Medici

In 1576 Isabella dei Medici, Francesco's sister, was strangled in her nuptial bed by her husband, Paolo Giordano Orsini, whom she had betrayed. Piero dei Medici, Francesco's brother, mur dered his wife Eleonora of Toledo from the same motive. Still louder scandal was caused by the duke's passion for the famous Bianca Cappello, a Venetian of noble birth, who had eloped with and married a young Florentine named Pietro Buonaventuri. Francesco nominated her husband to a post at court. Upon this, Buonaventuri behaved with so much insolence, even to the nobil ity, that one evening he was found murdered in the street. After the death of the grand-duchess in 1578 he married Bianca. The grand-duke died at his villa of Poggio a Caiano on Oct. 18, 1587, and the next day Bianca also expired. Rumour asserted that she had prepared a poisoned tart for the cardinal, and that, when he suspiciously insisted on the grand-duke tasting it first, Bianca desperately swallowed a slice and followed her husband to the tomb.

Such was the life 'of Francesco dei Medici, and all that can be said in his praise is that he gave liberal encouragement to a few artists, including Giovanni Bologna (q.v.). He was the founder of the Uffizi gallery, of the Medici theatre, and the villa of Pratolino ; and during his reign the Della Cruscan academy was instituted.

Ferdinand

I.—Ferdinand I. was thirty-eight years of age when, in 1587, he succeeded his brother on the throne. A cardinal from the age of fourteen, he had never taken holy orders. He was the founder of the Villa Medici at Rome, and the purchaser of many priceless works of art, such as the Niobe group and many other statues afterwards transported by him to Florence. After his accession he retained the cardinal's purple until the time of his marriage.

He re-established the administration of justice, and sedulously attended to the business of the state. Tuscany revived under his rule, and regained the independence and political dignity that his brother had sacrificed to love of ease and personal indulgence. He ensured the prosperity of Leghorn, by an edict enjoining toleration towards Jews and heretics, which led to the settlement of many foreigners in that city. He improved the harbour and established canal communication with Pisa, and carried out many works of public utility in the duchy. He retained the reprehensible custom of trading on his own account, keeping banks in many cities of Europe. In foreign policy he sought emancipation from Spain.

During this grand-duke's reign the Tuscan navy was notably increased, and did itself much honour on the Mediterranean. The war-galleys of the knights of St. Stephen were despatched to the coast of Barbary to attack Bona, the headquarters of the corsairs, and they captured the town with much dash and bravery. In the

following year (16o8) the same galleys achieved their most bril liant victory in the archipelago over the stronger fleet of the Turks, by taking nine of their vessels, seven hundred prisoners, and jewels of the value of 2,000,000 ducats.

Cosimo II.—Ferdinand I. died in 1609, leaving four sons, of whom the eldest, Cosimo II., succeeded to the throne at the age of nineteen. Like his predecessors, Cosimo II. studied to promote the prosperity of Leghorn, and he deserves honour for abandoning all commerce on his own account. He was fond of luxury, spent freely on public festivities and detested trouble. Tuscany was apparently tranquil and prosperous; but the decay of which the seeds were sown under Cosimo I. and Ferdinand I. became before long beyond all hope of remedy. Cosimo II. protected Galileo Galilei. He recalled him to Florence in 161o, and nominated him court mathematician and philosopher. Cosimo died in February 1621. His mother, Cristina of Lorraine, and his wife, Maddalena of Austria, had been nominated regents and guardians to his eldest son Ferdinand IL, a boy of ten.

Ferdinand II.

In 1627 Ferdinand II., then aged seventeen, chose to assume the government; but he decided on sharing his power with the regents and his brothers. When Florence and Tus cany were ravaged by the plague in 163o, he showed admirable courage and carried out many useful measures. But he was entirely subservient to Rome. On the death in 1631 of the last duke of Urbino, the pope was allowed to seize the duchy without the slightest opposition on the part of Tuscany. Ecclesiastics usurped the functions of the state ; and the ancient laws of the republic, together with the regulations decreed by Cosimo I. as a check upon similar abuses, were allowed to become obsolete. On the extinction of the line of the Gonzagas at Mantua in 1627, war broke out between France on the one side and Spain, Germany and Savoy on the other. The grand duke, uncertain of his policy, trimmed his sails according to events. Fortunately peace was re established in 1631. Mantua and Monferrato fell to the duke of Nevers, as France had always desired. But Europe was again in arms for the Thirty Years' War. Urban VIII. wished to aggran dize his nephews, the Barberini, by wresting Castro and Ronci glione from Odoardo Farnese, duke of Parma and brother-in-law to Ferdinand. Farnese marched his army through Tuscany into the territories of the pope. The grand-duke was drawn into the war to defend his own state and his kinsman. By means of the French intervention, peace was made in 1644. But the pope re signed none of his ecclesiastical pretensions in Tuscany. The septuagenarian Galileo was obliged to appear before the Inquisi tion in Rome, which treated him with infamous cruelty.