Medici, Francesco de'
Medici, Francesco de'
(fränchās`kō dā mĕ`dĭchē, Ital. mā`dēchē), 1541–87, grand duke of Tuscany (1574–87); son and successor of Cosimo I de' MediciMedici, Cosimo I de',1519–74, duke of Florence (1537–69), grand duke of Tuscany (1569–74); son of Giovanni de' Medici (Giovanni delle Bande Nere). In 1537, Lorenzino de' Medici murdered Cosimo's predecessor, Alessandro de' Medici, and fled from Florence,
..... Click the link for more information. . In his reign the decline of the Medici family began. He allowed the Austrian and Spanish branches of the house of Hapsburg to establish a virtual protectorate over his dominion, devoting himself to alchemy and other nonpolitical pursuits. He first married Joanna, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand IFerdinand I,
1503–64, Holy Roman emperor (1558–64), king of Bohemia (1526–64) and of Hungary (1526–64), younger brother of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
..... Click the link for more information. , and then, after Joanna's death, Bianca CapelloCappello, Bianca
, 1548–87, grand duchess of Tuscany (1579–87). Of a noble Venetian family, she eloped (1563) with a Florentine, Pietro Bonaventuri, who was later killed (1569). She was the mistress, then (1579) the wife of Francesco de' Medici.
..... Click the link for more information. . His daughter by the first marriage was Marie de' MediciMarie de' Medici
, 1573–1642, queen of France, second wife of King Henry IV and daughter of Francesco de' Medici, grand duke of Tuscany. She was married to Henry in 1600. After his assassination (1610) she became regent for her son Louis XIII.
..... Click the link for more information. , queen of Henry IV of France. Francesco was succeeded by his brother, Ferdinand I de' MediciMedici, Ferdinand I de',
1549–1609, grand duke of Tuscany (1587–1609); brother and successor of Francesco de' Medici. He was made a cardinal in his youth, and he built the famous Villa Medici at Rome.
..... Click the link for more information. .