The Medici Letters: The Secret Origins of the Renaissance

by Taylor Buck

  He supposed it made sense, especially considering the mystery surrounding the family coat of arms. The symbolism behind the 6 palles (balls) set among the Medici coat of arms has, for ages, been an enigma to historians. The palles had always been present on the shield; however, the number of palles represented changed over the years. At first there were 11, then Cosimo changed it to 7. A few years later Cosimo’s son, Piero, augmented the coat of arms by replacing one of the 7 with a blue sphere containing the fluer-de-lys. When Lorenzo the Magnificent took over, he established once and for all that the count should be 6—5 red and 1 blue sphere. This variation is mainly what you see around Florence today. It is a well-known symbol of the family, however controversial its origins may be.

  There were many theories as to how the palles even came to be a part of the crest. Some historians say that because the family had origins in medicine, (the name Medici literally means medical doctor or apothecarius) the palles might possibly represent medicine or pills. Another theory is that the orbs represented oranges; due to the level of trade they conducted with the Far East. This representation can be seen in Botticelli’s Primavera, where the figures can be seen standing in a grove of orange trees (In fact, a foolproof way to determine if a painting was commissioned by a member of the Medici family is to look for the presence of oranges somewhere in the composition). Another theory, much more romanticized than the others, is that the orbs represent dents in the shield of Charlemagne’s knight, Averardo, who was supposedly an ancestor of the Medici. Whatever their origin, the palles eventually became an identifiable characteristic of the Medici crest that can still readily be seen throughout Europe.

  Kat had a theory of her own on the palles origins that she had shared once with Jack. At the time, Jack thought it to be interesting but not plausible. It wasn’t until recently, and mainly due to present circumstances, that he realized her theory may actually hold some validity. Kat believed that the Medici palles were representations of planets. She believed it explained why Cosimo set the number of palles to 7. This theory supported the fact that Cosimo altered the number of the palles from their original quantity of 11 and created his own interpretation by ordering them into the 7 planets of the classical planet solar system, the astrological system used by many in the early Renaissance.

  Seven palles, seven planets.

  According to antiquity, the classical planets included the sun and moon as well as the 5 non-earth planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. This same planetary system was also responsible for creating what we know today as the days of the week, (Sun-day, Moon-day, Saturn-day etc.) Furthermore, the system was heavily studied by the Humanists of that day. Marcilio Ficino, Cosimo’s head instructor of the Platonic Academy, taught many lessons on what he called divinatory knowledge gained by studying the planets. It was no secret that Ficino’s teachings heavily influenced early Humanism as he attempted to blend astrology and Christianity into a synthesized relationship. But as noble as his attempts were, the church quickly intervened and warned Ficino of the potential basis for heresy. In those days, astrology was perceived as witchcraft or sorcery and the church utterly condemned it. Needless to say, Ficino’s approach was very audacious in that it took on a very philosophical stance on man’s relationship to God. His ideology questioned the divine relationship to its core: If man was a reflection of God, and the universe was our space, why can man not study the planets to gain understanding of himself?

  Ficino simply couldn’t understand why Christianity and astrology couldn’t go hand in hand. He spent his life attempting to blend them together, but seemingly never achieved what he set out to do. Kat believed that Ficino’s synthesized Christianity affected Cosimo’s ideology to such a degree that Cosimo utilized the planetary relationship within his very own family symbol, being forced to keep it secret from the church.

  The choir continued singing. Jack began to get restless. He gripped the pew in front of him tightly as he craned his neck to look down the main aisle.

  So how did this all tie together? Why had he come here again?

  The key.

  The key was the missing puzzle piece that Cosimo had hidden away.

