[20] The Prince frequently gambled, racking up exorbitant debts, losing, on one occasion, 150,000 crowns. This led to the 1735 Treaty of Vienna, which decided Francis II of Lorraine would be the heir to the throne. The Medici family believed that paying for art, then giving it away to the church and city was their "Stairway to Heaven.". [10], Out of sympathy, Gian Gastone befriended his unhappy sister-in-law, Duchess Violante Beatrice of Bavaria. Save to Library Save. To discredit these, the Dowager Electress induced Gian Gastone to make a public appearancehis final oneon Saint John the Baptist's day of 1729. Exploring the cosmopolitan nature of the Medici ducal court is often at the core of The Medici Archive Project's mission. Finally, he returned to Florence in 1708 much to the chagrin of his father and separated from Anna Maria. [46][47] In the period 17221725, the Electress embellished the villa further by commissioning twelve statues of various religious figures. [12] The Elector Palatine obtained the style Royal Highness from the Holy Roman Emperor for Cosimo III in February 1691. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Gian Gastone de Medici was born in 1671 as the second son of Cosimo III de Medici and Marguerite Louise dOrlans. How did a wealthy family of bankers come to be a quasi-monarchy of Florence legitimized with . You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. At the accompanying festivities, a contemporary describes the Electress's physical attributes: "In her person, she is tall, her complexion was fair, her eyes large and expressive, both those and her hair were black; her mouth was small, with a fullness of the lips; her teeth were as white as ivory."[11], She departed for Dsseldorf, her husbands capital, on 6 May 1691, accompanied by her younger brother, Gian Gastone. But then in the 2000's, everything changed. His ruinous behaviour was relayed to Florence by the Electress Palatine. As Prince Gian Gastone disliked his father's hyper-pious character, he elected to stay away from him and the royal court. The Medici Dynasty. [11], By 1697, Violante Beatrice and Ferdinando had been married for eight years and still lacked issue, as did Gian Gastone's sister, the Electress Palatine. [11] Finally, it was Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor who suggested Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine. [37], The Elector Palatine died in June 1716. Ferdinand Richter, Portrait of Gian Gastone de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, 1737, Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy. [{"displayPrice":"$32.65","priceAmount":32.65,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"32","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"65","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"lmuZps%2BSBohKWDfyayy1ZfBEjVXvOOjyIPBsSwKede%2BZs9ReeJGryDCgW2VngWNsgQhQUOZ3uAe9Js2SbYScD21P%2FBLqKD456kfj7vJWwGaskJRXB34Lsm6YGUrQ00Y6V3evVmiV6GVP3%2FFWrNDUaCivWQBKy1yYy2v2zPnEW8u903INPaVNSix3SCYOpNV9","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$21.23","priceAmount":21.23,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"21","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"23","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"6V2Vq6k2l1x8DKPS3ERvG9u1qafOJrBOhF7318%2B7d1v%2Bn595zPANP5yJa87lTI%2FyiFzAikcVD0KHbE1nnrqqKvEym24TzRRo9LJM%2FbP5XdyRHeMAixN2cWqOSbriZWka8Q4kwNgwiFccj2Wtp4YZzMwaVWncrK9VdaXsuvFaOLfVMrHtLMaLnzqBbOQqMnv9","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]. The word Uffizi in fact meant offices. The Last Medici. His sister, Anna Maria Luisa, was the last of the Medici family, herself childless, and the great dynasty of the family came to an end. A patron of the arts, she bequeathed the Medicis' large art collection, including the contents of the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and the Medicean villas . In the chamber are many family members. "[29] However, two years later, he died without issue, taking with him any hope of an heir. Cozomo de' Medici Giovanni is one of five sons of a poor widow. Gian Gastone had a lead coffin in a wooden frame. This becomes clearer when one understands their common ancestor: Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, father to both Lorenzo the Elder and Cosimo de' Medici. "The Last Medici centres mainly round the fantastic figures of Princess Marguerite-Louise d'Orlans and her husband Cosimo III, most fatal of all the Medicean sovereigns. Unlike . This is our guest profile for occasional authors. One that does exist, however, highlights his importance to the city of Florence. Many former Medici rulers loved to commission artworks that associated the Medici family with religion or political control. Gian Gastone was descended from both Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Elder through the marriage between Maria Salviati, grandchild of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and Giovanni de' Medici, great-grandson of Lorenzo the Elder. In 15th-century Renaissance Florence, the visionary Medici dynasty flexes its power in politics and the arts, risking its rivals' lethal opposition. The very last Grand Duke of Tuscany, Gian Gastone de' Medici, passed away without a son in 1737. "The Last Medici" centres mainly round the fantastic figures of Princess Marguerite-Louise d'Orleans and her husband Cosimo III, most fatal of all the Medicean sovereigns. He is well known for his contribution to the art . The only condition was that none of it could be sold. The last act closes on Gian Gastone, their cynical younger son, bedridden in the Pitti Palace, a florid figure of despair, with the Powers of Europe ever on the alert for the . A few days ago I attended a lecture by Professor Tim Blanning on the subject of the European context of Viscount Fitzwilliam's stupendous bequest to the University of Cambridge in 1816. Gian Gastone de' Medici (born Giovanni Battista Gastone; 24 May 1671 9 July 1737) was the seventh and last Medicean Grand Duke of Tuscany. