Duke of the Florentine Republic
The Duca della Repubblica Fiorentina,Cosimo de' Medici, the second duke being elevated to Grand Duke of Tuscany, causing the Florentine title to become subordinate to the greater Tuscan title.[2]
History
In 1532,
In 1535, a delegation of Florentine nobles, which included the
previously conspired to assassinate Lorenzo de' Medici and was headed by Alessandro’s cousin Ippolito de' Medici, sought to gain the assistance of Emperor Charles V to depose Alessandro. Charles rejected the delegations’ appeals, as Alessandro had been wedded to the emperor's daughter Margaret of Parma.[2]
Alessandro ruled as duke less than four years, being assassinated by
Cosimo de' Medici was chosen to succeed his distant relative by Florentine officials. Cosimo completely overhauled the bureaucracy and administration of Florence, and, in 1542, the Imperial Armed Forces stationed in Florence by Charles V were withdrawn.[2]
On 17 April 1555, Florentine and Spanish forces occupied the
Medici bank. Finally, Cosimo was elevated to The Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569 by Pope Pius V. This effectively ended the Duchy of Florence, which became subordinate to the more elevated grand ducal title. The Medici continued to rule over Florence and Tuscany until their extinction in 1737 after the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici, who had no children.[2]
The Dukes
Alessandro de' Medici
- Birth: 22 July 1510
- Death: 6 January 1537
- Reign: 1532 – 6 January 1537
- Created the first Duke of the Florentine Republic in 1532 and reigned until his assassination on 6 January 1537. Alessandro died without legitimate issue, causing Florentine officials to select the next duke.
Cosimo de' Medici
- Birth: 15 June 1519
- Death: 21 April 1574
- Reign: 1537–1574
- Selected to succeed as second Duke of the Florentine Republic in 1537, reigning until his abdication in early 1574 in favour of his son, Francesco I de' Medici. From 1569 on, he was known as Cosimo I and created the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, which became the ruling title used by his successors.
See also
- Republic of Florence, for the state itself
- Grand Duchy of Tuscany, for the state which succeeded the duchy
- House of Medici, for the noble family to which the dukes belonged
- Rulers of Florence and Tuscany, a comprehensive list of rulers over the city and region
References
- ISBN 978-88-06-13751-9.
- ^ a b c d e Strathern, Paul. The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance. Vintage Publishers: London.
- ^ "Duke Alessandro de' Medici". Victoria and Albert Museum. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.