Rinaldo degli Albizzi is of the noble family Albizzi. He was the son of Maso degli Albizzi. He was a long time enemy of the Medici family.
Biography[]
Maso afforded the Medici sons the opportunity to join his families team in a tournament. This team included his son Rinaldo. During the tournament, Cosimo and Rinaldo bonded over an underhanded win. Rinaldo noting that the only thing worse than cheating, was losing. Afterwards the boys celebrated their teams success over dreams where Rinaldo revealed to Cosimo that his family lost a ship carrying three month's revenue putting his family in financial straights.
Later, Maso was approached by a messenger from the Signoria asking about the state of their financial affairs. Stating that a bankrupt cannot be a member of the Signoria and requesting evidence proving the ship loss unfounded.
This breach of trust between Cosimo and Rinaldo extended throughout the two men's lives, Rinaldo always moving to sabotage Cosimo.
Rinaldo voted for the war between Milan and Florence. It was after described mentioned as the Albizzi war. The war, however, was bleeding the city dry of its tax money and its civilians lives. Cosimo reached out to Francesco Sforza to extend terms of a truce which came to light during a Signoria vote on the war where it was revealed that there was to be no vote because there was no war, there was a truce.
The dome had begun rebuilding during the end of the war, where Rinaldo joked about the Medici bleeding themselves dry with the extravagance. When the war ended, however, and the Black Death found its way into Florence, Rinaldo blamed Cosimo for it and said God's wrath was upon them for taking the dirty gold or a usury and corrupt man. When he failed to bring charges against Cosimo following the presence of the Black Death via the Signoria, he whipped up the fury of the workers on the dome. He state that if they tore the dome down, God would be made happy again and the disease would stop afflicting them. Rinaldo also said he would pay to feed and clothe any man who tore down the dome.
The next day Cosimo turned the Cathedral into a hospice and Rinaldo called it a pesthouse and when Cosimo did not come out, instead inviting Rinaldo inside, he demanded the workers go inside and continue tearing the dome down. They refused and went home. Changing plans, Rinaldo told his guard to find out what Marco had been doing while his master had been away.
The Black Death finally ended and we see Rinaldo initiate charges of breaking and entering in to Lupo Corona's premises. When time for court came, the charges had been revised: Degeneracy, Usury, and Treason.