'Medici the Magnificent' Recap: What Happened in the Last Season of the Netflix Show?

Netflix viewers in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, India and Taiwan are about to see the release of Medici: The Magnificent Part 2, coming to the streamer on May 1. This new set of episodes begin a few months after the finale of the first season, which saw Giuliano de' Medici (played by Bradley James) dying in the Pazzi conspiracy, a Pope-sanctioned assassination attempt against the powerful banking family.

The Pazzi, led by Jacopo de' Pazzi (Sean Bean), decided to attack the Medici during what they perceived as a vulnerable time for the family. The family patriarch Piero (Julian Sands) had died, leaving the young and relatively inexperienced Lorenzo (Daniel Sharman) in charge.

In the finale of the first part of Medici: The Magnificent on Netflix, Guglielmo (Charlie Vickers) and Francesco Pazzi (Matteo Martari) attack the Medici in the cathedral, and quickly take a life as Lorenzo's brother Guglielmo dies of a stab wound. The Pazzi nearly claim Lorenzo's life too, but he manages to barricade himself in a room with his lover Clarise (Synnove Karlsen) and his mother Lucrezia (Sarah Parish).

The attack on the Medici, however, is only part of the Pazzi conspiracy. They also occupied the Palazzo Vecchio and proclaimed a new republic to the waiting crowds. However, the crowds refuse to turn against Lorenzo, and when they realize that he is still alive, they rise up against the Pazzi. Jacopo, Francesco and co-conspirator Francesco Salviati (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) end up hanged from the Palazzo windows, and Lorenzo manages to consolidate his power.

Crucially, this attack on the Medici was sanctioned by Pope Sixtus IV (Raoul Bova), which leads to a total breakdown of relations between the papacy and Lorenzo—a breakdown that, at the start of Part 2, looks set to turn into a war.

Among the supporting characters in Medici: The Magnificent was the real-life painter Botticelli (Sebastian De Souza). In one of the show's big changes to the true history of the Medici family, the Birth of Venus painter is shown as part of Lorenzo's posse. At the end of the first part, he is shown painting his artwork Primavera (Spring) as a tribute to the peace that comes after the death of the Pazzi conspirators.

In the new season, Lorenzo's role as a patron of the arts will be expanded, with Deadline teasing that the new episodes will see him "discovering up-and-coming young geniuses who will make history."

Asked where we find Lorenzo at the start of the new episodes, series executive producer Luca Bernabei told Deadline: "The third season [Medici had a first season before The Magnificent featuring a young Piero] sees Lorenzo as the undisputed leader of Florence, who faced Popes and Kings to become the first man in history to reunite the economy, culture and politics in one great vision that made Florence the heartbeat of Europe.

"Whilst at the peak of his power, Lorenzo is tormented, seeking revenge for the tragic death of his brother killed during the Pazzi conspiracy. He is now far from his own faith that was always there for him and feels only he can be the savior of his family, his city and the enormous artistic treasure he built."

Medici: The Magnificent Season 2 is released on Netflix on Friday, May 1.