Rulers of Tuscany
Encyclopedia
The rulers of Tuscany
have varied over time, sometimes being margrave
s, the rulers of handfuls of border counties and sometimes the heads of the most important family of the region.
Margraves of Tuscany
House of Boniface
House of Boso
Various
House of Canossa
Various
After this, Tuscany was splintered between the competing republics of Florence
, Pisa
, Siena
, Arezzo
, Pistoia
and Lucca
. Since the 14th century, Florence gained dominance over Pistoia (1306, officially annexed 1530), Arezzo (1384), Pisa (1406), and Siena (1559). Lucca was an independent republic until the Napoleonic period in the 19th century.
De facto rulers of the House of Medici
Medici Dukes of Florence
Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany
Bourbon Kings of Etruria
Tuscany was annexed by France, 1807-1814. Napoleon's sister Elisa Bonaparte
was given the honorary title of Grand Duchess of Tuscany, but did not actually rule over the region.
Leopoldo II was driven from Tuscany by revolution from 21 February to 12 April 1849, and again on 27 April 1859. He abdicated in favor of his son, Ferdinando IV, on 21 July 1859, but Ferdinando IV was never recognized in Tuscany, and was deposed by the provisional government on 16 August. Tuscany was annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia
, on 22 March 1860.
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 ....
have varied over time, sometimes being margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
s, the rulers of handfuls of border counties and sometimes the heads of the most important family of the region.
Margraves of TuscanyMarch of TuscanyThe March of Tuscany or Tuscia was a frontier march in central Italy, bordering the Papal States to the south and east, the Ligurian Sea to the west, and the rest of the Kingdom of Italy to the north. It was a Carolingian creation, a successor of the Lombard Duchy of Tuscia...
, 812–1197
House of Boniface
- These were originally counts of LuccaLuccaLucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
who extended their power over the neighbouring counties.- Boniface IBoniface I of TuscanyBoniface II was the count and duke of Lucca and first margrave of Tuscany from about 828. He succeeded his father Boniface I in Lucca — in what was an early example of hereditary succession — and extended his power over the region...
, 812-813 - Boniface II, 828-834
- Aganus, 835-845
- Adalbert IAdalbert I of TuscanyAdalbert I was the margrave of Tuscany from about 847.He was the son of Margrave Boniface II, who had been despoiled of his fiefs by the Emperor Lothair I, and successor of his elder brother Aganus...
, 847-886 - Adalbert II the RichAdalbert II of TuscanyAdalbert II , called the Rich, son and successor of Adalbert I of Tuscany, and grandson of Boniface II, was much concerned in the troubles of Lombardy, at a time when so many princes were contending for the wrecks of the Carolingian Empire. Before his father died in 884 or 886, he is accredited the...
, 886-915 - GuyGuy of TuscanyGuy was the count and duke of Lucca and margrave of Tuscany from 915, the death of his father Adalbert II, to his own death. He was originally under the regency of his mother Bertha, daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia, until 916.He kept court at Mantua around the year 920...
, 915-929 - LambertLambert of TuscanyLambert was the second son of Adalbert II of Tuscany and Bertha, daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia. He succeeded his elder brother, Guy, as count and duke of Lucca and margrave of Tuscany on his death in 928 or 929 without heirs....
, 929-931
- Boniface I
House of Boso
- These were the (mostly illegitimate) relatives of Hugh of Arles, King of ItalyKing of ItalyKing of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
, whom he appointed to their post after removing the dynasty of Boniface- BosoBoso of TuscanyBoso was the count of Arles and Avignon , and margrave of Tuscany . He was the younger son of Theobald of Arles and Bertha, illegitimate daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia. His elder brother was Hugh, king of Italy.Boso supported his brother's Italian designs...
, 931-936 - Humbert, 936-961
- Hugh the GreatHugh of TuscanyHugh the Great was the Margrave of Tuscany from 961 to his death and Duke of Spoleto and Camerino from 989 to 996. He was the son and successor of Humbert of Tuscany, who was also briefly Duke of Spoleto, and Willa, a daughter of Boniface I of Spoleto...
, 961-1001
- Boso
Various
- Boniface (III)Boniface, Count of BolognaBoniface was the Count of Bologna and Margrave of Tuscany from about 1004 to his death, probably in 1011.He was the son of Adalbert, Count of Bologna, and his wife Bertila. He succeeded his father in Bologna and was created margrave of Tuscany sometime before 1004. By 1007, he had founed the abbey...
