Cosimo de' Medici and his quest for salvation as seen in the monastery of San Marco, the Medici Palace Chapel, and the Church of San Lorenzo

The objective of this paper is to establish how Cosimo de' Medici's desire to achieve salvation became a top priority after his return from exile in 1434. Cosimo was a prosperous banker who used his financial gains, in the form of donations, to maximize his chances of attaining salvation by assuaging his sins due to usury.;To establish Cosimo's patronage, the monastery of San Marco, the Medici palace chapel, and the church of San Lorenzo will be discussed. Evidence for San Marco will include the restoration of the monastery and the purpose of including the Medici family Saints Cosmas and Damian in Fra Angelico's Crucifixion. For the Medici palace chapel there will be a detailed interpretation of the Confraternity of the Magi and Benozzo Gozzoli's fresco of the Procession of the Magi in the chapel. This paper concludes with a discussion of how Cosimo's tomb location reveals his quest for salvation with the masses that were performed in San Lorenzo after his death.