- As Lorenzo sees the long-sought alliance with Venice and Milan now looking doubtful, the Pazzi exploit the Medici's moment of weakness by fomenting insurrection in nearby Città di Castello.
- The Florentine republic's high magistrature of 'gonfaloniere' is up for (re)election, but the Pazzis will stop at nothing to sabotage any Medici candidate, even if that requires sabotaging the lucrative triple alliance with Venice and Milan. The pope follows the Pazzi advice to threaten Milan with excommunication, but Giuliano convinces duke Galeazzo Sforza to dismiss false Pazzi promises, which alas leads to a bloody riposte. Strategic Citta di Castello, formally in the Papal States but traditionally under Florentine protection, lies under siege from a papal relative implicitly granted papal permission to ransack it, but Lorenzo mediates a deal further compromising the Medici bank finances, despite papal refusal to reconcile. Back at Jacopo's side, Francesco helps discourages or murder Medici supporters in the Priori council to support the Gonfaloniere's reelection, but Lorenzo chooses a strategic young candidate. Francesco informs Simonetta Vespucci's husband of her affair with Giuliano, leading to private tragedy for all of them.—KGF Vissers
- This time to establish a triple alliance of Florence with long-term enemies Milan and Venice, Lorenzo invites the Duke Sforza along with Andrea Foscarri to unofficially discuss the terms for the alliance, but due to the fear of excommunication by the Pope, Duke Sforza reluctantly rejects the idea thus leaving the terms ending idly. On the other side Jacopo Pazzi out of his agitation over the fact that the Florentine Magistrate the Gonfalonaire Petrucci serves the Medici interests rather than their own, demands an immediate (re)elections of the Gonfalonaire and thus aims to place his own candidate instead by sabotaging the elections in every way possible. Lorenzo who besides being too worried regarding his unfinished alliance and the elections of the Priori, receives report of violent uprisings in a small country town of Citta de Castello against the corrupt Gonfalonaire, originally installed by Lorenzo's late father. Since the town has been a papal state under the Florentine protection, Lorenzo feared of the bloody ransack by the papal army the way it had happened in Volterra earlier. However to collect potential votes from allies for the Priori's elections in favor of the existing Gonfalonaire Petrucci, Giuliano visits Marco Vespucci's place who still unaware of his wife's affair with the young Medici declares for his ardent support to Lorenzo, also while at his place Giuliano sneaks inside to secretly meet the ailing Simonetta who reluctantly dismisses him stating that she only passed her time and has never been in love with him. On the other side Lorenzo visits his ex-lover's place to meet her husband Niccolo Ardinghelli, who used to be among his allies now rejects to vote in the favor of the Gonfalonaire due to his worsened relationship with Petrucci and rather declares to remain neutral, witnessing that his ex-lover Lucrezia Donati shall not be persuading her husband for him Lorenzo leaves in dismay. Meanwhile the Pazzi uncle-nephew duo tries to bribe Luca Soderini and upon his refusal to betray Lorenzo blackmails him regarding the fact that Luca also conspired against Piero in the fatal attack on his carriage earlier, to which he reluctantly agrees. However after a quarrel with Lorenzo over switching sides Luca changes his mind and decided not to betray him and is therefore murdered on the street by a cut-throat hired by Jacopo. Resulting in Bastiano Soderini believing that Lorenzo might have his father killed as they had a quarrel earlier. On the other side Clarice visits Lucrezia Donati and persuades her to change her husband's mind, as well as, telling her about Lorenzo's once true love for her by giving her the written poems. Besides, to save the under threat Citta de Castello, upon which the Pope seemed adamant to shed blood in order to ensure peace, Lorenzo as suggested by Clarice rides to Rome and meets the Pope in person but soon their meeting turns into an argument containing harsh tones towards each other leaving Lorenzo no choice but to visit the city himself to prevent the killings. While Giuliano visits the Milanese duchy to persuade the Duke to consider the triple alliance between their cities, who at first reluctant to risk excommunication of Milan eventually agrees due to Giuliano's reasoning. During which Lorenzo visits Citta de Castello and makes an eventual deal with the papal army by risking a huge fortune of the Medici Bank, thus ends up saving the citizens, but also his act challenged the papal authority, much to the Pope's dismay. Meanwhile, Sandro manages to complete the painting of 'Mars and Venus' and delivers it to Marco Vespucci who after bitterly receiving it asks him never to be seen again. After seeing the painting Simonetta who is much ill seems hugely taken by the awe. To further gain allies, Francesco Pazzi after learning of an affair between Giuliano and Simonetta through Simonetta's maid, informs Marco thus turning him against Lorenzo. While Marco locks Simonetta in the crypts to die. After learning of his affair being in public Giuliano leaves for Marco's home where in attempt to find Simonetta beats Marco up and later visits the crypt to attend to his dying lover, who embraces of loving him before dying in his arms. On the other side, before the election could proceed, Lorenzo is visited by Lucrezia who ensures him of her husband's support stating that she did it for Clarice instead. Also Bastiano who remains bitter towards Lorenzo attends the election, but before the proceedings, Lorenzo proposes Bastiano a seat in the Priori on behalf of his late father thus proving not to be involved in his father's murder. Resulting in gaining much votes than the Pazzis and eventually securing Petrucci a seat for Gonfalonaire. Angered by the defeat they had recently received, the Pazzi conduct the brutal assassination of Duke Sforza in Milan to weaken the alliance while also aim to spill the Medici blood as soon as possible to prevent Lorenzo from ruling the Florence.
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