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.

``Portrait of Cosimo I de'Medici'' (detail), Pontormo, ca.

DESIGN SURPRISES VISITORS UPON SECOND, THIRD GLANCE by Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Outstanding among the excellent essays in this volume is Louis Alexander Waldman's study of Baccio Bandinelli's relationship with the Opera del Duomo and his patron, Duke Cosimo I.

Margaret Haines, ed. Santa Maria del Fiore: The Cathedral and Its ... by Hegarty, Melinda / Renaissance Quarterly

In 1993 Warren Kirkendale published The Court Musicians in Florence during the Principate of the Medici (Olschki), a comprehensive compendium of all the known archival documentation on the musicians, as well as the artists and men of letters, regularly employed by the Medici Grand Dukes from Cosimo I to Gian Gastone.

Emilio de' Cavalieri "gentiluomo romano": His Life and Letters, His ... by Moyer, Ann E. / Renaissance Quarterly

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