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| Ferdinando II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reign | 28 February 1621 – 23 May 1670 |
| Predecessor | Cosimo II de' Medici |
| Successor | Cosimo III de' Medici |
| Consort | Vittoria della Rovere |
| Issue | Cosimo III de' Medici Cardinal Francesco Maria de' Medici |
| House | House of Medici |
| Father | Cosimo II de' Medici |
| Mother | Maria Maddalena of Austria |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) reigned as Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1621 until 1670. His reign of 49 years witnessed the first stages of Tuscany's decline as a European power and the collapse of its economy. He tried to rule well, but lacked the strength of will to effect reform.
The eldest child of Grand Duke Cosimo II and Maria Maddalena of Austria, Ferdinando married, at the instigation of his grandmother-regent, Christina of Lorraine, Vittoria della Rovere, his first cousin and the heiress of the Duchy of Urbino. She bore him two children to surivive to adulthood, Cosimo, Ferdinano's successor as Grand Duke, and Francesco Maria, a Prince of the Church.
Having a marked interest in science, Ferdinando patronised Galileo Galilei, his father's tutor, and collected scientific instruments, like hygrometers, barometers, thermometers, and telescopes. With his brother Cardinal Leopoldo, Ferdinando foudned the Accademia del Cimento. This was one the first scientific academies in Europe.
Regency[edit]
The eldest son of Grand Duke Cosimo II and Maria Maddalena of Austria, Ferdinando was born on 14 July 1610 in Florence, Tuscany. Ferdinando was a minor at the time of his accession, in 1620.[1] Therefore, his mother and his paternal grandmother, Christina of Lorraine, became regents until he came of age, as per Cosimo II's will.[2] Their collective regency was known as the Turtici.[3] Christina dominated all aspects of the regency, leaving Maria Maddalena to oversee the education of her children.[4] She arranged for Galileo Galilei to teach Ferdinando science.[4]
Ignoring the many codicils of Cosimo II's will, Christina squandered the Medici fortune on excessive pomp and invited ecclesiastics, like her favourite, Cioli, to join the government, thus contributing to the misrule of Tuscany that was rife under Ferdinando II.[5] Christina
Ferdinando was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Maria Maddalena of Austria. Cosimo II died when he was 20; because he had not yet reached legal maturity, his mother and paternal grandmother, Christina of Lorraine, acted as joint regents. [7] Dowager Grand Duchess Christina brought Tuscany into the Pope’s sphere of influence. In his seventeenth year, Ferdinando embarked on a tour of Europe. One year later, his regency ended and his personal rule began.[8] Dowager Grand Duchess Christina was the power behind the throne until her demise in 1636.
| Styles of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
The first calamity of Ferdinando’s reign was in 1630, when a plague swept through Florence and took 10% of the population with it. [9] Unlike the Tuscan nobility, Ferdinando and his brothers stayed in the city to try to ameliorate the general suffering.[10] His mother and grandmother arranged a marriage with Vittoria della Rovere, a granddaughter of the then incumbent Duke of Urbino, in 1634. Together they had two children: Cosimo, in 1642, and Francesco Maria de' Medici, in 1660. The latter was the fruit of a brief reconciliation, as after the birth of Cosimo, the two became estranged; Vittoria caught Ferdinando in bed with a page, Count Bruto della Molera.[11]
Grand Duke Ferdinando was obsessed with new technology, and had several hygrometers, barometers, thermometers, and telescopes installed in the Pitti.[12] In 1657, Leopoldo de' Medici, the Grand Duke’s youngest brother, established the Accademia del Cimento. It was set up to attract scientists from all over Tuscany to Florence for mutual study.[13]
Tuscany participated in the Wars of Castro (the last time Medicean Tuscany was involved in a conflict) and inflicted a defeat on the forces of Urban VIII in 1643.[14] The treasury was so empty that when the Castro mercenaries were paid for the state could no longer afford to pay interest on government bonds. The interest rate was lowered by 0.75%.[15] The economy was so decrepit that barter trade became prevalent in rural market places.[14]
Ferdinando died on 23 May 1670 of apoplexy and dropsy. He was interred in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Medici's necropolis.[16] At the time of his death, the population of the grand duchy was 730,594 souls; the streets were lined with grass and the buildings on the verge of collapse in Pisa.[17]
See also[edit]
Ancestors[edit]
References[edit]
- Acton, Harold: The Last Medici, Macmillan, London, 1980, ISBN 0-333-29315-0
- Strathern, Paul: The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance, Vintage books, London, 2003, ISBN 978-0-099-52297-3
- Hale, J.R.: Florence and the Medici, Orion books, London, 1977, ISBN 1-84212-456-0
Citations[edit]
