The world is made up of earth, air, fire and water - but there is another element - the Florentines. These brilliantly talented people created between 1450 and 1550 an extraordinary century of artistic achievement - but during those very years a long struggle took place between the proud Republican city and the family which was eventually to dominate it - the Medici.
John R. Hale recounts for Chronicle this remarkable story, using the rich background of the Renaissance and the actual locations where the events took place-including the Palace of the Signoria, Cosimo de Medici's hunting lodge and Lorenzo the Magnificent's villa.
Executive producer PAUL JOHNSTONE Producer KENNETH SHEPHEARD