Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
| Cosimo I de' Medici | |
|---|---|
 Cosimo I in Armour by Agnolo Bronzino. | |
| Duke of Florence | |
| Reign | 1537-1569 |
| Predecessor | Alessandro I |
| Successor | himself as Grand Duke |
| Grand Duke of Tuscany | |
| Reign | 1569-1574 |
| Predecessor | himself as Duke |
| Successor | Francesco I |
| Born | 12 June 1519 Florence, Republic of Florence |
| Died | 21 April 1574 (aged 54) Palazzo Pitti Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany |
| Spouse | Eleanor of Toledo Camilla Martelli |
| Issue | Bia de' Medici Princess Maria Francesco I, Grand Duke of Tuscany Isabella, Duchess of Bracciano Cardinal Giovanni Lucrezia, Duchess of Modena Prince Pedricco Prince Garzia Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany Princess Anna Prince Pietro Virginia, Duchess of Modena |
| House | Medici |
| Father | Giovanni dalle Bande Nere |
| Mother | Maria Salviati |
Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574 and then the first Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569. He was the son of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Maria Salviati.
Marriage and family
In 1539, he married Eleonora di Toledo (1522–1562). She died, with her sons Giovanni and Garzia, in 1562, aged forty. All three of them died from malaria while traveling to Pisa.
Before his first marriage, Cosimo fathered an illegitimate daughter with an unknown woman:
- Bia de' Medici (1536 – 1 March 1542) died in infancy.
With Eleonora, Cosimo fathered eleven children:
- Maria de' Medici (3 April 1540 – 19 November 1557) died unmarried.
- Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (25 March, 1541 – 19 October 1587) married Joanna of Austria and then Bianca Cappello.
- Isabella de' Medici (31 August 1542 – 16 July 1576) marrried Paolo Giordano I Orsini.
- Giovanni de' Medici (28 September 1543 – November 1562) Bishop of Pisa.
- Lucrezia de' Medici (7 June 1545 – 21 April 1561) married of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara.
- Pietro (Pedricco) (10 August 1546 – 10 June 1547) died in infancy.
- Garzia de' Medici (5 July 1547 – 12 December 1562) died unmarried.
- Antonio de' Medici (1548–1548) died in infancy.
- Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) married Christina of Lorraine.
- Anna de' Medici (1553–1553) died in infancy.
- Pietro de' Medici (June 3, 1554 – April 25, 1604)
murdered his wife Eleonora di Garzia di Toledo because of infidelity
After Eleonora's death in 1562, Cosimo fathered two children with his mistress Eleonora degli Albrizzi:
- Giovanni de' Medici (1563–1621)
- unnamed daughter (1566) died at birth?
In 1570, Cosimo married Camilla Martelli:
- Virginia de' Medici (29 May 1568 – 15 January 1615) Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena.