the Pazzi conspiracy

The Pazzi Conspiracy was a plot orchestrated by the Florentine banking family of the Pazzi and other political rivals of the Medici to counteract the hegemony of the latter as rulers of the Florentine Republic. Other external supporters of the plan included the papacy in Rome, the Republic of Siena, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Duchy of Urbino. The event took place on April 26, 1478, when an attempt was made to assassinate Lorenzo de' Medici and his brother Giuliano de' Medici. Lorenzo the Magnificent was injured, while his brother died. However, the failure of the plot paradoxically contributed to strengthening the power and popularity of the Medici, with lasting consequences on the balance of power in late Quattrocento Italy. Some members of the Pazzi family were killed, and the remaining ones were exiled from Florence.