Medici means the name of an Italian bourgeois family, doctors. A historical symbol of nobility and affluence, the Medicis, an Italian bourgeois family, are most notably recognized for having ruled Florence during the Renaissance. Comprised of bankers and wool merchants, the influential family were patrons of the arts and contributed greatly to the cultural prosperity of Florence, then and now. Traditionally, the Medici coat of arms is designed as a blue shield with three golden lilies and five red balls or palle. Some believe the palle represent pills since medici means doctors in Italian or that they are coins representative of the bankers guild. The classic design and subtle elegance of this beautiful collection pay tribute to the noble family and their contribution to Florence’s prosperity as they encouraged art and humanism to flourish while inspiring the Italian Renaissance. handpainted in Umbria.