Cosimo I de' Medici
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Cosimo I de' Medici was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the
Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici, c. 1545
Cosimo I de' Medici at about 19 years of age (by Pontormo, c. 1538)
The coronation of Cosimo as Grand Duke of Tuscany by Pope Pius V in the Sala Regia of the Vatican Palace
Official portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici as Grand Duke of Tuscany by Giovanni Battista Naldini
Eleanor of Toledo
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Eleanor of Toledo was a Spanish noblewoman who became Duchess of Florence as the first wife of Cosimo I de' Medici. A keen businesswoman, she financed many of her husband's political campaigns and imp
Cosimo I de' Medici
…Cosimo was also an enthusiast of alchemy, a passion he inherited from his grandmother Caterina Sforza. In 1539, Cosimo married the Spanish noblewoman Eleanor of Toledo (1522 – 1562), the daughter of Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, the Spanish viceroy of Naples. The couple had a long and peaceful married life. Surprisingly…
Portrait by Agnolo Bronzino
Eleanor's father, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, Viceroy of Naples.
Eleanor of Toledo with her son Giovanni by Agnolo Bronzino, 1545. It is considered the first state portrait to depict a ruler's wife with his heir. The picture was intended to demonstrate the wealth, domesticity, and continuity of the Medici.