Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence
| Alessandro de' Medici | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Jacopo Pontormo
|
|
| Duke of Florence | |
| Reign | 1 May 1532 – 6 January 1537 |
| Predecessor | Ippolito de' Medici |
| Successor | Cosimo I de' Medici |
| Born |
22 June 1510 Florence, Republic of Florence |
| Died | 6 January 1537 (aged 26) Florence, Duchy of Florence |
| Spouse | Margaret of Austria |
| Issue |
Giulio de' Medici (illegitimate) Giulia de' Medici (illegitimate) Porzia de' Medici (illegitimate) |
| Father | Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino or Pope Clement VII |
| Mother | Simonetta da Collevecchio |
Alessandro de' Medici (22 June 1510 – 6 January 1537) called "il Moro" ("the Moor"), Duke of Penne and also Duke of Florence (from 1532), was ruler of Florence from 1531 until 1537. Though illegitimate, he was the last member of the "senior" branch of the Medici to rule Florence and the first to be a hereditary duke.
Born in Florence, he was recognized by the majority of contemporaries as the only son of Lorenzo II de' Medici (grandson of Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent). A few believed him to be in fact the illegitimate son of Giulio de' Medici (later Pope Clement VII), nephew of Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent, but at the time that was a minority view.
Historians (such as Christopher Hibbert) believe he had been born to a servant of African descent who was working in the Medici household, identified in documents as Simonetta da Collevecchio. The nickname (il Moro) is said to derive from his features.
When Emperor Charles V sacked Rome in 1527, the Florentines took advantage of the turmoil in Italy to reinstall the Republic; both Alessandro and Ippolito fled, along with the rest of the Medici and their main supporters, including the Pope's regent, Cardinal Silvio Passerini, with the exception of the eight-year-old Catherine de' Medici, who was left behind. Michelangelo, then occupied in creating a funerary chapel for the Medici, initially took charge of building fortifications around Florence in support of the Republic; he later temporarily fled the city. Clement eventually made his peace with the Emperor, and with the support of Imperial troops, the Republic was overwhelmed after a lengthy siege, and the Medici were restored to power in the summer of 1530.
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