Contessina de Bardi was born in about 1390 and died in Florence

Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

 in October 1473.

Di Bardi Family

The family of Contessina de Bardi had been exceptionally rich for some time but, following the collapse of the family bank in 1343, its importance was considerably reduced. They enjoyed some fame as suzerains and condottieri

Condottieri

thumb|Depiction of [[Farinata degli Uberti]] by [[Andrea del Castagno]], showing a 15th century condottiero's typical attire.Condottieri were the mercenary soldier leaders of the professional, military free companies contracted by the Italian city-states and the Papacy, from the late Middle Ages...

. The Medici

Medici

The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...

 called on them in this guise, on certain occasions, for armed support of the Medici's political hegemony.

Life

Contessina de' Bardi married Cosimo de' Medici

Cosimo de' Medici

Còsimo di Giovanni degli Mèdici was the first of the Medici political dynasty, de facto rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance; also known as "Cosimo 'the Elder'" and "Cosimo Pater Patriae" .-Biography:Born in Florence, Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in...

 in 1414 and they went to live with his parents, Piccarda Bueri

Piccarda Bueri

Piccarda Bueri was an Italian noblewoman of the Renaissance.-Life:She was the daughter of Edward Bueri, a member of a family of ancient lineage from Florence with economic interests in other cities; the family was in fact in Verona in the first half of the fourteenth century when she was born...

 and Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was an Italian banker, the first historically relevant member of Medici family of Florence, and the founder of the Medici bank...

. Like Giovanni's marriage to Piccarda, this marriage brought noble connections to the common family of the Medici.
s illegitimate son, Charles de Medici. She was known for being careful with money and the managing of their household.

She survived her husband by ten years. He died in 1463 and she remained a point of reference for the grandchildren. She also had a good relationship with her daughter-in-law Lucrezia Tornabuoni

Lucrezia Tornabuoni

Lucrezia Tornabuoni was a daughter of Francesco di Simone Tornabuoni and Nanna di Niccolo di Luigi Guicciardini. Her brother was Giovanni Tornabuoni.- Biography :...

 and she lived with her and her son Piero di Cosimo de' Medici

Piero di Cosimo de' Medici

Piero di Cosimo de' Medici , , was the de facto ruler of Florence from 1464 to 1469, during the Italian Renaissance. He was the father of Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giuliano de' Medici-Biography:Piero was born in Florence, the son of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder and Contessina de' Bardi...

 after her husband's death.
Lorenzo 'il Magnifico' named his daughter Contessina de Medici in honour of her.