, 1004-1011 - RainierRainier of TuscanyRainier was the Margrave of Tuscany from 1014 until 1027. After the death of the Emperor Henry II, of whom he had been a supporter, he opposed Conrad II. When Conrad descended into Italy to receive the Iron Crown and the Holy Roman Emperorship, he had to fight and depose Rainier, replacing him with...
, 1014-1027
House of Canossa
- These were the descendants of the Counts of Canossa.
- Boniface IIIBoniface III of TuscanyBoniface III , son of Tedald of Canossa and the father of Matilda of Canossa, was the most powerful north Italian prince of his age...
, 1027-1052 - FrederickFrederick of TuscanyBoniface IV Frederick was the only son of Boniface III of Tuscany and Beatrice of Bar. He was young when his father died on 6 May 1052 and he inherited the great north Italian margraviate....
, 1052-1055 - MatildaMatilda of TuscanyMatilda of Tuscany was an Italian noblewoman, the principal Italian supporter of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy. She is one of the few medieval women to be remembered for her military accomplishments...
, 1052-1115- Beatrice of BarBeatrice of BarBeatrice of Bar was the marchioness of Tuscany from 1053 to her death as the wife of Boniface III of Tuscany...
, 1052-1055 (regent as mother of Frederick and Mathilda) - Godfrey the Bearded, Duke of Lower LorraineGodfrey III, Duke of Lower LorraineGodfrey III , called the Bearded, was the eldest son of Gothelo I, duke of Upper and Lower Lorraine. By inheritance, he was count of Verdun and he became margrave of Antwerp as a vassal of the duke of Lower Lorraine...
, 1053-1069 (regent as husband of Beatrice and step-father to Frederick and Matilda) - Godfrey the Hunchback, Duke of Lower LorraineGodfrey IV, Duke of Lower LorraineGodfrey IV , known as the Hunchback, was a son of Godfrey the Bearded, whom he succeeded as duke of Lower Lorraine in 1069. His mother was Doda and his sister was Ida....
, 1069-1076 (regent as husband of Matilda) - Welf IIWelf II, Duke of BavariaWelf II , or Welfhard, called Welf the Fat, was duke of Bavaria from 1101 until his death. In the Welf genealogy, he is counted as Welf V.-Life and reign:...
, 1089-1095 (co-regent as husband of Matilda)
- Beatrice of Bar
- Boniface III
Various
- Conrad von Scheiern, 1120-1127
- Engelbert III of Sponheim, 1135-1137
- Henry the Proud, Duke of BavariaHenry X, Duke of Bavariathumb|right|Henry X in a much later engraving.Henry the Proud was the Duke of Bavaria , Duke of Saxony , and Margrave of Tuscany .-Life and reign:...
, 1137-1139 - Ulrich of Attems, 1139-1152 (imperial vicar)
- Welf VIWelf VIWelf VI was the margrave of Tuscany and duke of Spoleto , the third son of Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria, and a member of the illustrious Italo-German family of the Welf....
, 1152-1160 - Welf VIIWelf VIIWelf VII was the only son of Welf VI, Duke of Spoleto and Margrave of Tuscany, and Uta, daughter of Godfrey of Calw, count palatine of the Rhine. He was a member of the House of Welf....
, 1160-1167- Rainald of Dassel, Archbishop of CologneRainald of DasselRainald of Dassel was archbishop of Cologne from 1159 to 1167 and archchancellor of Italy. He was preceded as archbishop by Friedrich II of Berg and succeeded by Philip I von Heinsberg....
, 1160-1163 (imperial vicar) - Christian of Buch, Archbishop of Mainz 1163-1173 (imperial vicar)
- Rainald of Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne
- Welf VIWelf VIWelf VI was the margrave of Tuscany and duke of Spoleto , the third son of Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria, and a member of the illustrious Italo-German family of the Welf....
, 1167-1173 - PhilipPhilip of SwabiaPhilip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.-Biography:Philip was the fifth and youngest son of Emperor Frederick I and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and brother of the emperor Henry VI...
, 1195-1197
After this, Tuscany was splintered between the competing republics 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...
, Pisa
Republic of Pisa
The Republic of Pisa was a de facto independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa during the late tenth and eleventh centuries. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated Mediterranean and Italian trade for a century before being surpassed and...
