The Duchy of Florence ( it, Ducato di Firenze) was an Italian principality that was centred on the city of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
, in
Tuscany
it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman)
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, demogra ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. The duchy was founded after
Emperor Charles V
Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...
restored
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...
rule to Florence in 1530.
Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...
, himself a Medici, appointed his relative
Alessandro de' Medici
Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include:
People with the given name Alessandro
* Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter
* Alessandro Baricco ...
as Duke of the Florentine Republic, thereby transforming the
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Fl ...
into a
hereditary monarchy.
The second Duke,
Cosimo I
Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death.
Life
Rise to power
Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...
, established a strong Florentine navy and expanded his territory, purchasing Elba and conquering
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...
. In 1569, the Pope declared Cosimo
Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Medici ruled the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany until 1737.
Origins and Constitution
Florence had been under informal
Medici
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...
control since 1434. During the
War of the League of Cognac, the Florentines rebelled against the Medici, then represented by
Ippolito de' Medici, and restored the freedom of their republic. Following the Republic's surrender in the
Siege of Florence,
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...
issued a proclamation explicitly stating that he and he alone could determine the government of Florence. On 12 August 1530, the Emperor created the Medici hereditary rulers (''capo'') of the ''Republic'' of Florence.
Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...
intended his relative
Alessandro de' Medici
Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include:
People with the given name Alessandro
* Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter
* Alessandro Baricco ...
to be the ruler of Florence, but also wanted to give the impression that the Florentines had democratically chosen Alessandro as their ruler. The title "Duke of Florence" was chosen because it would bolster Medici power in the region. In April 1532, the Pope convinced the ''Balía'', Florence's ruling commission, to draw up a new constitution, which formally created a hereditary monarchy. It abolished the age-old ''signoria'' (elective government) and the office of ''
gonfaloniere
The Gonfalonier (in Italian: ''Gonfaloniere'') was the holder of a highly prestigious communal office in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States. The name derives from ''gonfalone'' (in English, gonfalon), the t ...
'' (titular head-of-state elected for a two-month term) and replaced it with three institutions:
*the ''consigliere'', a four-man council elected for a three-month term, headed by the "Duke of the Florentine Republic".
*the Senate, composed of forty-eight men, chosen by the ''Balía'', was vested with the prerogative of determining Florence's financial, security, and foreign policies. Additionally, the senate appointed the commissions of war and public security, and the governors of Pisa, Arezzio, Prato, Voltera and Cortona and ambassadors.
*the Council of Two Hundred was a petitions court; membership was for life.
Alessandro's Reign
Even after Alessandro's accession, Imperial troops remained stationed in Florence. In 1535, several prominent Florentine families, including the
Pazzi (who attempted to kill
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesman, banker, ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Also known as Lorenzo ...
in the
Pazzi Conspiracy) dispatched a delegation under
Ippolito de' Medici, asking Charles V to depose Alessandro. Much to their dismay, the Emperor rejected their appeal. Charles had no intention of deposing Alessandro, who was married to Charles' daughter
Margaret of Parma.
Alessandro continued to rule Florence for another two years until he was murdered on January 1, 1537 by his distant relative
Lorenzino de' Medici.
Cosimo's accession and rule
As Alessandro left no legitimate issue, the question of succession was open. Florentine authorities selected
Cosimo I
Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death.
Life
Rise to power
Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...
in 1537. At the news of this, the exiled Strozzi family invaded and tried to depose Cosimo, but were defeated at Montemurlo. Cosimo completely overhauled the bureaucracy and administration of Florence. In 1542, the Imperial troops stationed in Florence by Charles V were withdrawn.
In 1548, Cosimo was given
Elba by Charles V, 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. In alliance with Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, Cosimo defeated the
Republic of Siena, which was allied with France, in the
Battle of Marciano on August 2, 1554. On April 17, 1555, Florence and Spain occupied the territory of Siena, which, in July 1557
Philip II of Spain
Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
bestowed on Cosimo as a hereditary fiefdom. The ducal family moved into the
Palazzo Pitti in 1560. Cosimo commissioned the architect
Vasari
Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculpt ...
to build the
Uffizi, as offices for the Medici bank, continuing the Medici tradition of patronage of the arts. In 1569, Cosimo was elevated to the rank of
Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569 by Pope
Pius V. Medici rule continued into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until the family became extinct in 1737.
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
Information related to Cosimo I
{{DEFAULTSORT:Florence, Duchy of
Italian city-states
Italian states
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Duchy of Florence
History of Tuscany
States and territories established in 1532
States and territories disestablished in 1569
1532 establishments in Italy
1569 disestablishments in Europe
1530s establishments in Italy
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Duchy of Florence
16th century in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Former monarchies of Europe
Former duchies