Changes

The series does take some liberties with historical accuracy, mixing important events such as Riario' death and bringing in a character with little historical reference (Tomasso). It is not clear Lorenzo did try to assassinate Girolamo Savonarola, although he does become a thorn in the side of the family. The key events, the war with Riario, Pope Sixtus' excommunication of all of Florence's government, and increasing corruption of the Medici family did occur. Riario was shown to try to influence the selection of a new Pope after Sixtus died. The series shows that as unsuccessful but for a time Riario did have his way with the cardinals as he threatened them to make a favorable choice for him in the selection of a new Pope. The Medici bank's failure proved also to be a major blow to the family, but this was not widely portrayed in the series, as it focused more on the role of Savonarola and his role in pushing the people of Florence to dislike the Medici. There was surprisingly little focus on the famous artists in this period. This was a time that Botticelli, da Vinci, and Michelangelo all lived, with their experiences shaping what became the High Renaissance style. Nevertheless, the events that occur may have, in fact, shaped the young Machiavelli, although he was historically shaped more by the period when the Medici were banned from the city and Florence was ruled by a republic system.