Christina, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Encyclopedia
Christina of Lorraine or Chretienne de Lorraine (16 August 1565 – 19 December 1637) was a member of the House of Lorraine
and was the Grand Duchess of Tuscany by marriage. She served as Regent of Tuscany
jointly with her daughter-in-law during the minority of her grandson from 1621.
and his wife Claude of Valois
, and granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici
. She was named after her paternal grandmother Christina of Denmark
.
died without a legitimate male heir; his brother Ferdinando immediately declared himself the third Grand Duke of Tuscany. Seeking a marriage that would preserve his political independence, Ferdinando chose his distant cousin, Christine of Lorraine, the favorite granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France. Catherine had influenced her towards this marriage, to re-align the Medici with France, not Spain.
The sumptuous and well-documented wedding festivities, celebrated in Florence in 1589, were designed to impress the royal houses of Europe. The wedding ceremony in Florence Cathedral was followed by outdoor events for the public, as well as banquets and balls, comedies and musical interludes, and a mock sea battle in the flooded courtyard of Palazzo Pitti for the aristocratic guests. Altogether the wedding spectacles cost approximately fourteen million pounds in today’s currency. These lavish and innovative forms of entertainment proved to be more than showmanship. They greatly influenced theatrical practices in European courts throughout the 17th century.
Galileo
wrote his Letter to Grand Duchess Christina
, expounding on the relationship between science and revelation, in 1615.
; re-doubled the Tuscan clergy; and allowed the trial of Galileo Galilei
to occur. Upon the death of the last Duke of Urbino
, instead of claiming the duchy for Ferdinando, who was married his granddaughter, and heiress, Vittoria della Rovere
, they permitted it to be annexed by Pope Urban VIII
.
In 1626, they banned any Tuscan subject from being educated outside the Grand Duchy, a law later resurrected by Christina's great grandson, Cosimo III
. Harold Acton
ascribes the decline of Tuscany to their regency. The Dowager Grand Duchesses sent Ferdinando on a tour of Europe in 1627. Maria Maddalena died in 1631, one year before her son took over the reins of government. Christina of Lorraine died in Florence
at the age of 72.
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
and was the Grand Duchess of Tuscany by marriage. She served as Regent of Tuscany
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
jointly with her daughter-in-law during the minority of her grandson from 1621.
Princess of Lorraine
Born Christine de Lorraine in Nancy, she was the daughter of Charles III of LorraineCharles III, Duke of Lorraine
Charles III , known as the Great, was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death.-History:He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark...
and his wife Claude of Valois
Claude of Valois
Claude of Valois was born at Fontainebleau on 12 November 1547 and died in Nancy on 21 February 1575. She was the second daughter of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici.-Biography:...
, and granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
. She was named after her paternal grandmother Christina of Denmark
Christina of Denmark
Christina of Denmark was a Danish princess who became Duchess-consort of Milan, then Duchess-consort of Lorraine...
.
Marriage
In 1587 Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyFrancesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 to 1587.- Biography :...
died without a legitimate male heir; his brother Ferdinando immediately declared himself the third Grand Duke of Tuscany. Seeking a marriage that would preserve his political independence, Ferdinando chose his distant cousin, Christine of Lorraine, the favorite granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France. Catherine had influenced her towards this marriage, to re-align the Medici with France, not Spain.
The sumptuous and well-documented wedding festivities, celebrated in Florence in 1589, were designed to impress the royal houses of Europe. The wedding ceremony in Florence Cathedral was followed by outdoor events for the public, as well as banquets and balls, comedies and musical interludes, and a mock sea battle in the flooded courtyard of Palazzo Pitti for the aristocratic guests. Altogether the wedding spectacles cost approximately fourteen million pounds in today’s currency. These lavish and innovative forms of entertainment proved to be more than showmanship. They greatly influenced theatrical practices in European courts throughout the 17th century.
