The palleschi, also known as bigi, were partisans of the Medici family in Florence. The name derived by the Medici Coat of Arm, containing six 'balls' (palle).
Massimo D'Azeglio, an Italian writer and historian, in his "Niccolò de' Lapi, or the Palleschi and the Piagnoni", wrote explicitly: "the part of the citizens which improved their reputation and got rich under the Medici.... was called pallesca" (D'Azeglio, 1866)
On April, 26th 1478, at the end of the so called "Pazzi Conspiracy" which resulted the death of Giuliano de' Medici (brother of Lorenzo, which was himself seriously wounded) the people of Florence responded to the cry "Freedom, Freedom!" by Jacopo de' Pazzi with "Palle, palle!", in a clear reference to the Medici coat of arms and, more broadly, to their partisans palleschi. Aldo Arcangeli, in his book 'The Strozzavolpe Castle' says that the conspirator Jacopo Bracciolini, secretary of Girolamo Riario, 'was hung by the Palleschi because of the Pazzi conspiracy" (Arcangeli, 1960).
The substantial equivalence between Palleschi and Medici partisans is confirmed by the letter written by the florentine philosopher, writer and politician Niccolò Machiavelli "Il ricordo ai Palleschi del 1512", a plea to the Palleschi, returned in Florence after twenty years of exile, in favor of the Gonfaloniere Piero Soderini "exiled by the government of the Florence Republic" (Vivanti, 1997).
Likewise, the rivalry between the Palleschi, partisans of the Medici family, and the Piagnoni, followers of Girolamo Savonarola developed into conflict. Massimo D'Azeglio in "Niccolò de' Lapi" says that "the parts of Piagnoni and Palleschi, rivals for old rancors and new insults, kept the city divided' (D'Azeglio, 1866).
After the death of Savonarola, the interests of the Palleschi became differentiating from the Medici, as testified by the "Storia Fiorentina" of Benedetto Varchi (Firenze 1503-1565) in relation to the opposition of the Palleschi against the Pope Clemente VII Medici (Varchi, 1857).
The fortunes of the Palleschi were nevertheless strictly connected to the Medici. For example, during the siege of Florence by Charles V when the Florentine government hardly repressed "the enemies within the walls", references the Palleschi who stayed in the city (Bertelli, 1986)
Many of them preferred the exile to Venice, Bologna or Rome so as to avoid being arrested or falling victim to the violence described by D'Azeglio in "Niccolò de' Lapi" (D'Azeglio, 1866)
Read more about Palleschi: Bibliography