During the 15th century the Bardi family continued to operate in various European centres, playing a notable role in financing some of the early voyages of discovery to America including those by Christopher Columbus and John Cabot.

[1] The nobility of the Bardi family has been documented since the year 1164, when Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa relinquished the county of Vernio to Count Alberto along with "the right to confer the noble title on his descendents.".

When the Battle of Montaperti took place in 1260, Geri di Ricco de' Bardi fought under the Guelph flag and was subsequently exiled when the Ghibellines won.

By the fourteenth century the Bardi and the Peruzzi family grew tremendously wealthy by offering financial services.

[5] The Bardi family had thirteen different branches located in Barcelona, Seville and Majorca, in Paris, Avignon, Nice and Marseilles, in London, Bruges, Constantinople, Rhodes, Cyprus and Jerusalem.

[6] Despite the failure of the bank, the Bardi family ranked among Italy's most successful merchants and continued to benefit from their noble status.

[9] Two important paintings, both called the Bardi Altarpiece, are by Sandro Botticelli (1484-85, now in Berlin), and by Parmigianino, the latter named after the town rather than the family.