francesco was accused of murder and Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, a Medici, presented evidence that was threatening to his life. Francesco used connections with corrupt Gonfalconiere Uberto Alberti to bring down the Medicis by executing Giovanni and his sons Federico and Petruccio, and he was freed from prison.
In 1478, Francesco was put in charge of taking over Florence from the Medicis by Templar Grand Master and Spanish businessman Rodrigo Borgia, who wanted to see that the Auditore-controlled Assassins Order brotherhood in Italy crumbled. At San Gimignano a meeting was held in April, but the plan went awry when Francesco's son Vieri de Pazzi was assassinated by Ezio Auditore da Firenze, son of Giovanni, and Francesco decided to assassinate Lorenzo de Medici.
Francesco and his conspirators attacked and killed Giuliano de Medici outside of the Florence Cathedral on 26 April 1478, but failed to kill Lorenzo de Medici. Ezio stepped in and killed the 12 mercenaries sent to finish off the wounded Lorenzo, and Francesco attempted to flee.
Death[]
Francesco's death
Francesco tried to flee, wounded in the failed attempt to attack Lorenzo. Francesco tried to take over the Palazzo della Signoria, arrest the Medici supporters, and install Pazzi officials in their place, so Ezio hurried off to get rid of him. Ezio watched from a roof as battle raged, and he found Francesco on top of the palace. Ezio confronted Francesco, who attempted to run from Ezio after Ezio told him that no help would come for him; Francesco jumped off of the cathedral into a haystack, and Ezio followed him. Ezio succeeded in chasing Francesco down, stabbing him in the back with his hidden blades and killing him. His body was later hanged from the Palazzo della Signoria as his uncle Jacopo de Pazzi and several Pazzi supporters chanted Liberta, frightening Jacopo into fleeing the city.