List of grand dukes of Tuscany

(Redirected from Rulers of Tuscany) Grand Dukes of Tuscany (1569–1859)

Grand Duke of Tuscany
Coat of arms (1569–1737)

Longest reigning Cosimo III de' Medici 23 May 1670 – 31 October 1723


Details
First monarch	Cosimo I de' Medici
Last monarch	Leopold II (de jure) Ferdinand IV (de facto/titular)
Formation	27 August 1569
Abolition	16 August 1859
Residence	Palazzo Pitti

The title of Grand Duke of Tuscany was created on August 27, 1569 by a papal bull of Pope Pius V to Cosimo I de' Medici, member of the illustrious House of Medici. His coronation took place in Rome on March 5, 1570, by the hands of the Pope himself.

Cosimo's family, the Medici dynasty, had been ruling the Florentine Republic, the predecessor of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, since 1434, first as Lords of Florence and later as Dukes. The title of Grand Duke, was in fact the second title of recognition within the Tuscan politics given by a Pope to the Medici family, the first being that of Duke of the Florentine Republic, created by Pope Clement VII in 1532.

The official residence of the Grand Dukes was the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, bought by the Medici in 1549.

Background

Further information: March of Tuscany § Margraves of Tuscany, 812–1197; History of Tuscany § Republican governments, c. 1000–1805; and List of heads of state of Florence

Margraves reigned in the 9th century when the region was part of the Margraviate of Tuscany. Beginning in the 11th century, the region was fully divided into several independent cities, which included Pisa, Florence, Siena, Lucca, Arezzo among others. However, with the territorial expansion of Florence, Tuscany began to "come together" again under one single leadership. This situation became even clearer with the creation of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1569. Over the years, the Grand duchy managed to absorb practically the entire region of present-day Tuscany, until its own final annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.

Medici grand dukes of Tuscany, 1569–1737

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was the first period after centuries of political divisions, when most of the region was under the rule of a single leader. The Grand Duchy's territory comprised almost the entire region of present-day Tuscany, with the exception of the Republic of Lucca, the Principality of Piombino, the Duchy of Massa and Carrara and the State of the Presidi.

Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	House	Succession
Cosimo I de' Medici	12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574	21 August 1569 – 21 April 1574	(1) Eleanor of Toledo 29 June 1539 Florence 11 children (2) Camilla Martelli 1570 1 daughter	Medici	Son of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, later became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Francesco I de' Medici	25 March 1541 – 19 October 1587	21 April 1574 – 17 October 1587	(1) Joanna of Austria 18 December 1565 Florence 8 children (2) Bianca Cappello 10 June 1579 1 son	Medici	Son of Cosimo I
Ferdinando I de' Medici	30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609	19 October 1587 – 7 February 1609	Christina of Lorraine 1589 Florence 9 children	Medici	Son of Cosimo I
Cosimo II de' Medici	12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621	17 February 1609 – 28 February 1621	Maria Maddalena of Austria 1608 8 children	Medici	Son of Ferdinando I
Ferdinando II de' Medici	14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670	28 February 1621 – 23 May 1670	Vittoria della Rovere 6 April 1637 4 children	Medici	Son of Cosimo II
Cosimo III de' Medici	14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723	23 May 1670 – 31 October 1723	Marguerite Louise d'Orléans 17 April 1661 Louvre 3 children	Medici	Son of Ferdinando II
Gian Gastone de' Medici	24 May 1671 – 9 July 1737	31 October 1723 – 9 July 1737	Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg 2 July 1697 Düsseldorf no issue	Medici	Son of Cosimo III

