II

COMMENTARY

BY THE MAGNIFICENT Magnifico: While often translated as "Magnificent," this was a formal title of respect (Magnifico) used for high-ranking citizens in the Florentine Republic who did not hold noble titles. It has since become inextricably linked to Lorenzo’s legacy as a statesman and patron. LORENZO DE' MEDICI

ON SOME OF HIS SONNETS Lorenzo’s Comento (Commentary) is a rare example of an author writing a philosophical and narrative explanation of his own poetry. By doing so, he followed the tradition of Dante Alighieri’s Vita Nuova, seeking to prove that the Italian vernacular was just as capable of expressing complex ideas as Latin.