Duchy of Florence
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The Duchy of Florence or, Italian: (Ducato di Firenze) was an Italian monarchy that was centred on the city of Florence, in modern Tuscany, Italy. The duchy was founded in 1533 when Pope Clement VII (ruler of the Papal States and Florence) appointed his illegitimate son (some historians suggest he was the son of Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbino) Alessandro de' Medici Duke of the Florentine Republic, thereafter making the previously-existing Republic of Florence a hereditary monarchy. Florence had been under unofficial Medici control since 1434. The Duchy of Florence had two Dukes, Alessandro and Cosimo I. Alessandro ruled as Duke until his assassination in 1537. Cosimo was chosen to succeed his distant relative by Florentine authorities. Cosimo established a strong Florentine navy, and made the greatest single territorial acquisition to Florence, when Cosimo annexed the Republic of Siena after it lost the Battle of Marciano in 1554. Cosimo was elevated to Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569 by the Pope. This event ended the Duchy of Florence, and paved the way for Medici rule in Tuscany until 1737, upon the line's extinction.[1]
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[edit] Background
Upon the Duchy of Florence's foundation, it occupied the same area as its predecessor, the Republic of Florence. The duchy was created because the title "duke" would bolster Medici power in the region.[2] The Medici, had just a few years prior to the duchy's creation, had their supremacy over Florence restored by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V[3], as Pope Clement VII had been deposed since 1527 by Florentine rebels during the War of the League of Cognac.[4][5]
[edit] Alessandro’s Reign
In 1535, a delegation with the intent of asking Charles V to depose Alessandro was dispatched by several prominent Florentine families, including the Pazzi (who attemped to kill Lorenzo de' Medici in the Pazzi Conspiracy). This delegation was headed by Alessandro’s cousin Ippolito de' Medici. Charles V rejected the delegations’ appeals, much to their dismay. Charles V had absolutely no intention of deposing Alessandro (Alessandro was married to Charles' daughter Margaret of Parma, and therefore her safety could be put at stake by Ippolito’s plot).[6]
Alessandro’s tenure as duke lasted less than four years. Alessandro was murdered by his distant relative Lorenzino de' Medici on January 1, 1537.[7] Alessandro had no legitimate issue.[8]
[edit] Cosimo I
Cosimo I de' Medici was selected by Florentine authorities to succeed Alessandro shortly after the latter's death.[9] At the beginning of Cosimo’s rule, the Strozzi family, who were in exile, attempted to invade Florence and depose Cosimo, but the Strozzis ultimately failed.[10] Cosimo completely overhauled the bureaucracy and administration of Florence. [11] In 1542, the Imperial troops stationed in Florence by Charles V were withdrawn.[12]
In 1544, Florence annexed the Republic of Siena after a short war. Siena had been collapsing for quite some time before its annexation.. In 1548, Cosimo purchased Elba from the Republic of Genoa, and based his new developing navy there. Cosimo founded the port city of Livorno and allowed the city’s inhabitants to enjoy freedom of religion.[13] The ducal family moved into the Palazzo Pitti in 1560[14].Cosimo commissioned the architect Vasari to build the Uffizi, as offices for the Medici bank, continuing the Medici tradition of patronage of the arts.
Cosimo was elevated to the rank of Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569, by Pope Pius V, and the monarch was now entitled to the syle Highness.[15] Medici rule continued into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until the Medici's extinction in 1737.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ Strathern, Paul : Medici: “Godfathers of the Renaissance” (Vintage Publishers) ISBN 978-0-099-52297-3
- ^ Frieda, Leonie, “Catherine de Medici” (Phoenix) IBSN: 0-75382-039-0
- ^ Frieda, Leonie, p. 29
- ^ Frieda, Leonie, p 29
- ^ http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa24
- ^ Strathern, Paul p 322 – 325
- ^ Strathern, Paul, p 327
- ^ http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa24
- ^ Strathern, Paul, p 329
- ^ Strathern, Paul, p 330
- ^ Strathern,Paul p 332
- ^ Strathern, Paul, p 334
- ^ Strathern, Paul, p 335
- ^ Strathern, Paul, p 337
- ^ Strathern, Paul, p 339 - 342
- ^ http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa24
[edit] See also
- Grand Duchy of Tuscany
- House of Medici
- Republic of Florence
- Alessandro de' Medici
- Cosimo I de' Medici
- Battle of Marciano
