Duke Alessandro.--Meanwhile the imperial army had sacked Rome, and Clement VII. had signed a treaty of alliance with the emperor (1529), who sent an army to besiege Florence and restore the Medici, whom the people had expelled in 1527 on the re establishment of the republic. After an heroic defence, the city was forced to surrender (1530. Ippolito being a cardinal, Ales sandro was chosen as the new ruler of Florence.
By imperial patent Duke Alessandro (he was duke of Cita di Penna) was nominated head of the republic. No previous ruler of the city had enjoyed hereditary power confirmed by imperial patent, and such power was incompatible with the existence of a republic. A new council was formed of two hundred citizens elected for life, forty-eight of which number were to constitute a senate. Alessandro, as duke of the republic, filled the post of gonfalonier, and carried on the government with the assistance of three senators, changed every three months, who took the place of the suppressed signory. The duke's chief advisers and the contrivers of all these arrangements were Baccio Valori, Francesco Vettori and above all Francesco Guicciardini—men, especially the latter two, of lofty political gifts and extensive influence. When the leading Florentine families realized not only that the republic was destroyed, but that they were reduced to equality with those whom they had hitherto regarded as their inferiors and subjects, their rage was indescribable, and hardly a day passed without the departure of influential citizens who were resolved to overthrow their new ruler. They found a leader in Cardinal Ippolito dei Medici, who was then in Rome, Cardinal Ippolito.—In 1534 the principal Florentine exiles were despatched to Charles V. with complaints of Alessandro's tyranny. Ippolito represented his own willingness to carry on the government of Florence in a more equitable manner, and promised the emperor a large sum of money. He set out to meet Charles in Tunis, but on Aug. io, 1535, died suddenly at Itri, poisoned, it is supposed, by order of Alessandro. On the emperor's return from Africa, the exiles presented themselves to him in Naples. Duke Alessandro, being cited to appear, came to Naples accompanied by Francesco Guicciardini, who by speaking in his defence, tarnished his illustrious name. Alessandro rose higher than before in the imperial favour, married Margaret of Austria, the natural daughter of Charles, and returned to Florence with increased power. Alessandro now indulged unchecked in the low
est excesses of tyranny, and gave way to increased libertinism.
Lorenzino.—His constant associate in this disgraceful routine was his distant kinsman Lorenzo, generally known as Lorenzino dei Medici. On Jan. 5, 1537, Lorenzino led the duke to his own lodging, and left him there, promising shortly to return with the wife of Leonardo Ginori. Alessandro fell asleep on the couch while awaiting Lorenzino's return. Before long the latter came accompanied by a desperado known as the Scoronconcolo, who aided him in murdering the sleeper. They placed the body in a bed, hid it beneath the clothes, and, Lorenzino having attached a paper to it bearing the words, Vincit amor patriae, laudumque immense cupido, they both fled to Venice. In that city Lorenzino was assassinated some ten years later, in 1548, at the age of thirty two, by order of Alessandro's successor. He wrote an Apologia, in which he defended himself with great skill and eloquence, saying that he had been urged to the deed solely by love of liberty. By Alessandro's death the elder branch of the Medici became extinct.
Cosimo I.—Cardinal Cybo convoked the council of forty-eight to decide upon a successor. Guicciardini and other leading citizens favoured the choice of Cosimo, the son of Giovanni delle Bande Nere. He was already in Florence, was aged seventeen, was keen witted and aspiring, strong and handsome in person, heir to the enormous wealth of the Medici, and, by the terms of the imperial patent, was Alessandro's lawful successor. Charles V. approved the nomination of Cosimo, who without delay seized the reins of government with a firm grasp.
Meanwhile the exiles assembled their forces at Mirandola. They had about four thousand infantry and three hundred horse; among them were members of all the principal Florentine families; and their leaders were Bernardo Salviati and Piero Strozzi. They entered Tuscany. towards the end of July 1537. Cosimo ordered Alessandro Vitelli to collect the best German, Spanish and Italian infantry at his disposal, and attack the enemy. Alessandro Vitelli re-entered Florence with bis victorious army and his fettered captives. Cosimo had achieved his first triumph.