Francesco I de’ Medici

38 FRANCESCO I DE’ MEDICI (1541 - 1587)

The alchemist Grand Duke

THE SPACE

The original wooden ceiling tells a beautiful story connecting to the making of Palazzo Portinari Salviati. The upper layer begins with the Portinari coat of arms of two lions holding a gate, which possibly dates from the 16th century. The lower section includes the more recent embellishment, most noticeably the presence of the Salviati coat of arms, displaying red and white stripes and dating from the late 16th century. Above the historic pietra serena stone fireplace is the painting of a pomegranate tree in bloom representing life and eternity. Behind the gold and emerald green curtains are the newly discovered mural paintings of seashell and elegant motifs on the wall.

One of the most historical and majestic rooms in Palazzo Portinari Salviati, it is now dedicated to Francesco I de’ Medici, the eldest son of Cosimo I and the second Grand Duke of Tuscany.

PORTRAIT OF FRANCESCO I DE’ MEDICI

17th century, oil on canvas, inspired by a 16th-century painting done by Scipione Pulzon, which is currently in the Uffizi Gallery. In the lower left corner of the portrait are the Medici crown and sceptre, a symbol of power used by the Grand Duke.

40 THE STORY

The Second Grand Duke of Tuscany

After the death of Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1574, his son

Francesco I de’ Medici inherited Cosimo’s position and became the second Grand Duke of Tuscany. Unlike his father, who had always been committed to his wife and occasional political advisor, Eleanor de Toledo of Spain, the son’s first marriage was not happy nor peaceful. Francesco was married to Joanna of

Austria, the youngest daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor

Ferdinand I. The result of this political marriage was displeasing to both; Joanna was homesick and Francesco was unfaithful.

A few months after Joanna’s untimely death at the young age of 31, Francesco married his Venetian mistress, the celebrated

Bianca Cappello.

The scandalous love with Bianca Cappello

The romance between Francesco and Bianca was one of the greatest scandals of the Renaissance period and grist for rumors and gossip in Florence at the time. Bianca was a well-educated and sophisticated woman, who also happened to be married. When her husband, a banker for the Salviati family, was conveniently found shot to death on the street one morning in 1572, it eased the barriers for their affair. Francesco and Bianca eventually legitimized their relationship by marrying in 1578. To please Bianca, Francesco had his court architect Bernardo Buontalenti design and build the Villa di Pratolino and its gardens on the Florentine hills. The remains of the Villa di Pratolino are today part of the Villa Demidoff and most likely also included the neighboring Villa Ortaglia (a countryside property owned by LDC Hotels Italy). Villa Ortaglia is an architectural work of rare beauty, which overlooks the stunning landscape of the Florentine hills.

Mysterious death and the end of a 24-year long romance

Despite its controversy, the relationship between Bianca and Francesco was a contented one. Bianca was one of the few individuals who truly understood and supported Francesco, until their dramatic ending in 1587. In October 1587 the Grand Duke invited his brother, Cardinal Ferdinando (later Ferdinando I) to a hunt at Villa di Poggio a Caiano. According to legend, after dinner one night at the villa, Francesco and Bianca both fell sick and never recovered. They died one day apart, tragically ending their 24-year long romance. Although malaria was listed as the official cause of death, it has been widely speculated that the couple had been poisoned by Ferdinando, who subsequently replaced Francesco and became the third Grand Duke of Tuscany.

An alchemist and the creator of the Medici porcelain

Although Francesco was best remembered for his torrid love affair with Bianca, his other accomplishments are also worth mentioning. Francesco was fond of manufacturing, alchemy, medicine and collecting objects of natural wonder. He sponsored the first successful imitations of Chinese porcelain in Europe – the Medici porcelain. His strong passion towards alchemy triggered him to commission a private laboratory in the Palazzo Vecchio, where he immersed himself in alchemical schemes. It is difficult to imagine, walking down the corridor of the Uffizi Gallery today admiring the paintings, marbles and other masterpieces, that alchemists once practiced their art in these same halls. The renowned barrel-vaulted room, Studiolo di Francesco I in the Palazzo Vecchio, still holds clues of the Grand Duke’s keen interests. The 20 cabinets which line the walls are where Francesco had stored his collection of precious and exotic works of art and natural specimens. The studio is decorated with paintings, the subjects of which indirectly recall the exotic collection, which were held in each cabinet. For example, Vasari’s Perseus and Andromeda were used to decorate the cabinet containing corals.

Apart from his passionate interest in alchemy, Francesco also continued his father’s patronage of the arts and architecture. Through his collection Francesco I demonstrated himself to be an educated ruler. He may not have been as politically influential or talented as his father, Cosimo I, but he definitely left his mark in history.

On the left hand side of the fireplace is the fresco of Nessus and Deianira. Nessus carried the wife of Heracles, Deianira, across the river and attempted to abduct and violate her. Heracles saw this and shot Nessus with a Hydra-poisoned arrow.

WOODEN CEILING

Late 16th-century wooden beams with grotesque motifs and the coats of arms of the Salviati and Portinari families. The Portinari coat of arms is indicated by two lions holding a gate, while the Salviati coat of arms features red and white checkers