Giovanni took up residence in Rome in 1500, where he lived a lavish lifestyle, surrounded by friends and relatives, including his cousin Guilio, illegitimate son of the Guiliano who had been murdered by the Pazzi, and his youngest brother, also named Guiliano. According to Christopher Hibbert, in "The House of the Medici," Giovanni played the role of the generous host to the extent that he was frequently in debt. The days of the great Medici Bank, established by Giovanni's great-great-grandfather were over. Church benefices and later, the sale of indulgences, would fund the lives of the Medici cardinals and popes.
In 1503 a new pope was elected: Cardinal Guilano della Rovere became Julius II. Known as the "Warrior Pope" for expanding the Papal States by warfare, he was also known for his ambitious building projects and his patronage of the arts. Julius II commissioned the destruction and reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica, and also later commissioned the decoration by Michelangelo of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The cardinals, including Giovanni, accompanied Julius II in battle, aided by the Spanish, and as it happened, Giovanni was taken prisoner near Bologna by the French in 1512, but later escaped and made his way to Mantua. There a plot was in the works to bring the Medici back to power in Florence, which had been suffering a lack of leadership after the exile of the Medici. The Spanish Army then marched on into Tuscany, where the engagement that was later called "The Sack of Prato" convinced the Florentines to lay down arms. The Medici Family was now back in power in Florence!!
Further research tells me that the terra cotta bust of Cardinal Giovanni, pictured above, which I saw in Florence in 2013, is usually housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Thanks to my friend Eileen for reminding me that I had seen it.
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