Celebrating the last of the Medici and her legacy
Today in Florence is Palatine Electress' day, dedicated to the memory of Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici
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Today in Florence is Palatine Electress' day, dedicated to the memory of Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici. She’s mostly known for being the last one of her family. But she was much more than just the last member of her bloodline before extinction.
I want instead to remember her for her personality, for her culture and her taste. But most of all, for the amazing lagacy that she left to all of us: the artistic heritage of Florence. If today Florence is so rich in art, it’s only thanks to her.
A short biography of Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici
Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, the last of the Medici family, was born in Florence in 1667 from Cosimo III de Medici and Marguerite Louise d’Orleans. She was an educated woman, a lover of music, theatre and art. She was very religious and had great moral rigor, but she also loved fashion and jewels.
As was common of the era, her marriage was planned around a table by her father. The eventual choice was Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine Prince of the Austrian Empire. This meant Anna Maria Luisa earned the title of Palatine Electress and moved to Dusseldorf. She remained in Dusseldorf for 25 years until the death of her husband.
Anna Maria Luisa and Johann Wilhelm lived a happy and fulfilled marriage however did not have any children. She is thought to have been infertile due to syphilis, which she allegedly contracted from her husband.
The end of a dynasty
The situation with her brothers was much the same, the youngest born Grand Prince Ferdinando died young and childless. Her older brother Gian Gastone lived a very dissolute life, had many vices a bad reputation and no heir. In short, the Medici family had no more direct descendants so was destined for extinction.
On the death of Cosimo III, in 1723, Gian Gastone ascended the throne of Tuscany, and ruled until his death.
At that point she knew that she would have been the last Medici. After her death there would be no more trace of her family. This would mean that the Grand Duchy of Tuscany would pass into the hands of Hapsburg-Lorraine, becoming a small province of a great empire, the Austrian Empire.
Upon Gian Gastone’s death, in 1737, the Hapsburg-Lorraine officially took over as the new Grand Dukes of Tuscany. But Anna Maria Luisa kept many properties, including the art galleries and collections. She continued to live in Palazzo Pitti to take care of the artistic heritage and the reorganization of the family collections.
Her legacy, the Family Pact
Fearing that the city would lose its artistic reputation, in 1737 Anna Maria Luisa stipulated with the Hapsburg-Lorraine the famous Family Pact, which was an agreement that Lorraine would have to contain all of Florence’s precious art inside the city. Centuries later this has meant Florence has flourished and sustained its own artistic and architectural heritage.
The Palatine Electress was incredibly modern and forward thinking, she established the fact that all works of art were bound “so that they remain as a state ornament, for the Public Utilities and to attract the curiosity of Foreigners”. This meant that even 300 years ago she was thinking of the potential possibilities of tourism.
The many works of art bound by her Family Pact included not just paintings and statues, but also palaces, gardens, libraries, jewelry, scientific collections and much more.
Anna Maria Luisa, the last of the Medici family, died in the Pitti Palace on 18 February 1743, at the age of 76. She was buried in the Medici Chapels, in the San Lorenzo church, where she still rests.
Anna Maria Luisa in Florence today
The spirit of this smart and determined woman still lives in Florence. She symbolically welcomes visitors at the Uffizi Gallery through a portrait in the entrance room of the museum. That’s meaningful, because in The Family Pact she specified that the Hapsburg-Lorraine should have turned the Uffizi from a private art gallery into one of the first public museums.
Every year we remember this great woman on the day of her death, on 18th February, with a small ceremony at the Medici Chapels, where she is buried. A wreath is carried on her grave by the Historical Parade of the Florentine Republic. Also, on that day the city also opens up some of its museums for free. I am sure that she would be very happy about that.
To learn more about the Medici Family you can read:
One recipe from Florence
The Carnival period in Italy means only one thing to me: sweets! There is a carnival dessert common throughout Italy, but called differently in each region: Chiacchiere, Cenci, Frappe... and then each Italian region has its own desserts typical of this period. In Florence the queen of Carnival is the Schiacciata Fiorentina. It is not the classic Schiacciata, which is a low, crunchy, salty bread often used to make sandwiches. Schiacciata Fiorentina is a real dessert, a very soft and delicate cake, scented with vanilla, orange and saffron. It is usually covered in icing sugar using a stencil to create a Florentine lily on the surface.
Here is the recipe for the traditional version, simple and simple. But it’s often cut in the middle and filled with custard, whipped cream or a mix of both.
About me
Ciao, my name is Claudia Vannucci, I am a licensed tour guide of Florence with over 10 years of experience, and I have been mentioned on Lonely Planet and Fodor’s Travel, yay!
The Florence Insider is my website where I blog about traveling Florence, art and history. There are tons of useful tips for a traveller, and also my private guided tours
Travel Florence 101
If you're planning a trip to Florence, Italy, here's what you need to know to get started:
Thanks for reading, see you in a month!
Claudia