Ferdinando II de' Medici was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. He was remembered by his contemporaries as a man of culture and science, actively participating in the Accademia del Cimento, the first scientific society in Italy, formed by his younger brother, Leopoldo de' Medici. His 49-year rule was punctuated by the beginning of Tuscany's long economic decline, which was further exacerbated by his successor, Cosimo III de' Medici. He married Vittoria della Rovere, a first cousin, with whom he had two children who reached adulthood: the aforementioned Cosimo III, and Francesco Maria de' Medici, Duke of Rovere and Montefeltro, a cardinal.
Ferdinando II de' Medici in Coronation Robes by Justus Sustermans.
Equestrian portrait of Ferdinando de' Medici by Justus Sustermans
Portrait of Ferdinando II de' Medici Dressed in Oriental Costume by Justus Sustermans, circa 1640
The family of Ferdinand II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1622-1623), from left to right: Mattias, Gian Carlo, Francesco and the Grand Duke Ferninand with the cross of Saint Etienne; the Duchess-mother Maria Magdalena of Austria, Marie-Christine, Marguerite, Anne and the young Leopold, Musée Ingres Bourdelle.
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population of the Grand Duchy was about 1,815,000 inhabitants.
Cosimo I de' Medici
The Grand Duke Ferdinando I.
Maria Maddalena, Cosimo II and Ferdinando II, painting after Justus Sustermans
The Grand Duke Cosimo III in old age