Galileo
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
wrote his Letter to Grand Duchess Christina
Letter to Grand Duchess Christina
The Letter to The Grand Duchess Christina, written in 1615 by Galileo Galilei was an essay on the relation between the revelations of the Bible and the new discoveries then being made in science....
, expounding on the relationship between science and revelation, in 1615.
Regent of Tuscany
Her son Cosimo II died in 1621, leaving his ten-year old son Ferdinando as grand duke. Christina and her daughter-in-law, Maria Maddalena of Austria, acted as regents until the boy came of age. Their collective regency is known as the Turtici. Christina's temperament was analogous to Maria Maddalena's. Together, they aligned Tuscany with the PapacyPapal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
; re-doubled the Tuscan clergy; and allowed the trial of Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
to occur. Upon the death of the last Duke of Urbino
Francesco Maria II della Rovere
Francesco Maria II della Rovere was the last Duke of Urbino.- Biography :Born at Pesaro, Francesco Maria was the son of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, Count of Montefeltro and Vittoria Farnese, Princess of Parma...
, instead of claiming the duchy for Ferdinando, who was married his granddaughter, and heiress, Vittoria della Rovere
Vittoria della Rovere
Vittoria della Rovere was Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the wife of Grand Duke Ferdinando II. She gave her husband four children, two of which would survive infancy; the future Cosimo III, Tuscany's longest reigning monarch and Francesco Maria, a prince of the Church...
, they permitted it to be annexed by Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
.
In 1626, they banned any Tuscan subject from being educated outside the Grand Duchy, a law later resurrected by Christina's great grandson, Cosimo III
Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo III de' Medici was the penultimate Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinando II. Cosimo's 53-year long reign, the longest in Tuscan history, was marked by a series of ultra-reactionary laws which regulated prostitution and...
. Harold Acton
Harold Acton
Sir Harold Mario Mitchell Acton CBE was a British writer, scholar and dilettante perhaps most famous for being wrongly believed to have inspired the character of "Anthony Blanche" in Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited...
ascribes the decline of Tuscany to their regency. The Dowager Grand Duchesses sent Ferdinando on a tour of Europe in 1627. Maria Maddalena died in 1631, one year before her son took over the reins of government. Christina of Lorraine died in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
at the age of 72.
Issue
- Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo II de' Medici was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until 1621. He was the elder son of the then incumbent Grand Duke and Christina of Lorraine. He married Maria Magdalena of Austria, and had eight children....
(1590–1621) married Maria Maddalena of Austria and had issue. - Eleonora de' Medici (1591–1617) died unmarried.
- Caterina de' MediciCatherine de' Medici, Governor of SienaCaterina de' Medici was Duchess of Mantua and Montferrat as the second wife of Duke Ferdinando and Goveror of Siena from 1627. She was the second daughter of Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany and his wife Christina of Lorraine...
(1593–1629) married Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, later Governor of Siena; - Francesco de' Medici (1594–1614) died unmarried.
- Carlo de' Medici (1595–1666) died unmarried.
- Filippino de' Medici (1598–1602) died unmarried.
- Lorenzo de' Medici (1599–1648) died unmarried.
- Maria Maddalena de' MediciMaria Maddalena de' MediciMaria Maddalena de' Medici was an Tuscan princess, the eighth daughter of Ferdinando I and Christina of Lorraine, making her the sister of Cosimo II.-Life:...
(1600–1633) died unmarried. - Claudia de' MediciClaudia de' MediciClaudia de' Medici was a daughter of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Christina of Lorraine...
(1604–1648) married (1) Federico della Rovere and had issue (2) Leopold V, Archduke of AustriaLeopold V, Archduke of AustriaLeopold V, Archduke of Further Austria was the son of Archduke Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria, and the younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand II, father of Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria...
and had issue.
Ancestry
Titles and Styles
- 16 August 1565 – 3 May 1589 Her Highness Christine of Lorraine
- 3 May 1589 – 17 February 1609 Her Highness The Grand Duchess of Tuscany
- 17 February 1609 – 9 December 1637 Her Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany