Duchy of Florence
Encyclopedia
The Duchy of Florence was an Italian monarchy that was centred on the city of Florence
, in modern Tuscany
, Italy
. The duchy was founded in 1532 when Clement VII (ruler of the Papal States
and Florence and Pope
of the Catholic Church) 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, the annexation of 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 ended the Duchy of Florence and paved the way for Medici rule in Tuscany until 1737, upon the senior line's extinction.
. The duchy was created because the title "duke" would bolster Medici power in the region. 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
, as Pope Clement VII had been deposed since 1527 by Florentine rebels during the War of the League of Cognac
.
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 attempted 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).
Alessandro’s tenure as duke lasted less than four years. Alessandro was murdered by his distant relative Lorenzino de' Medici
on January 1, 1537. Alessandro had no legitimate issue.
On April 17, 1555, Florence and Spain occupied the Republic of Siena after a brief conflict. Philip II of Spain
bestowed the territory on Cosimo as a hereditary male-line fiefdom, in July 1557. 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. The ducal family moved into the Palazzo Pitti
in 1560. 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. The monarch was now entitled to the style Highness
. Medici rule continued into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until their extinction in 1737.
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
willed his relative Alessandro de' Medici to be the monarchical ruler of Florence, and went about requisitioning that dignity carefully; he wanted to give the impression that the Florentines democratically chose Alessandro to be their monarch. In April 1532, the Pope convinced the Balía, Florence's ruling commission, to draw up a new constitution. The document in question was officiated on the 27th of that month. It formally created a hereditary monarchy, abolished the age-old signoria (elective government) and the office of gonfaloniere
(titular ruler of Florence elected for a two month-term); in their place was 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 constitutional reform commission, 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.
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....
, in modern Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The duchy was founded in 1532 when Clement VII (ruler of the Papal States
Papal 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...
and Florence and Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
of the Catholic Church) appointed his illegitimate son (some historians suggest he was the son of Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbino
Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbino
Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici was the ruler of Florence from 1513 to his death from the plague in 1519. He was also Duke of Urbino from 1516 to 1519....
) Alessandro de' Medici Duke of the Florentine Republic, thereafter making the previously-existing Republic of Florence
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
a hereditary monarchy
Hereditary monarchy
A hereditary monarchy is the most common type of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies.Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one member to another member of the family...
. Florence had been under unofficial Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
control since 1434. The Duchy of Florence had two Dukes, Alessandro and Cosimo I
Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569.-Biography:...
. 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, the annexation of the Republic of Siena
Republic of Siena
The Republic of Siena , was a state originating from the city of Siena in Tuscany, Central Italy.It existed for over four hundreds years, from the late 11th century until the year 1555, when was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown...
after it lost the Battle of Marciano
Battle of Marciano
The Battle of Marciano occurred in the countryside of Marciano della Chiana, near Arezzo, Tuscany, on August 2, 1554, during the Italian War of 1551...
in 1554. Cosimo was elevated to grand duke of Tuscany in 1569 by the Pope. This ended the Duchy of Florence and paved the way for Medici rule in Tuscany until 1737, upon the senior line's extinction.
Background
Upon the Duchy of Florence's foundation, it occupied the same area as its predecessor, the Republic of FlorenceRepublic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
. The duchy was created because the title "duke" would bolster Medici power in the region. The Medici, had just a few years prior to the duchy's creation, had their supremacy over Florence restored by Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, as Pope Clement VII had been deposed since 1527 by Florentine rebels during the War of the League of Cognac
War of the League of Cognac
The War of the League of Cognac was fought between the Habsburg dominions of Charles V—primarily Spain and the Holy Roman Empire—and the League of Cognac, an alliance including France, Pope Clement VII, the Republic of Venice, England, the Duchy of Milan and Republic of Florence.- Prelude :Shocked...
.
Alessandro’s Reign
Pazzi
The Pazzi family were an ancient, noble Tuscan family who had given up their titles so that members could be elected to public office. Their main trade, during the 15th century was banking. They are linked to the "Pazzi conspiracy"—to assassinate Giuliano de' Medici and simultaneously attempt...
(who attempted to kill Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets...
in the Pazzi Conspiracy). This delegation was headed by Alessandro’s cousin Ippolito de' Medici
Ippolito de' Medici
Ippolito de' Medici was the illegitimate only son of Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici.Ippolito was born in Urbino. His father died when he was only five , and he was subsequently raised by his uncle Pope Leo X and his cousin Giulio.When Giulio de' Medici was elected pope as Clement VII, Ippolito...
. 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
Margaret of Parma
Margaret, Duchess of Parma , Governor of the Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582, was the illegitimate daughter of Charles V and Johanna Maria van der Gheynst...
, and therefore her safety could be put at stake by Ippolito’s plot).
Alessandro’s tenure as duke lasted less than four years. Alessandro was murdered by his distant relative Lorenzino de' Medici
Lorenzino de' Medici
Lorenzino de' Medici , sometimes called Lorenzaccio de' Medici, was an Italian writer remembered primarily as the assassin of Alessandro de' Medici, duke and ruler of Florence.-Biography:...
on January 1, 1537. Alessandro had no legitimate issue.
Cosimo I
Cosimo I de' Medici was selected by Florentine authorities to succeed Alessandro shortly after the latter's death. At the news of this, the Strozzi family, who were in exile, attempted to invade Florence and depose Cosimo, but the Strozzis ultimately failed. Cosimo completely overhauled the bureaucracy and administration of Florence. In 1542, the Imperial troops stationed in Florence by Charles V were withdrawn.On April 17, 1555, Florence and Spain occupied the Republic of Siena after a brief conflict. Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
bestowed the territory on Cosimo as a hereditary male-line fiefdom, in July 1557. Siena had been collapsing for quite some time before its annexation. In 1548, Cosimo purchased Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
from the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
, and based his new developing navy there. Cosimo founded the port city of Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
and allowed the city’s inhabitants to enjoy freedom of religion. The ducal family moved into the Palazzo Pitti
Palazzo Pitti
The Palazzo Pitti , in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio...
in 1560. Cosimo commissioned the architect Vasari to build the Uffizi
Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery , is a museum in Florence, Italy. It is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world.-History:...
, as offices for the Medici bank, continuing the Medici tradition of patronage of the arts.
Highness
Highness, often used with a possessive adjective , is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty in an address...
. Medici rule continued into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until their extinction in 1737.
Government
Following the Republic's surrender in the Siege of Florence, Charles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
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
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
willed his relative Alessandro de' Medici to be the monarchical ruler of Florence, and went about requisitioning that dignity carefully; he wanted to give the impression that the Florentines democratically chose Alessandro to be their monarch. In April 1532, the Pope convinced the Balía, Florence's ruling commission, to draw up a new constitution. The document in question was officiated on the 27th of that month. It formally created a hereditary monarchy, abolished the age-old signoria (elective government) and the office of gonfaloniere
Gonfaloniere
The Gonfaloniere was a highly prestigious communal post in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States. The name derives from gonfalone, the term used for the banners of such communes....
(titular ruler of Florence elected for a two month-term); in their place was 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 constitutional reform commission, 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.
See also
- Grand Duchy of TuscanyGrand Duchy of TuscanyThe 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...
- House of Medici
- Republic of FlorenceRepublic of FlorenceThe Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
- Battle of MarcianoBattle of MarcianoThe Battle of Marciano occurred in the countryside of Marciano della Chiana, near Arezzo, Tuscany, on August 2, 1554, during the Italian War of 1551...