, 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...
, Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, Pistoia
Pistoia
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno.-History:...
and Lucca
Republic of Lucca
The Republic of Lucca was an ancient State of Tuscany which lasted from 1160 to 1805.After the death of Matilda of Tuscany, the city of Lucca began to constitute itself an independent commune, with a charter in 1160. For almost 500 years, Lucca remained an independent republic...
. Since the 14th century, Florence gained dominance over Pistoia (1306, officially annexed 1530), Arezzo (1384), Pisa (1406), and Siena (1559). Lucca was an independent republic until the Napoleonic period in the 19th century.
De facto rulers of the House of MediciMediciThe 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,...
, 1434-1531
- Cosimo de' MediciCosimo de' MediciCòsimo di Giovanni degli Mèdici was the first of the Medici political dynasty, de facto rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance; also known as "Cosimo 'the Elder'" and "Cosimo Pater Patriae" .-Biography:Born in Florence, Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in...
1434-1464 - Piero I de' Medici 1464-1469 ("The Gouty")
- Lorenzo I de' Medici 1469-1492 ("The Magnificent")
- Giuliano de' MediciGiuliano di Piero de' MediciGiuliano de' Medici was the second son of Piero de' Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. As co-ruler of Florence, with his brother Lorenzo the Magnificent, he complemented his brother's image as the "patron of the arts" with his own image as the handsome, sporting, "golden boy."-Death:As the opening...
1469-1478 - Piero II de' Medici 1492-1494
- Republic restored 1494-1512
- Cardinal Giovanni de' MediciPope Leo XPope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
1512-1513 - Lorenzo II de' Medici 1513-1519
- Cardinal Giulio de' MediciPope Clement VIIClement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
1519-1523 - Ippolito de' MediciIppolito de' MediciIppolito 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...
1523-1527 - Alessandro de' Medici 1523-1527
- Republic restored 1527-1530
- Alessandro de' Medici 1530-1531
Medici Dukes of FlorenceDuchy of FlorenceThe 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 appointed his illegitimate son Alessandro de' Medici Duke of the Florentine Republic,...
, 1531-1569
| # | | Name | | Started | | Ended | | Relationship with predecessor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alessandro | 1 May 1532 | 6 Jan 1537 | |
| 2 | 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:... |
20 Sep 1537 | 21 Aug 1569 | fourth cousin of Alessandro |
Medici Grand Dukes 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...
, 1569-1737
| # | | Name | | Started | | Ended | | Relationship with predecessor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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:... |
21 Aug 1569 | 21 Apr 1574 | |
| 2 | Francesco I Francesco 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 :... |
21 Apr 1574 | 19 Oct 1587 | son of Cosimo I |
| 3 | Ferdinando I Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.-Biography:... |
19 Oct 1587 | 7 Feb 1609 | brother of Francesco I son of Cosimo I |
| 4 | Cosimo II Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo 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.... |
7 Feb 1609 | 28 Feb 1621 | son of Ferdinando I |
| 5 | Ferdinando II Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de' Medici was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest child of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. His 49 year rule was punctuated by the terminations of the remaining operations of the Medici Bank, and the beginning of Tuscany's long economic... |
28 Feb 1621 | 23 May 1670 | son of Cosimo II |
| 6 | 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... |
23 May 1670 | 31 Oct 1723 | son of Ferdinando II |
| 7 | Gian Gastone Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Gian Gastone de' Medici was the seventh and last Medicean Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was the second son of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, Princess of France... |
31 Oct 1723 | 9 Jul 1737 | son of Cosimo III |
Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany, 1737-1801
| # | | Name | | Started | | Ended | | Relationship with predecessor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Francesco II Stefano Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty... |
12 Jul 1737 | 18 Aug 1765 | great-great-great-grandson of Francesco I |
| 9 | Pietro Leopoldo I Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II , born Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard, was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Emperor Francis I and his wife, Empress Maria Theresa... |
18 Aug 1765 | 22 Jul 1790 | second son of Francesco II Stefano |
| 10 | Ferdinando III Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1790 to 1801 and, after a period of disenfranchisement, again from 1814 to 1824. He was also the Prince-elector and Grand Duke of Salzburg and Grand Duke of Würzburg .-Biography:Ferdinand was born in Florence, Tuscany, into the... |
22 Jul 1790 | 3 Aug 1801 | second son of Pietro Leopoldo I |
Bourbon Kings of EtruriaKingdom of EtruriaThe Kingdom of Etruria was a kingdom comprising the larger part of Tuscany which existed between 1801 and 1807. It took its name from Etruria, the old Roman name for the land of the Etruscans.It was created by the Treaty of Aranjuez, signed on 21 March 1801...
