Medici giraffe

The Medici giraffe was a giraffe presented to Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence on November 18, 1487, by al-Ashraf Qaitbay, the Burji Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, in an attempt to win the support of the Medici. Quite possibly the first living giraffe in Europe since the time of Ancient Rome, the Medici giraffe caused a great stir on its arrival in Florence. Although the Medici maintained a large menagerie and had previously featured a giant wooden model of a giraffe in the animal entertainments they provided to the citizenry, this was the first time a living example had been seen in the city.

The Medici giraffe did not survive for long, dying in January 1488; another giraffe was not seen in Europe for almost 300 years.

Background

Cosimo's wooden giraffe When Lorenzo's grandfather Cosimo de' Medici received Pope Pius II and Galeazzo Maria Sforza in April 1459, he assembled animal combat spectacles, including "a wild boar, two horses, four bulls, two young buffalo, some goats, a cow, and a calf" plus "twenty-six lions". The lions were borrowed from the city of Florence while Cosimo was responsible for other expenses. However, the lions had been fed too well, got bored and lost interest in the other animals. Lions, which were fierce and proud symbols of Florence, were unwilling to demonstrate their power, placing Cosimo's stature at risk. In an attempt to spur the lions into action, Cosimo sent a "Trojan giraffe", a wooden giraffe containing armed warriors inside, to excite the lions and save his reputation. However, the lions remained bored. Witnessing his grandfather's catastrophic spectacle, Lorenzo realized that he would not achieve absolute respect from his peers with money alone, and that he needed real political power at home and abroad.

Caesar's giraffe In 46 BC, Caesar had staged a series of spectacular triumphs to celebrate his accomplishments in defeating Pompey, conquering Asia Minor and Egypt, and asserting his power back in Rome. A parade of lions, leopards, black panthers, baboons, green monkeys, Egyptian saluki dogs, parrots, flamingos, and ostriches marched through the streets. Among those animals was a unique creature – a giraffe that the Romans called the "cameleopard", as its characteristics seemed to be a combination of camel and leopard. Caesar's giraffe, which was promptly killed by lions, was the first to be brought to Europe. Although Lorenzo and Caesar had much in common—attaining success despite internal and external enemies, winning respect despite being accused of violating republican principles and becoming tyrants, and being an object of assassination conspiracies—he did not intend to emulate Caesar. It is unclear when Lorenzo first thought of obtaining a giraffe. He might have been greatly interested in Caesar's triumphs and his giraffe due to owning Dio Cassius's Roman History and Pliny the Elder's Natural History in his library, both of which described Caesar's animal parade. Lorenzo saw the giraffe as part of "his multilayered strategy of social ascent" while putting more focus and effort into art collections, and believed a live giraffe would enhance his reputation.

Historical context and diplomacy

Historical context In 1422, the Florentine government had concluded a commercial treaty with the Mamluks sultan of Egypt and Syria, initiating a marine line for goods transportation to and from the East; however, no significant achievements emerged from these efforts. In the mid-1480s, after the post-Pazzi conspiracy wars, the Florentines decided to try again to help develop the state. The Florentines preferred trading directly with Egypt instead of working through intermediaries like the Venetians. To create new trading relations between Florence and Egypt, Paolo da Colle, a Florentine ambassador, went to the court of Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay in Cairo in 1485. It is believed that, while there, da Colle found what Lorenzo was longing for: a giraffe. During this time, the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II threatened the Mamluk territories. Bayezid's political problem, a dynastic struggle between Bayezid and his half brother Cem, kept him from waging war on Egypt. If he returned to Egypt, Cem could have been a deterrent to Bayezid's aggression or could have even overthrown his brother with Qaitbay's aid. Cem moved to Europe and was held captive in France. Pope Innocent VIII intended to take custody of him, which was in the pope's interest since Bayezid had threatened to invade Europe. This could also assist Qaitbay's strategy, as Cem leading Christian armies against Bayezid would keep Beayezid from attacking Egypt, which was only possible if the French agreed to give up Cem. In return, the Medici would acquire a long-standing friendship with the French whilst forging a familial relationship with Pope Innocent VIII. Thus, Lorenzo could help resolve Qaitbay's dilemma, and Paolo da Colle was in an ideal position to negotiate with Egypt's sultan.

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