Original subtitles

Beautiful.

They command the Pope himself to run.

Why not?

The Pope owes you money.

Stop it!

You all know he was a tyrant!

He ruined anyone that got in his way!

Florence, home of Giovanni Medici, they could never repay in

gold.

The Lord blessed his family with great wealth, yet he acted

not from greed, but from conviction.

Conviction that wealth was not to be hoarded by the few, but used

to provide for the many.

Strong.

Care for some wine?

I think we could all use a glass.

Go drink elsewhere.

With pleasure.

As soon as you tell me what your friend here whispered in your ear, it's none of

your concern.

If it is to do with this family, Cosimo, it is very much my concern.

Father was murdered.

What? He always tasted the grapes on his morning walks.

Only this time they were painted with the hemlock.

Walker had the surgeon study his liver, to be sure.

Do you know who did it?

Power breathed the enemy.

Your father had many.

None greater than our Beatty. He's always hated us.

Not always.

We must inform this in your ear. We must be nothing of the kind.

Did father teach you nothing?

Perception is power.

And we must appear powerful now more than ever. His murder demands justice,

Cosimo.

Alerting his killer will only make him harder to catch.

I will have justice.

Once I know who did it.

You never did have your girl, what of you?

Yeah, checked her out.

It's from LBT.

He wants to meet at the Fuling Mill.

Strange that you would ask to meet here. This old mill is where it all started,

isn't it?

Your father began his climb from peasant to monarch.

And my father held no such title.

Giovanni de' Medici was far too clever to claim a title.

Everyone knows he ruled with focals upon them.

He lined the people's pockets and gave them a voice just loud enough to make

them feel strong. What is it you want in Ollum?

His position in the signoria.

A replacement will be selected tomorrow, and I expect it to be you.

If I am so fortunate to have my name drawn at random.

Random, yet remarkably, the restricted council is always seated with a name

loyal to the marriage.

My family has had differences with yours.

It matters that the signoria, at least, we had an understanding with your

father. He did not challenge the established order. And you're here to

that I won't either.

I am my father's son.

It's not quite a no, is it?

You certainly are your father's son, Cosimo.

I fear you're even more your father than he was.

If you challenge us, your children will be back at this mill selling filthy wool

like your late father.

Hiro, are you quite all right?

I'm fine, Grandma.

Then stop making a spectacle of yourself with those tears. Your grandfather

would want you to show strength.

Where is my son?

He went out this morning. I asked, where is he?

In a meeting, Mother. Mark's brother's gone to find him.

Missing dinner.

His father's not been in the grave one day.

And already he neglects his family.

Have you seen him?

I'm concerned about you, Cosimo. Fine.

You vanished for hours.

What happened this afternoon with Marcobello and Lorenzo?

Nothing of importance.

There's always been a distance between us, Cosimo.

But I've been a good and loyal wife these many years, and now you bear a

burden.

The weight of this family, this bank, this republic.

It would be enough to break another man.

If you would allow me, I could help to lessen it.

Where's your brother?

He had known.

I'm late.

You're late? No, it's late.

That means I'm late.

Sorry, Father.

Sorry. Is it new?

Your cloak.

Is it new?

Yes.

Very nice. May I see it?

Of course.

Very fine.

My father would sell wool like this, but only to the wealthiest. No.

What? No.

No. No, no, no, no.

That will be all we'll call it.

What did you do that for? The Medici do not call attention to themselves with

fancy dress.

I have money. Why not enjoy it?

You have my money.

Turn it up!

You wanted to see us, Father?

Yes.

This is a letter from Rome.

The Pope has died.

The courier will act swiftly to replace him.

How does this concern us?

Pack your things.

You'll see.

You spent hours studying the Duomo.

Yes, Father.

Have you considered why the old Florentines built a cathedral so

No one could complete it. It was folly. Their ambition exceeded their ability.

They knew it wasn't possible.

The people were too grand, too boring.

If they knew it would not be completed, why build it?

Because they had dreams, Cosimo.

that God would produce future generations clever enough to realize

That could be me, Father, if I apply myself to my drawing.

It could be you.

But not with your drawings. The dome will not be completed by an artist or an

architect. It will be completed by a man who can marshal the vast resources

needed to accomplish the task.

A man of great wealth?

How?

I know you fancy yourself an artist.

I don't know.

But I too have dreams.

For this family.

For this city.

And when I die, it'll be up to my son and the son's sons

to realize those dreams.

Giovanni de' Medici.

Admiral,

these are my sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo.

Lorenzo?

Your father has come up with a rather remarkable proposal, boss.

At present, Holy Mother Church is fatally divided. There's a false part of

avenue, another one in Naples.

Pope Alessandro dead.

Our hopes depend on a strong successor to purify and unite the church.

You seek financing?

To buy votes among the curia in Rome.

Bribery. I believe it's pronounced lobbying.

And your candidate?

Why, me, of course.

You're not seriously thinking of giving money to a pirate?

No, no, no, a condottiere.

I'm not.

Not just that, but an ordained cardinal and voting member of the

Coria.

He seeks to unite and purify by buying his way into the papacy? It is sometimes

necessary to do some bad in order to achieve a much greater good.

What collateral do you offer?

None at all.

Now, I'm afraid if I fail, there's little hope of you recovering your

investment, but...

If I succeed, the Medici become bankers to the Pope.

All the tithes and taxes that flow to the courier from London to Tunisia will

pass through our bank.

In a stroke, we would become the most successful bank in Europe.

No one could call us usurers anymore. Not if the Pope was our client. What?

Usurers?

Users make money by charging interest to the desperate.

Our profit comes from trade and credit. We give opportunity to those who

otherwise would have none. Never forget that.

All right.

You will go to Rome at once.

So will you. Me? Yes.

Lorenzo is good at convincing people, not me. Only one of you can leave the

if I die.

He wants to pit it against each other.

No, we won't let him divide us, will we?

Never.

Today, in heavy hearts, we choose a successor for the late Giovanni de'

Oh, the suspense is killing me. The successor to Giovanni de' Medici shall

be Cosimo de' Medici.

They're cheating.

You are cheating.

You are cheating.

You are cheating.

My father understood that money should be used to allow all men to benefit from

their toil, not just those born to rank and title.

That is the Florence he helped build.

He may be gone, but what he stood for cannot be destroyed.

Visconti, Duke of Milan, has attacked Lucca.

The city walls have fallen.

I call for immediate adjournment.

Adjourned.

The important families must call for war to protect our interests in Lucca.

The merchants whose livelihood depend on trade, war is not in their best

interest.

We will support his cause at home, just as your father did.

We will find his feet need filling again.

Father! Is it true there will be war?

If it's possible.

Piero was meant to go with you today to see you take your father's seat in the

Signoria. It's thou must have it working with you.

Is there nothing else you dream of being other than a banker?

It's what grandfather wished, is it not?

He is your heir.

I did not need to be reminded. He is brilliant.

He has a mind for books, not the affairs of men. Just give him a chance.

You were his age when you started learning from your father.

Welcome

to

Rome.

Sooner we can leave this stinkhole the better.

Twenty -three cardinals vote for the Pope.

We have three weeks to persuade twelve of them to elect me.

But you're among the twenty -three. You see?

We already have one vote.

Cardinal Corsa!

Are you entirely serious?

Entirely. As you're doubtless aware, Cardinal Costa is highly qualified. And

fully ordained.

Cardinal Tavanti has my vote.

I see no reason to change it.

How many reasons does your Eminence need?

You see, Your Eminence, we deeply believe in the candidacy of Cardinal

and we are

Not bad.

Not as good as me, of course.

But not bad.

You're an artist.

What's the mouthful?

I'm called Donatello.

You're not from here, are you?

Florence. So am I.

Medici.

Medici.

Then you are a banker.

I am.

I'm here to learn.

A banker who wants to be an artist.

All right then, Medici.

Come with me.

What is this place?

My workshop.

Bertolo! This is my new friend, Cosimo.

Enchanted. Have a cup.

Thank you.

The wisdom of the ancients.

Salvaged from the streets.

This is why you came to Rome.

It seems the only artist who has something to teach me died a thousand

ago.

Si.

They have no clothes.

You are a banker, aren't you?

Are we not made in God's image?

By showing the beauty of man, do we not depict the beauty of God?

You said you wanted to learn.

Come.

Start there.

I hope you didn't mind me staring.

Why would I?

You were almost... Naked.

I wasn't sure you'd noticed.

Your eyes.

Didn't look down once.

What's your name?

Bianca.

I am Cosimo.

Cosimo.

Will I see you again?

I hope so.

I hope so, too.

Hambrough, there's work to be done.

Myself, I'm inclined to favor Cardinal Colonna.

Remnant.

God in the terrain.

A moment of your time.

You need another chance.

Where are you going?

I have to go to work.

I thought you were an artist.

I would very much like to be.

Why?

If you have a job.

Artists make no money.

There's more to life than money, you know.

Like what?

Like beauty.

Like you.

Beauty doesn't matter without food in your stomach.

Clothes on your back.

A roof.

Where are you from?

What did you do before this?

I was a laundress.

I will be again when I leave this place.

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think I am?

Are you so depraved as to believe there is no honour or faith in Rome?

Your Eminence, we were merely hoping to help a guy. I know precisely what you

are hoping, Cardinal Cotter.

How dare you presume we are all as corrupt as yourself?

I serve God.

And you?

The usurer.

With social pretensions.

Another time, perhaps.

How's it going with Koza?

Oh, so you remembered about that, did you?

I'm sorry, I know I haven't exactly been carrying my weight. No.

You've done nothing.

And to answer your question, it isn't going particularly well.

We have five days left, and all we have done is depleted our funds. Where have

you been? You're far better at this than I am, Lorenzo.

Is that supposed to be an excuse?

I don't want to be a banker, you know that. We don't have a choice.

Neither of us do.

Time for mass.

Close the door. I want a word.

We've understood some things about who murdered Father.

Such as?

Whoever he was, he had a critical education.

Poisoning fruit was a trick used on Emperor Augustus.