, 1801-1807
| # | | Name | | Started | | Ended | | Relationship with predecessor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lodovico I Louis of Etruria Louis was the first of only two Kings of Etruria.Louis was the son of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma and Maria Amalia of Austria, the second surviving daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor.... |
3 Aug 1801 | 27 May 1803 | Grandson of Francisco II Stefano |
| 2 | Carlo Lodovico II Charles II, Duke of Parma Charles Louis of Bourbon-Parma was King of Etruria , Duke of Lucca , and Duke of Parma .-Early life and marriage:... |
27 May 1803 | 10 Dec 1807 | son of Lodovico I |
Tuscany was annexed by France, 1807-1814. Napoleon's sister Elisa Bonaparte
Elisa Bonaparte
Maria Anna Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi Levoy, Princesse Française, Duchess of Lucca and Princess of Piombino, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Countess of Compignano was the fourth surviving child and eldest surviving daughter of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino, making her the younger sister of...
was given the honorary title of Grand Duchess of Tuscany, but did not actually rule over the region.
Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany, 1814-1860
| # | | Name | | Started | | Ended | | Relationship with predecessor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Ferdinando III Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1790 to 1801 and, after a period of disenfranchisement, again from 1814 to 1824. He was also the Prince-elector and Grand Duke of Salzburg and Grand Duke of Würzburg .-Biography:Ferdinand was born in Florence, Tuscany, into the... |
27 Apr 1814 | 18 Jun 1824 | (restored) |
| 11 | Leopoldo II Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II of Tuscany was the last reigning grand duke of Tuscany .... |
18 Jun 1824 | 21 Jul 1859 | son of Ferdinando III |
| 12 | Ferdinando IV Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the last Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1859 to 1860. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine continued to hold the title as pretenders until the end of World War I.-Biography:... |
21 Jul 1859 | 22 Mar 1860 | son of Leopoldo II |
Leopoldo II was driven from Tuscany by revolution from 21 February to 12 April 1849, and again on 27 April 1859. He abdicated in favor of his son, Ferdinando IV, on 21 July 1859, but Ferdinando IV was never recognized in Tuscany, and was deposed by the provisional government on 16 August. Tuscany was annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
, on 22 March 1860.
Titular Habsburg-Lorraine claimants, 1860-present
- Ferdinand IVFerdinand IV, Grand Duke of TuscanyFerdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the last Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1859 to 1860. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine continued to hold the title as pretenders until the end of World War I.-Biography:...
1860-1908 - Joseph Ferdinand 1908-1921
- Peter Ferdinand 1921-1948
- GottfriedArchduke Gottfried of AustriaArchduke Gottfried of Austria was a member of the Tuscan line of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and Archduke and Prince of Austria, Prince of Hungary, Bohemia, and Tuscany by birth...
1948-1984 - Leopold FranzArchduke Leopold Franz of AustriaArchduke Leopold Franz of Austria was a member of the Tuscan line of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and Archduke and Prince of Austria, Prince of Hungary, Bohemia, and Tuscany by birth...
1984-1993 - SigismundArchduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of TuscanyArchduke Sigismund of Austria, Grand Duke of Tuscany is the titular Grand Duke of Tuscany and current head of the Tuscan branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.-Biography:Sigismund was born in Lausanne the son of Archduke Leopold Franz and his first wife Princess...
1993-Present
See also
- List of Tuscan consorts
- 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...
- History of TuscanyHistory of TuscanyTuscany is named after its pre-Roman inhabitants, the Etruscans. It was ruled by Rome for many centuries. In the Middle Ages, it saw many invasions, but in the Renaissance period it helped lead Europe back to civilisation. Later, it settled down as a grand duchy...
- Line of succession to the Tuscan throneLine of succession to the Tuscan throneThe present head of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany is Archduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of Tuscany.#Archduke Amadeo, Grand Prince of Tuscany #Archduke Maximilian, Prince of Tuscany #Archduke Guntram, Prince of Tuscany...