During a seminal decade (1433–1443), Florence became a crossroads of cultural, political, and ecclesiastical significance, hosting an exiled pope and a desperate Roman emperor while embracing the rise of Cosimo de' Medici as de facto prince. The Medici, a Pope and an Emperor traces the historical arcs of the Commune of Florence, the Medici, the Catholic Church and Byzantium. The intersection of these histories transformed Florence into a unique stage upon which occurred some of the most important events of the early Italian Renaissance.