Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) ruled as Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670.
He was the son of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Maria Magadalena of Austria. His father died when he was only 11, so his mother acted as regent when he ascended the throne. He took the reins of government himself in 1628, but he was unable to maintain the independence of Tuscany from foreign powers and the Church.
He was loved by his subjects because of his mild disposition and friendliness, although these qualities made him a bad leader. Paolo Boccone served as his court botanist.
He married Vittoria della Rovere, and they had the following children:
- Cosimo (August 14, 1642 – October 31, 1723), who married in 1661 to Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, a cousin of the King Louis XIV of France
- Francesco Maria de' Medici, a cardinal.
| Preceded by Cosimo II de' Medici |
Grand Duke of Tuscany 1621–1670 |
Succeeded by Cosimo III de' Medici |
