Changes

====Characters====

Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464): The series depicts him as a wise and cunning head of the Medici family who also began the tradition of patronizing the arts that the Medici family became known for in the Renaissance. Historically, this was certainly the case and he was often seen as the first great head of the Medici family in the Renaissance period, although his father Giovanni helped to establish the Medici bank. The series shows Cosimo learning much from his father, but family tension also created a sometimes strained relationship. In particular, Giovanni was keen on having his sons, in particular, Cosimo, marry women that provided greater power to their family. Cosimo's love of the arts was shown early on, although his father was seen as someone who discouraged such pursuits. Cosimo is historically known to have commissioned Donatello's David, which was a controversial piece for its time. He is shown as supporting Filippo Brunelleschi in his work in completing the great dome of Florence's cathedral. While Cosimo's support is accurate, others in Florence also support Brunelleschi in his masterpiece (Figure 1).<ref>For more on Cosimo, see: Kent, D. V. (2000). <i>Cosimo de’ Medici and the Florentine Renaissance: the patron’s oeuvre</i>. New Haven: Yale University Press.</ref>

Marco Bello: In the series, he is an important associate of the Medici family. He leads the investigation of the murder of Cosimo's father. However, he later leaves Florence because of the false accusations against him by Lorenzo and Cosimo in their father's murder. Nevertheless, he retained loyalty to the Medici family by helping to uncover the Pazzi plot. There are no historical documents about his existence.

====Historical Accuracy====