Piero di Cosimo de' Medici , was the de facto ruler of Florence from 1464 to 1469, during the Italian Renaissance.
Background
Piero was the son of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder and Contessina de' Bardi. During his father's life he did not play an extensive role due to his perpetual poor health, the source of his nickname. His brother Giovanni was named as Cosimo's executor, but predeceased his father.
Upon taking over the family Medici bank from his father, Piero had a financial overview prepared.
Career
In 1461, Piero was the last Medici elected to the office of Gonfaloniere. His gout often kept him confined to bed. The results led him to call up a number of long-standing loans, many to various Medici supporters, which his father had let stand.
This immediately drove a good number of the merchants involved into bankruptcy, and added to the ranks of those who opposed the Medici. Although not as brilliant a banker as his father, he was able to keep things running smoothly during his tenure. The coup failed, as did an attempted repeat backed by Venice, using troops commanded by Bartolomeo Colleoni.
In 1467 Piero had to face the war against the Republic of Venice, prompted by the Florentine support given to Galeazzo Maria Sforza, the new duke of Milan. However, the Venetian army under Colleoni was defeated at the Battle of Molinella by the league of Florence, Naples, Papal States and Milan. He also continued the family's tradition of artistic patronage, including Gozzoli's fresco Procession of the Magi in Palazzo Medici Riccardi (in which are also present both of Piero's sons, Lorenzo and Giuliano, as well as Piero himself).
His taste was more eclectic than that of his father, extending to Dutch and Flemish work. He also continued to collect rare books, adding many to the Medici collections.
Politics
This meant that his bedroom effectively became his office where he would conduct political meetings, and led to the Medici palace becoming the seat of government.