The Medici are remembered as enlightened patrons of art—the family behind Michelangelo, Botticelli, and the Renaissance itself.That version of history is incomplete.In this episode of Hidden Forces in History, we strip away the marble and mythology to examine Medici family as they actually were: a private banking dynasty that embedded itself inside moral authority, captured a republic without abolishing it, and rewrote its legacy through art, architecture, and storytelling.We follow the money—from Florentine ledgers to the Vatican—showing how the Medici:• Plugged into Church finance to gain leverage across Europe• Used patronage as a form of long-term propaganda• Helped trigger the Reformation through indulgence financing• Lost their bank—but preserved their legendThis isn’t just a Renaissance story.It’s a repeatable playbook—one still used by modern elites, foundations, and institutions today.Same system.Different century.👇 If modern power feels familiar, you’re seeing an old script.