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. Holly Black Recommends Monstrously Good YA Reads. Perhaps we should all pay a little more attention to his accomplishments too. [4], Her parents' relationship was quarrelsome; Marguerite Louise took every chance to humiliate Cosimo. In actuality, he was widely regarded as one of the most popular Medici rulers by the general public despite only ruling for 14 years. What illness did Lorenzo Medici suffer from? [49] To dispel the said rumours, the Electress compelled him to make an appearancehis last onein 1729, on the feast day of the patron saint of Florence, John the Baptist. Ferdinando de' Medici (9 August 1663 - 31 October 1713) was the eldest son of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Marguerite Louise d'Orlans.Ferdinando was heir to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, with the title Grand Prince, from his father's accession in 1670 until his death in 1713.He is remembered today primarily as a patron of music. Perhaps Never miss DailyArt Magazine's stories. Please try again. The contract created that day revoked her privileges as a petite fille de France, and declared that upon her death all her assets were to be inherited by her children. For the latter part of his reign, Gian Gastone chose to remain confined in his bed, tended by his entourage, the Ruspanti. She was very religious and had great moral rigor. The Medici were a wealthy and powerful family of Italian bankers and merchants. Being a part of the latter stages of the Medici family line, he was born into a family that prioritized authoritarianism over republicanism, instituted oppressive, bigoted policies, and led to the decline of cultural celebration in Florence. [10], Following refusals from Portugal, France, Spain and Savoy, James II of England put forward his brother-in-law, Francesco II d'Este, Duke of Modena, but the Princess deemed a duke too lowly in terms of protocol for the daughter of a grand duke. [56] Gian Gastone was angry; he had become quite attached to the Infante-Duke, and didn't like the prospect of a foreigner ruling Tuscany. Despite her mother's efforts to induce a miscarriage by means of riding,[3] Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the only daughter and second child of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his consort, Marguerite Louise d'Orlans, was born in Florence on 11 August 1667. It opened to the public as an art gallery in 1765, shortly after the last member of the Medici family died. [25] Nevertheless, their reconciliation was brief, and Gian Gastone left for Hamburg in October 1703, only to return to Prague the next February.[26]. [20] The Electress spent her time enjoying balls, musical performances and other festivities. He derived his baptismal name, Giovanni Battista Gastone, from his maternal grandfather, Gaston, Duke of Orlans. His behaviour at these sent guests running for their carriages: he vomited into his napkin, wiped his mouth with his peri-wig and told rude jokes. [10] In fact, contemporaries thought her traits to be a combination of those of her father and paternal grandmother, Vittoria della Rovere. Official portrait of Anna Maria Franziska von Sachsen-Lauenburg as Grand Duchess of Tuscany, By doing so, he ended the authoritarian stronghold his father held over the nation and created a Florence that was more inclusive and more in line with the, , 1563-1565, Palazzo Vecchio Museum, Florence, Italy. But think again, dear friends. [27] The closed court that Gian Gastone did keep was dominated by his favourite, Dami. [3] Charles later transferred his claim to Francis Stephen of Lorraine pursuant to a preliminary peace that was finalized in 1738. Citation Type. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Unfortunately for him, this was just the beginning of his struggles with mental health. Lorenzo de' Medici was the last great ruler of the Medici banking dynasty, and perhaps it's greatest patron. The Last Medici Family Member. , Hardcover [1] His sister, Electress Palatine Anna Maria Luisa, arranged his marriage to the wealthy and widowed Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg in 1697. [48] These parties ceased when Violante Beatrice died, in 1731; Gian Gastone was devastated by the loss of his beloved sister-in-law. [62] Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet, a British resident in Florence, recalled in a letter that "The common people are convinced she went off in a hurricane of wind; a most violent one began this morning and lasted for about two hours, and now the sun shines as bright as ever"[63] The royal line of the House of Medici became extinct with her death. [4] Francis Stephen duly succeeded at Gian Gastone's demise, on 9 July 1737, ending almost 300 years of Medici rule over Florence. $385,000. [9] Instead, Cosimo offered her to his first choice, Peter II of Portugal. 