List of rulers of Tuscany

Grand Duke of Tuscany
Details
Style His/her Imperial and Royal Highness
First monarch Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Last monarch Leopold II (de jure)
Ferdinand IV (de facto/titular)
Formation 27 August 1569
Abolition 16 August 1859
Pretender(s) Archduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of Tuscany

The rulers of Tuscany have varied over time, sometimes being margraves, the rulers of handfuls of border counties and sometimes the heads of the most important family of the region.

Margraves of Tuscany, 812–1197

House of Boniface

These were originally counts of Lucca who extended their power over the neighbouring counties.

House of Boso

These were the (mostly illegitimate) relatives of Hugh of Arles, King of Italy, whom he appointed to their post after removing the dynasty of Boniface

House of Boniface (restored)

Nondynastic

House of Canossa

These were the descendants of the Counts of Canossa.

Nondynastic

In 1197 Philip was elected King of Germany and the majority of the Tuscan nobility, cities and bishops formed the Tuscan League with Papal backing.

After this, Tuscany was splintered between the competing republics of Florence, Pisa, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia and Lucca. Since the 14th century, Florence gained dominance over Pistoia (1306, officially annexed 1530), Arezzo (1384), Pisa (1406), and Siena (1559). Lucca was an independent republic until the Napoleonic period in the 19th century.

Rulers of Florence, 1382–1569

De facto rulers of the Albizzi family, 1382–1434

De facto rulers of the House of Medici, 1434–1531

Medici Dukes of Florence, 1531–1569

# Name Started Ended Relationship with predecessor(s)
1Alessandro1 May 15326 Jan 1537 
2Cosimo I20 Sep 153721 Aug 1569fourth cousin of Alessandro

Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany, 1569–1737

# Name Started Ended Relationship with predecessor(s)
1Cosimo I21 Aug 156921 Apr 1574 
2Francesco I21 Apr 157419 Oct 1587son of Cosimo I
3Ferdinando I19 Oct 15877 Feb 1609brother of Francesco I
son of Cosimo I
4Cosimo II7 Feb 160928 Feb 1621son of Ferdinando I
5Ferdinando II28 Feb 162123 May 1670son of Cosimo II
6Cosimo III23 May 167031 Oct 1723son of Ferdinando II
7Gian Gastone31 Oct 17239 Jul 1737son of Cosimo III

Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany, 1737–1801

# Name Started Ended Relationship with predecessor(s)
8Francesco II Stefano12 Jul 173718 Aug 1765great-great-great-grandson of Francesco I
9Pietro Leopoldo I18 Aug 176522 Jul 1790second son of Francesco II Stefano
10Ferdinando III22 Jul 17903 Aug 1801second son of Pietro Leopoldo I

Bourbon Kings of Etruria, 1801–1807

NamePortraitStartedEndedRelationship with predecessor(s)
Lodovico I
3 Aug 1801 27 May 1803 Grandson of Francisco II Stefano
Carlo Lodovico II
27 May 1803 10 Dec 1807 son of Lodovico I

Tuscany was annexed by France, 1807–1814. Napoleon's sister Elisa Bonaparte was given the honorary title of Grand Duchess of Tuscany, but did not actually rule over the region.

Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany, 1814–1860

# Name Started Ended Relationship with predecessor(s)
10Ferdinando III27 Apr 181418 Jun 1824(restored)
11Leopoldo II18 Jun 182421 Jul 1859son of Ferdinando III
12Ferdinando IV21 Jul 185922 Mar 1860son of Leopoldo II

Leopoldo II was driven from Tuscany by revolution from 21 February to 12 April 1849, and again on 27 April 1859. He abdicated in favor of his son, Ferdinando IV, on 21 July 1859, but Ferdinando IV was never recognized in Tuscany, and was deposed by the provisional government on 16 August. Tuscany was annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia, on 22 March 1860.

Titular Habsburg-Lorraine claimants, 1860–present

See also

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