  Cosimo had meticulously crafted a symbol that tied together the whereabouts of the treasure somehow. Jack knew this to be true seeing that he had noticed the symbol engraved upon the key that they found inside the bust of Plato. He didn’t realize it at the time, but something about the design on the key stuck in his mind. It wasn’t until he saw the palles on the Medici family crest that he put it together…

  The symbol on the key is the same symbol on Cosimo’s tombslab…

  He was almost certain of it. The answer lay waiting only a hundred feet or so from where he sat. There, in the crossing, where the eyes of all who prayed, sang and listened could see. Jack could almost see it from where he stood.

  The song ended. Before the next hymn began Jack moved from his seat and paced casually down the side row. Nobody seemed to notice him there, so he continued forward. He paced the length of the nave and came to a stop at the second row back from the altar. Calmly, he stepped his way past a few elderly men and women until he was standing at the far left of the pew. The only thing remaining between Jack and the tombslab was a little old lady in a wheelchair, and Jack could see right over her.

  There it is.

  Now only 6 feet away was the ornate and supreme geometric design that marked Cosimo de’Medici’s eternal resting place. The marker was intentionally positioned at the center of the church crossing so that the eyes of those who prayed would fall upon the floor tomb. The design featured a large circular arrangement filled with various geometric shapes drenched in symbolism of both Humanist and neo-platonic teaching. To the untrained eye, the design appeared riddled with pagan symbolism—circles, triangles and rectangles—but in reality this combination of shapes was quite the contrary. It was a bold symbol of faith that signified the relationship between man, the cosmos and God. The task of designing such a meaningful tomb was given to the architect, Andrea del Verrocchio. Cosimo, in his dying years, had taken a liking to Verrocchio and entrusted him with the honorable duty to lay him to rest—on strict terms declaring his agreement to follow the design instructions given him in a sketch.

  Jack could see the 3 apertures visible from where he stood, purposefully placed in order to allow a viewing window into the crypt below. (After all, the crypt held not only the tomb of Cosimo, but also his dear friend, Donatello—two souls separated by only a few feet.) The round bronze-gated apertures also created a feeling of openness between the crypt and the rest of the church. Originally there had been 4 apertures; however, the steps leading to the altar now covered the 4th window. Some actually viewed this as blatant irreverence, considering the overall design of the tomb actually began within the framing of the apertures. Within the framing, a massive square was etched into the floor supported in each corner by the Medici shield. Just within the square lay a circle, displaying the act of squaring the circle—the circle inside the square related to the perfecting of the imperfect. The next layer showed a Solomon’s Knot, which among other denotations, was a symbol of eternity. Also residing in this level is the inscription dedication engraved into the marble. It read:

  COSMVS MEDICES | HIC SITVS EST | DECRETO PVBLICO | PATER PATRIAE

  HERE LIES COSIMO DE’MEDICI, SURNAMED BY PUBLIC DECREE, FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY.

  Within the Solomon’s Knot were two almond shapes which represented the Eucharist—the body and blood of Christ. These shapes also had the eerie resemblance of two eyes staring up from below. Sitting outside the corners of the Solomon’s Knot were 4 green circles. The purpose of these circles could be interpreted a number of ways. Oddly enough, any other instance of the circle or sphere in relation to the Medici was symbolized by the palle… however, there appeared only 4 here, not the typical 6 or 7. In fact there seemed to be a repeating pattern of the number 4 throughout the design—4 half-circles in the Solomon’s Knot, the
rectangle in the middle had a ratio of 3:4, the 4 apertures surrounding the design… and here, the 4 palles.

  This enigmatic pattern was exactly what grabbed Jack’s eye. The reason he had been taken by the design was that both the key and the tombslab called out this number.

  But why?

  On both the key and the tombslab the number 4 was repeated in various contexts; however, there was one opposing element that contradicted this theory. The actual shields that supported the large square on the tombslab showed the usual 6 palles inside the family crest.