His wife knew he had his food tasted, so she killed him by having the figs on a

tree dogged with poison.

Well, that certainly narrows the list.

Can I speak with you alone?

You do know the Albizia rallying support for a vote in the Signoria to authorize

war against Luca. His men are in the streets as we speak, readying for

The families need this war to preserve their revenue from the properties there.

Yes.

How will you vote?

Father would have gone along to get along.

He would have voted with me. You hold father's seat now.

And if you oppose the war, then many others in the signoria will vote with

And the families will be at war with us.

Albizzi warned me against opposing the might.

Albizzi. Had a classical education.

And when he was a boy, he played in that vineyard many times. I know.

If he killed our father, he did it for one reason, to weaken us.

And now you have a chance to weaken him.

If you do not take that, Cosimo, then you may not get another.

Let us pray.

God, who blessed Mary, always virgin, Holy Spirit, dwell in us,

today, in the temple, present to us your will.

Hurry, I repeat, in your intercession, in the temple of your glory, present to

us your will.

God, who blessed Mary, always virgin,

You must forgive my intrusion upon your devotions, my lord.

You had me break the law by conducting an autopsy on your father.

And yet I notice that word of his poisoning has not spread.

Would I be correct in assuming that your excellency prefers to keep this

melancholy fact a secret?

What's your point?

My point is...

that someone does know what befell your lamented father.

Someone beside his murderer.

You know, for 100 Florence, my lips are sealed forever.

May I have a word?

I went to the piazza as instructed.

The Checo says, one hundred florins is nothing to a man such as yourself.

Don't worry, it was a thousand.

Frightened him.

How long have you known me?

Eighteen years now.

If for me on the street I was blooded and beaten and you brought me into your

home, it has been my honor to serve you everything.

You've done more than that, Mokka. You've been like a brother.

Then you know you must trust me.

I've known men like this surgeon all my life and I'm telling you, he will never

go away.

Not until he's made to go away.

Frighten him, Mokka.

Nothing more.

Bianca? Will you betray us, please? Bertolo is only 19.

Must he be put to death for sodomy?

Must I?

Cosimo.

I was afraid you'd left.

Just for bread, that's all.

I don't want you to leave ever again, do you understand?

Cosimo, don't be silly.

You're the son of a banker.

And I'm a loaner.

I'm in love with you, Bianca.

I am in love with you.

As if that mattered.

On day three, I'm going to take you to meet my brother and my father.

You're a dreamer, cousin.

That's exactly what I am.

What is it?

A letter from my father.

The Albizzi have been thrown bribes the other way. What?

We're nearly bankrupt.

That's a pity.

I could have helped.

I could have cleansed the church.

I've just spoken to Cardinal Mosca.

He's with us.

How did you manage that?

There's no money left to bribe him with. I used the argument you first made to

us. The need to unite and purify the church.

There, you see?

Now, if we could get Orsini to switch, then Atavanti and the others we would

follow. We might as well wish for the sun to rise at night.

I don't know why we're here. Orsini will never switch. He hates me.

You there, Cardinal Orsini. You must leave here at once. I am a member of the

Kour. Sadly, this is true.

But they are not.

Go, or I will have you thrown out.

Guard!

Guard!

We're going.

We're leaving.

What is it, Claudio?

Your son Cosimo is in love.

With who?

With who?

A peasant.

A laundress.

First ballot, nil.

Good.

Now, if we had gold, there's how we'd get it in.

I don't need gold.

I need paper.

What are you going to do?

Something bad in order to do something good.

Donatello? What happened?

The courier guard shut us down.

What for?

Charges of sodomy.

Someone reported her.

Where is Vianne?

She's gone. What do you mean, gone? She said she was leaving.

Some place you'd never find her.

She was scared, Kodomo.

She'll never come back.

You should feel proud.

Lorenzo and I did this together.

Yes, but it was your idea to blackmail Orsini.

Your brother never would have dared.

I didn't want him to tell you. He had to.

He knew in his heart you should be the bank.

The case for war has been made.

Duke Visconti and his hired general, Sportra, must be driven out of Lucca.

Signor Guadagni, call the question.

Exception.

Signor Albizzi, will you yield to Massa Medici?

The Albizzi and the other noble families of Florence have provided for this city

for centuries.

War has been the instrument of their power, and they prosecute them

Your point, Messer Medici, we are in a new age, with a new generation of men

understand a simple truth, that war is wrong.

Is it all there?

Of course.

Then this will do for now.

These lofty paintings glorify war but emit its stench.

A new world is here.

A world of business and trade.

A world where men are awarded for their ideas and initiative.

A world where if you are born poor, it no longer means your children must

poor. Your business is nothing but usury, which Holy Mother Church

condemns.

Jews, not gentlemen, are usurers.

Gentlemen don't hold pens.

We wield swords.

And swords grow rusty if they're not used.

I call the vote.

He carried the word.

So there will be war.

With guns in Lucca and without them in Florence.

What of the surgeon, the checker?

He's dead.

How?

He was going to shout out.

I had no choice.

nine years ago.

Guilty!