The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a state in central Italy, with its capital in Florence, created when Pope Pius V granted Cosimo I de' Medici the title of Grand Duke. The Medici ruled until the line died out in the eighteenth century, and Tuscany passed to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Under Grand Duke Peter Leopold in the late eighteenth century, it carried out Enlightenment reforms and was the first state in Europe to abolish the death penalty, in 1786. Napoleon annexed or controlled it for a while, and after his fall the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty was restored. During the Risorgimento, Tuscans voted to join Piedmont-Sardinia, and the grand duchy became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Before and after
- from 24 December 1568 to 1 March 1571Rebellion of the Alpujarras
- 1569Invention of Mercator projection
- from 11 June 1569 to 24 October 1795Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
- 1 July 1569Union of Lublin
- from 27 August 1569 to 1 January 1860Grand Duchy of Tuscany
- 1570Construction of Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
- from 1570 to 1573Ottoman–Venetian War of 1570–1573
- 24 June 1571Founding of Manila
- 29 September 1571Birth of Caravaggio
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- c. 1500Modern period
- from 1526 to 1857Mughal Empire
- from 1543 to 1687Scientific Revolution
- from 1613 to 1762House of Romanov
- June 1644The Manchus take Beijing and found Qing rule
- 1748Excavations begin at Pompeii
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.