Habsburg-Lorraine grand dukes of Tuscany, 1737–1801

Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	House	Succession
Francesco II Stefano	8 December 1708 – 18 August 1765	12 July 1737 – 18 August 1765	Maria Theresa 12 February 1736 Vienna 16 children	Lorraine	Great-great-great-grandson of Francesco I, received Tuscany per the terms of the Treaty of Vienna
Leopoldo I	5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792	18 August 1765 – 22 July 1790	Maria Luisa of Spain 16 February 1764 Madrid 16 children	Habsburg-Lorraine	Second son of Francesco II Stefano
Ferdinando III	6 May 1769 – 18 June 1824	22 July 1790 – 3 August 1801	(1) Luisa of Naples and Sicily 19 September 1790 Vienna 6 children (2) Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony 6 May 1821 Florence no issue	Habsburg-Lorraine	Second son of Leopoldo I

Bourbon-Parma kings of Etruria, 1801–1807

Main article: Kingdom of Etruria

Period that the Bourbon-Parma were placed as "Kings" by Napoleon in the Kingdom of Etruria. The Kingdom was a creation of Napoleon to replace the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, comprising a large part of modern Tuscany.

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	House	Succession
	Ludovico I	5 July 1773 – 27 May 1803	21 March 1801 – 27 May 1803	Maria Luisa of Spain 25 August 1795 Madrid 2 children	Bourbon-Parma	Grandson of Francesco II Stefano
	Ludovico II	22 December 1799 – 16 April 1883	27 May 1803 – 10 December 1807	Maria Teresa of Savoy 5 September 1820 Lucca 2 children	Bourbon-Parma	Son of Ludovico I

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.

Habsburg-Lorraine grand dukes of Tuscany, 1814–1860

Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	House	Succession
Ferdinando III	6 May 1769 – 18 June 1824	27 April 1814 – 18 June 1824	(1) Luisa of Naples and Sicily 19 September 1790 Vienna 6 children (2) Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony 6 May 1821 Florence no issue	Habsburg-Lorraine	Restored
Leopoldo II	3 October 1797 – 29 January 1870	18 June 1824 – 21 July 1859	(1) Maria Anna of Saxony 28 October 1817 Dresden 4 children (2) Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies 7 June 1833 Naples 10 children	Habsburg-Lorraine	Son of Ferdinando III
Ferdinando IV	10 June 1835 – 17 January 1908	21 July 1859 – 22 March 1860	(1) Anna of Saxony 24 November 1856 Dresden 2 daughters (2) Alice of Parma 11 January 1868 Frohsdorf 10 children	Habsburg-Lorraine	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 on 22 March 1860.

References

"COSIMO I de' Medici, duca di Firenze, granduca di Toscana in "Dizionario Biografico"". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-06-30.
"Storia della famiglia Medici di Firenze". Skuola.net - Portale per Studenti: Materiali, Appunti e Notizie (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-06-30.
"ALESSANDRO de' Medici, primo duca di Firenze in "Dizionario Biografico"". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-06-30.
"La dinastia dei Medici: chi furono i signori di Firenze che governarono per centinaia di anni". www.visitflorence.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
Candidi, Vieri Tommasi (2019-08-29). "Palazzo Pitti: il più prestigioso edificio di Firenze dai Medici ai Savoia". TuscanyPeople (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-06-30.
"Toscana in "Dizionario di Storia"". www.treccani.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-05-27.
Diaz, Furio. Storia d'Italia. Il Granducato di Toscana. I Medici (in Italian). ISBN 8802024510.
"Kingdom of Etruria | historical kingdom, Europe | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
Redazione (2014-09-19). "LA FINE DEL GRANDUCATO DI TOSCANA". PostPopuli. Retrieved 2023-06-30.

v t e Grand dukes of Tuscany
Cosimo I (1569–1574) Francesco I (1574-1587) Ferdinando I (1587–1609) Cosimo II (1609–1621) Ferdinando II (1621–1670) Cosimo III (1670–1723) Gian Gastone (1723–1737) Francesco Stefano (1737-1765) Leopoldo I (1765–1790) Ferdinando III (1790–1801) & (1814–1824) Leopoldo II (1824–1849) & (1849–1859) Ferdinando IV (1859)

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