From his prison cell, Cosimo instructs his wife, Contessina, to bribe a member of the Signoria to sway the vote in his favor. Meanwhile, his son Piero searches for evidence to clear the charges of usury.
Taking a more aggressive stance, Cosimo’s brother Lorenzo hires the Sforza army and threatens to burn Florence to the ground if Cosimo is not released.
A parallel narrative set twenty years earlier reveals how Giovanni de' Medici manipulated information to bankrupt Albizzi's father, establishing the root of the long-standing family rivalry. Technical Details Original Air Date: October 25, 2016 Director: Sergio Mimica-Gezzan Writer: Alex von Tunzelmann
To avoid a bloody war, Contessina defies Cosimo's wishes and negotiates for his exile to Venice instead of the death penalty.
Following his arrest, Cosimo faces a trial in the Signoria where Rinaldo Albizzi accuses him of usury and plotting to become a dictator.