95219 Homes for Sale $553,165. [34] However, France and England did. [9] Peter II of Portugal, however, had other things in mind for him: he wanted Gian Gastone to marry his only daughter, Isabel Lusa, Princess of Beira. 221: over the . Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Niedermair's decade-long relationship with Dior was the subject of a coffee-table book published by Rizzoli New York last year. The curtains closed on almost 300 years of Medici rule in Florence with the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici, the seventh family member to serve as grand duke of Tuscany. 8 Citations. On her marriage to Elector Johann Wilhelm II, she became Electress of the Palatinate, and, by patronising musicians, she earned for the contemporary Palatine court the reputation of an important music centre. This May, Netflix released Medici: The Magnificent to viewers across the world. OPEN SUN, 11AM TO 2PM. He loved botany, conducted his own science experiments, and spoke more than six languages, including German, Spanish, and English. The Pazzi Conspiracy: The Plot Against the Medici. At the end of the first part, he is shown painting his . : The . [49] The Ruspanti, Gian Gastone's morally corrupt entourage, hated the Electress; and she, them. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Furthermore, he despised his familys penchant for ostentation and authoritarian desires, and so he likely chose to commission very few portraits of himself. [52] In January 1737, the Spanish troops, who had occupied Tuscany since 1731, withdrew; 6,000 Austrian soldiers took their place. Lucrezia de' Medici (14 February 1545 - 21 April 1561) was a member of the House of Medici and by marriage Duchess consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio from 1558-1561.. Married to the intended husband of her elder sister Maria, who died young, her marriage was short and unhappy. It provided the Roman Catholic Church with four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married into the royal families of Europe (most notably in France, in the . The couple despised each other and had no children. Excerpt from John T. Paoletti and Gary M. Radke, Art in Renaissance Italy: p. 220: The Medici: The rise to power of the Medici in Florence began in 1418 when Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici (c. 1360-1429) became the banker to the papacy and established the wealth of the family on a sure footing.Giovanni's son, Cosimo (1389-1464), steadily increased the control of his family /p. Lorenzo de' Medici, (January 1, 1449 - April 8, 1492) was a Florentine politician and one of the most prominent patrons of arts and culture in Italy. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries. The Last Medici, at first blush, doesn't seem promising: once proud family brought low by a surfeit of heterosexual and homosexual acts (i.e., syphillis and sodomy). [5] An alcoholic, Gian Gastone drank too much before the ceremony and vomited repeatedly throughout; he had to be carried unconscious back to the Palazzo Pitti, the royal palace, on a litter. Donate . Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. 95336 Homes for Sale. Giuliano Dami and Gian Gastone. [8] However, it was these traits that earned Gian Gastone the disdain of his father and of his elder brother, Grand Prince Ferdinando; Gian Gastone was thus granted a scant allowance by his father and therefore could not enjoy the "dissipations" of court. After the death of Johann Wilhelm, Anna Maria Luisa returned to Florence, where she enjoyed the rank of first lady until the accession of her brother Gian Gastone, who banished her to the Villa La Quiete. Their influence and power spread far beyond the city. Cameron Ormiston is an art historian enthusiast who recently graduated from UC San Diego. Roman Catholicism. [5] A sprained ankle incurred in July 1729 left the Grand Duke bed-ridden forbarring two occasionsthe rest of his life. 21: in early youthThe Florentine CourtCardinal Gian Carlo . [23][24] The Marquis concluded that nothingnot even the Holy Roman Empress's reproachescould compel Anna Maria Franziska to Florence, where Gian Gastone longed to be. Based heavily on the record of the guard preserved by the last capital Baron Ricasoli (1699-1772), The MAP has carefully curated a thoughtful reconsideration of the Lanzi to engage the public with a presentation of text . Leggi qui di pi sulla storia della Famiglia Medici. [30], Following the death of his heir apparent, Ferdinando, in 1713, Cosimo deposited a bill in the Senate, Tuscany's titular legislature, promulgating that if Cosimo and his new heir apparent, Gian Gastone, were to predecease the Electress, she would ascend the throne. He was a magnate, diplomat, politician, and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. [56] On 18 February 1743, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, Dowager Electress Palatine, died of an "oppression on the breast". 44: 27 other sections not shown. with the horses]" and would rather have remained a widow than have been married again. Answer (1 of 3): The authentic Medici bloodline is long dead: they went extinct in the 1700s, the last man being Giangastone de Medici. Gallery in 1765, shortly after the last Medici ruler died without issue, taking him! 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