  At first Jack brushed his notion aside, but when he remembered Cosimo’s drawing he reconsidered his theory. He also recalled something Professor Oswald, a Harvard colleague, mentioned about how Lorenzo had modified one of Verrocchio’s drawings to include additional palles. Lorenzo was apparently under the understanding that his grandfather had provided erroneous direction to Verrocchio when given the design. In fact, Cosimo had relayed exactly what he intended to be engraved—down to the very last palle. He had deliberately intended to display only 4 palles in his family crest.

  But what was his reason in altering this number? Why was he so adamant in displaying the number 4 to the world in his dying days?

  Why 4?

  Jack knew. Somewhere along the way it hit him as he was driving in the car with Chester—when he saw the Medici crest on the side of the building… like a light bulb sputtering to life, the realization of the numbers all seemed to line up. Like pieces of a puzzle gently lowering into their respective positions.

  The number 4…

  Taking into account Cosimo’s obsession with the classical planetary sequence—Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn—the number 4 would exist as a flagrant clue. The sun sat in the fourth position. The sun—the most prominent and important of the planets, as it was a symbol of God.

  IV … Just as it appeared on the bottom of the bronze bust of Plato—the bust that Cosimo had Donatello create to hold the key to the treasure. Un’icona.

  In 1453 Cosimo received the Thēsauros. Assuming he would have wanted to immediately protect the treasure, Cosimo would have certainly constructed a safe to hold it. This is where it all lined up for Jack… It became so obvious—utterly transparent. Cosimo did build a safe.

  In 1453, Cosimo built his fourth villa.

  My god… Jack thought. Cosimo used the tombslab above his final resting place to tell the world where he buried the treasure—

  Villa Medici in Fiesole.

  Jack felt a flood of realization well inside. The treasure was in the Villa Medici in Fiesole. It could only be the true and final resting place for the Thēsauros. It wasn’t coincidence… it couldn’t be.

  There was only one way to find out.

  The hymn was coming to a close; Jack knew he needed to make his way out or he would be stuck for the entire service. Meanwhile Forbes was undoubtedly figuring out a way to gain access to the villas.

  Maybe he already knew which one…

  Jack had to get moving.

  “Scuse,” he said as he walked in front of a man and woman singing. They seemed slightly annoyed that he couldn’t make up his mind on where to sit, but agreed to let him pass. He shimmied along the pew and exited into the nave.

  Jack pulled out his cell phone as he walked the length of the church. Once he reached the façade, he exited into the piazza and immediately dialed Chester’s number.

  Across the piazza, a dark figure watched as Jack exited the Basilica, and made a phone call.

  CHAPTER 34

  KLINIK ST. ANNA, LUCERNE

  SEPTEMBER 10

  THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC HEART MONITOR beeped along rhythmically in perfect succession like a metronome setting pace to an absent composer. Other than the sound of the monitor, the room was silent.

  Kathleen Cullen lay on the bed in a state of unconsciousness. The doctor had come in for a quick visit an hour ago to check the charts while the nurse adjusted the feeding tube. Outside the room, Porto loyally stood watch. For the past 5 days Kathleen had remained in a comatose state. Her brain activity was showing signs of stimulation and rigorous activity; however, her body lay completely still. Doctor Gessner seemed to believe it was only a matter of time before Kathleen awoke from this deep sleep.

  The truth was that even the best doctors couldn’t predict when a patient chose to awaken from a comatose state. Factors such as trauma, physical condition, health and medical history certainly influenced the diagnosis of the patient, but as a whole—it was up to the patient to determine when they chose to open their eyes and stir their conscious back to the real world.

  Some people never came back. In fact… it is more rare when they do.

  The body’s natural tendency is to remain in a protective state in order to survive. In an unconscious condition, the body operates on cruise control. It’s actually far easier for the mind to remain in this condition than to wake up and disrupt the brain’s natural coping mechanism. The body and mind essentially calibrate to a new environment and enter an “auto-pilot” pattern that can last for days, weeks or even years.

