Cosimo I summary

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Cosimo I, orig. Cosimo de’ Medici, (born June 12, 1519—died April 21, 1574, Castello, near Florence), Second duke of Florence (1537–74) and first grand duke of Tuscany (1569–74). The son of Giovanni de’ Medici, Cosimo became head of the Florentine republic in 1537 after the assassination of his distant cousin Alessandro de’ Medici. He continued Alessandro’s tyrannical rule and defeated attempts to oust him with aid from Emperor Charles V. Seeking to expand his power, he attacked Siena in 1554 and brought nearly all of Tuscany under his control. He used his despotic power to improve the government’s efficiency and to sponsor artistic projects. Far advanced for the time as an administrator, he united all public services into one building, the Uffizi (“Offices”), designed by Giorgio Vasari. He promoted the talents of such artists as Il Bronzino and Bartolommeo Ammannati, sponsored archaeological excavations of Etruscan sites, and established the Florentine Academy for linguistic studies. In 1569 he was given the title of grand duke of Tuscany.

Medici family Summary

Medici family, Italian bourgeois family that ruled Florence and, later, Tuscany during most of the period from 1434 to 1737, except for two brief intervals (from 1494 to 1512 and from 1527 to 1530). It provided the Roman Catholic Church with four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and

duke Summary

Duke, Duke and Duchess equivalentsa European title of nobility, having ordinarily the highest rank below a prince or king (except in countries having such titles as archduke or grand duke). It is one of the five ranks of British nobility and peerage, which, in descending order, are duke, marquess,

Tuscany Summary

Tuscany, regione (region), west-central Italy. It lies along the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas and comprises the province (provinces) of Massa-Carrara, Lucca, Pistoia, Prato, Firenze, Livorno, Pisa, Arezzo, Siena, and Grosseto. Tuscany is a transitional region occupying much of the former grand

Florence Summary

Florence, city, capital of Firenze provincia (province) and Toscana (Tuscany) regione (region), central Italy. The city, located about 145 miles (230 km) northwest of Rome, is surrounded by gently rolling hills that are covered with villas and farms, vineyards, and orchards. Florence was founded as