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Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
last Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany (1671-1737) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gian Gastone de' Medici (24 May 1671 – 9 July 1737) was the last Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was the second son of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans. His sister, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, the Electress Palatine, married him to Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg in 1697. The two remained childless and it was common knowledge that Gian Gastone was homosexual. Gian Gastone succeeded his father as Grand Duke in 1723.
Gian Gastone | |||||
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Grand Duke of Tuscany | |||||
Reign | 31 October 1723 – 9 July 1737 | ||||
Predecessor | Cosimo III de' Medici | ||||
Successor | Francis Stephen of Lorraine | ||||
Born | 24 May 1671 Pitti Palace, Florence, Tuscany | ||||
Died | 9 July 1737(1737-07-09) (aged 66) Pitti Palace, Florence, Tuscany | ||||
Burial | Basilica of San Lorenzo | ||||
Consort | Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg | ||||
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House | House of Medici | ||||
Father | Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici | ||||
Mother | Marguerite Louise d'Orléans | ||||
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
In his reign he reversed all his father's laws and stopped taxes for poorer people, repealed (got rid of) the anti-Jewish laws and stopped public executions. His father, Cosimo III, wanted the his sister to succeed him but Spain, Great Britain, Austria and the Dutch Republic disregarded and made Charles III of Spain his heir. Charles changed his claim to Francis III of Lorraine. Francis then became the Grand Duke on 9 July 1737 ending almost 300 years of Medici rule over Florence.