  The IV line trailed down from Kathleen’s arm and ran the length of the bed. Her breathing was calm and steady—chest rising up and down with every breath. Outside her window, a large crane lifted a beam into the air. The east hospital wing had been having repairs made the last few days and the noise of the construction had been constant. As the crane lurched forward, it grazed an end cap protruding from the water main. Water immediately gushed into the sky like a geyser. The water pressure in the hospital quickly plummeted, triggering an emergency signal to sound in the maintenance hall to notify the attendants. Within a matter of seconds, each hall throughout the hospital was ringing with emergency sirens. It took two minutes for the alarm to cease and the sirens to subside.

  In Kathleen’s room, her hand clutched the blanket beside her. Her eyelids fluttered briefly, but remained closed. The activity was momentary; but it was the first sign of movement she had shown in 5 days.

  CHAPTER 35

  FLORENCE, THE DIG SITE

  SEPTEMBER 10

  CHESTER ALLEN READ THROUGH hundreds of lines of code as the computer spit out hours of work logs pertaining to the dig. He strained his eyes—the room was getting dark as the sun began to lower. He flipped the switch beside him and immediately the entire site came alive with halogen floodlights. He had set up his command center within the green room at the excavation site downtown. From here he could access the TerraTEK database, pull up dig logs and track all of the MOTSUs simultaneously. He was alone with his computers. This was where he preferred to be…where he worked the best.

  He pulled up the log from the dig covering the past 3 days. Each entry was an automated input by the various tools. The drill, the scanner, even the TerraTEK-issued hand tools provided a reading and detailed account of the usage associated with it. Chester had offered to interpolate the scans from the main computer; however, that wasn’t why he had actually chosen to set up at the dig. He could do the same thing from his tablet. He had come to the dig site to check the data log for inconsistencies. Something was bothering him…

  He scanned through the lines of entries. It all seemed to check out. Everything was accounted for… everything except—There.

  Yesterday, there was a log by unit #0036—a MOTSU bot. It accounted for 3 hours of use, however there were no scans accompanying the log. Nothing sent. No sign of a recorded entry into the onboard drive either. The MOTSU had been used and the field data erased. Interesting.

  Chester opened the data folder that held the transcriptions pulled from the vaults. He noticed something else, too. It was a scan of a letter—a new one… a letter that Chester had not yet seen.

  Chester’s phone rang.

  “Jack,” Chester said as he pulled up another data log. “How was your detour? By the way, thanks for leaving me in the middle of—”

  “Are Forlino and Valente still there with you?” Jack said panting.r />
  “No, they left with the bots about 15 minutes ago. Where are you?”

  Based on the noise, it sounded like Jack was running through a crowded restaurant. The phone kept cutting in and out.

  “I’m…” he paused. “I have no idea. I think I’m almost to the Piazza della Signoria. Listen, we need to go to the Villa at Fiesole. I found a clue.”

  Chester stopped typing. “Okay, but you’re going to need a bot. And a car. Both of which I have here.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m on my way. I’ll be there in 5 minutes.”

  “Oh, and another thing, Jack… Forlino was hiding something from you. Just as you thought.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m reading through the dig logs right now. They found another letter, from Cosimo… one they failed to mention a few hours ago. It looks as though they know all about the key.”

  “They know about the key? So then they knew about Lorenzo’s letter all along?”

  “Not exactly…” Chester said clearing his throat. “Jack, they don’t even need the bust. According to this letter there was not one key made… there were two.”

  There was a pause on the other line. Chester waited for a response, but it never came.

  “Jack? Are you there? Did you hear what I just said?”

  Silence… finally, “Yes,” Jack whispered quietly. “I heard you. I’m almost there. And Chester?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Keep the gate locked… I don’t think I’m alone.”

  CHAPTER 36

  FLORENCE, THE DIG SITE

  SEPTEMBER 10

  JACK DUCKED INTO THE shadows of a large awning covering a fruit stand. He peered back down the street in the direction he had come and studied the people walking by.