Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.

Biography

Ferdinando was the fifth son <!--- Francesco I de' Medici (1541–1587), daughter, Giovanni de' Medici (1543–1562), daughter, Pietro (Pedricco) de' Medici (1546–1547), daughter, Antonio de' Medici (1548–1548), then Ferdinando I; at the time of his birth he would have been the third surviving son --->of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Eleonora di Toledo, the daughter of Don Pedro Alvarez de Toledo, the Spanish viceroy of Naples. He was created a Cardinal in 1562 at the age of 14 and succeeded his brother Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1587 at the age of 38. He had already proved an able administrator in Rome. He founded the Villa Medici in Rome and acquired many works of art (including the Medici lions), which he then brought back to Florence with him.He retained the office of Cardinal after he became Grand Duke, until he married Christine of Lorraine in 1589 . Until the advent of Pope Urban VIII, Cardinals were not obliged to become ordained clerics, even though most were ordained in the Holy Orders of Deacon, Priest, or Bishop. Thus, the title and power associated with the title became greatly coveted.

When he died in 1609, he left four sons, of whom the oldest, Cosimo, inherited the throne at the age of 19. Ferdinando's daughter,...
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