Bruno Bernardi (d. 1492) born Bruno Battista, was a close advisor to Lorenzo de' Medici. He was hanged after Lorenzo prevented the assassination of Prior Girolamo Savonarola.
Bernardi first approaches Lorenzo after a meeting at the council, offering himself as a right-hand man and close advisor to help the Medici rule Florence. Once Lorenzo accepts Bruno's offer, Bernardi's influence begins to increasingly grow, as the pair begin to form a close relationship. Lorenzo de' Medici is believed to become far more ruthless and cold hearted under Bernardi's guidance as the pair plot to murder Tomasso Peruzzi, a close friend of Lorenzo, in addition to popular friar and preacher Girolamo Savnarola, who escaped with his life only because of Lorenzo's late intervention, which saw his friend Bernardi hanged. Those closest to Lorenzo were fully aware of the influence that Bruno Bernardi was having on him, and even Lorenzo himself would have been aware of his change in attitude. Bernardi's brilliantly crude plots helped the Medici family a great deal in what was a difficult time, with the notorious bank discovered for stealing money from Florence itself, as well as finding itself in great debt. This was on top of the fact that Lorenzo's mother, Lucrezia de' Medici, who had before been his closest advisor, had recently passed away.
Bernardi's downfall came after he had plotted with Lorenzo de' Medici to murder Girolamo Savonarola, during one of his preaches, in front of a large gathering of people. But as the assassin was about to strike the Father, Lorenzo intervened and saved Savonarola's life. Bernardi confused and shocked at what he had seen began shouting "Why?" at Lorenzo, and even attempted to have Savonarola killed with his own blade. The mob, who were in great support of Savonarola's teachings at the time, began to attack Bernardi and hanged him from the nearest building. A tragic end for the mastermind to Lorenzo's schemes.