Giulio di Alessandro de' Medici
Encyclopedia
Giulio de' Medici was the illegitimate son of Alessandro de' Medici, the Duke of Florence
, and probably of Taddea Malaspina
.
Aged no more than four at the time of his father's assassination, he was passed over as a choice for the succession in favour of Cosimo I de' Medici, the first of the "junior" branch of the Medici
to rule Florence
. He was placed under the guardianship of Cosimo I and raised at his court. In 1562 he was appointed the first knight of the Order of Saint Stephen
, an order founded to combat pirates and Turks in the Mediterranean Sea. As Admiral of the Order, from 1563 to 1566, he was sent to help the Knights Hospitallers during the [Siege of Malta (1565)|[Siege of Malta in 1565]]. He also acted as an ambassador, to Mantua in 1565; to Rome in 1571 and again in 1573.
Giulio was married to Lucrezia Gaetani. They had a daughter, Caterina, who became a Benedictine
nun and died in 1634. He also had two illegitimate sons, Cosimo, who followed him as a knight of the Order of Saint Stephen, and Giuliano.
Duke of Florence
Il Duca di Firenze, rendered in English as The Duke of Florence, was a title created in 1532 by Pope Clement VII. There were effectively only two dukes, Alessandro de' Medici and Cosimo de' Medici, the second duke being elevated to The Grand Duke of Tuscany, causing the Florentine title...
, and probably of Taddea Malaspina
Taddea Malaspina
Taddea Malaspina was an Italian marchesa. She was the mistress of Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence from the early 1530s to about 1537 and was likely the mother of at least two of his children, Giulio di Alessandro de' Medici and Giulia de' Medici. Giulio de' Medici was associated with the...
.
Aged no more than four at the time of his father's assassination, he was passed over as a choice for the succession in favour of Cosimo I de' Medici, the first of the "junior" branch of the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
to rule Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. He was placed under the guardianship of Cosimo I and raised at his court. In 1562 he was appointed the first knight of the Order of Saint Stephen
Order of Saint Stephen
The Order of Saint Stephen is a Tuscan dynastic-military order founded in 1561. The order was created by Cosimo I de' Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany. The last member of the Medici dynasty to be a leader of the order was Gian Gastone de Medici in 1737...
, an order founded to combat pirates and Turks in the Mediterranean Sea. As Admiral of the Order, from 1563 to 1566, he was sent to help the Knights Hospitallers during the [Siege of Malta (1565)|[Siege of Malta in 1565]]. He also acted as an ambassador, to Mantua in 1565; to Rome in 1571 and again in 1573.
Giulio was married to Lucrezia Gaetani. They had a daughter, Caterina, who became a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nun and died in 1634. He also had two illegitimate sons, Cosimo, who followed him as a knight of the Order of Saint Stephen, and Giuliano.
External links
- Alessandro de Medici PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
online page discussing his father's ancestry, and his heirs; be careful, though, as it contains at least one known error