Medici

The Medici family (13th to 17th centuries) is considered the "godfathers of the Renaissance." The family gave the world three popes (Leo X, Clement VII, and Leo XI), several rulers of Florence, and members of the French and English royalty. They brought art and humanism to Florence and was one of the families to pave the way for the Italian Renaissance. Some estimated that the Medici family was, at least for a time, the wealthiest in Europe.