The history of the Botti is both family biography and an account of a Florentine company that was present on the most important economic markets of the first half of the sixteenth century (Florence, Pisa, Cádiz, Seville, Venice, Valladolid, Rome, Antwerp and Lyon). Their enduring commercial activity abroad and the intensity of their economic relations beyond their home city fostered encounters of different cultures. They were protagonists of an intercultural exchange which on the strength of a solid foundation of money and finance spread the taste for beauty and Florentine Renaissance culture. They contributed to the realisation of the ‘Florence factor’, which is held to be the precursor of the ‘Italy factor’, namely the ability to produce attractive things appreciated throughout the world. Not only did the Botti family use their wealth, artistic taste and culture to grow economically, they also played a role in making their city an essential point of reference for the Italian Renaissance, thus benefiting artists as well. Their commercial earnings allowed them to assemble a splendid collection of artworks, which the last member of the family, Matteo di Giovanbattista, left to the Medici; these works included Raphael’s La Velata, reproduced here on the cover.