Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Cosimo II
Cosimo II after Justus Sustermans
Reign	17 February 1609 – 28 February 1621
Predecessor	Ferdinando I de' Medici
Successor	Ferdinando II de' Medici
Consort	Maria Maddalena of Austria
Detail Issue
Maria Cristina de' Medici Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cardinal Gian Carlo de' Medici Margherita de' Medici, Duchess of Parma Mattias de' Medici, Governor of Siena Francesco de' Medici Anna de' Medici, Archduchess of Further Austria Cardinal Leopold de' Medici
Full name
Cosimo
House	House of Medici
Father	Ferdinando I de' Medici
Mother	Christina of Lorraine
Born	12 May 1590 Florence
Died	February 28, 1621 (aged 30)
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until 1621. He was the elder son of the then incumbent Grand Duke and Christina of Lorraine. He married Maria Maddalena of Austria, and had eight children.

For the most of his eleven year reign, he delegated the administration of Tuscany to his minsiters. He is best remembered as the patron of Galileo Galilei, his childhood tutor. He died of tuberculosis in 1621.^[1]

Biography

Cosimo de' Medici was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine. His father requisitioned a modern education for him: Galileo Galilei was Cosimo's tutor between 1605 and 1608. Ferdinando arranged for him to marry Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria, daughter of Arcduke Charles II, in 1608, together, they had eight children, among whom was Cosmio's eventual successor, an Archduchess of Inner Austria, a Duchess of Parma and a cardinal.

Ferdinando I died in 1609. Due to his precarious health, Cosimo did not actively participate in governing his realm. Just over a year after his accession, Galileo dedicated his Sidereus Nuncius, a astrological treatise, to the Grand Duke.^[2] Additionally, Galileo christened the moons of Jupiter the "Medicean stars". He was eventually tried by the Roman Inquisition and allowed to spend the rest of his days in Tuscany.

The Grand Duke assiduously enlarged the navy. He died on 28 February 1621 from tuberculosis. He was succeded by his elder son, Ferdinando. The child-Grand Duke's regency was bestowed upon Cosimo II's wife and mother, as per his wishes.

Family and children

Maria Magdalena and Cosimo had the following children:

• Maria Cristina (August 24, 1609 – August 9, 1632)
• Ferdinando (July 14, 1610 – May 23, 1670), who married Vittoria della Rovere (February 7, 1622 – March 6, 1694), the daughter of Federico della Rovere (son of Francesco Ubaldo della Rovere, Prince of Urbino) and Claudia de' Medici (sister of Cosimo II.)
• Gian Carlo (July 24, 1611 – January 23, 1663), made Cardinal in 1644.
• Margherita (May 31, 1612 – February 6, 1679), married on October 11, 1628 to Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma
• Mattias (May 9, 1613 – October 14, 1667), appointed Governor of Siena
• Francesco (October 16, 1614 – July 25, 1634)
• Anna (July 21, 1616 – September 11, 1676) who married on June 10, 1646 to Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria (1628-1662)
• Leopoldo de' Medici (November 6, 1617 – November 10, 1675), made Cardinal in 1667.

Ancestors

Citations

Bibliography

• Strathern, Paul The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance, Vintage books, London, 2003, ISBN 978-0-099-52297-3
• Hale, J.R. Florence and the Medici, Orion books, London, 1977, ISBN 1-84212-456-0