orig. Cosimo de' Medici
born June 12, 1519
died April 21, 1574, Castello, near Florence
Second duke of Florence (153774) and first grand duke of Tuscany (156974).
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.