Jarring Facts About Gian Gastone De' Medici, The Isolated Grand Duke of Tuscany
Even though Grand Duke Gian Gastone de’ Medici tried hard to lead an isolated life, he always found himself in the spotlight of scandals.
He survived a chaotic family and a nightmarish marriage—but his penchant for partying landed him in the worst kind of trouble.
1. He Came Into The World On A Bitter Day
Gian Gastone de’ Medici was born on a spring day in 1671. His parents, Grand Duke Cosimo III and Marguerite Louise d’Orléans, were delighted by the birth of their youngest son.
However, his birthday was an unlucky day—it was the first year anniversary of de’ Medici’s grandfather’s demise. Not surprisingly, Gian Gastone remained an unlucky child.
2. His Parents Didn’t Get Along
As long as Gian Gastone could remember, his parents always quarreled. The household was so troublesome and disturbing that in 1675—just after he turned four—his mother and father decided to separate.
Little Gian Gastone didn’t understand what this separation meant, but it was a pivotal event that changed his life in a heart-wrenching way.
3. His Mother Abandoned Him
The same year, Louise d’Orléans made an agreement to live in confinement in a church and surrender her rights as a Royal Princess in exchange for separation and going back to France. The consequences were devastating. His mother happily abided by these conditions and abandoned Gian Gastone and his siblings in the blink of an eye.
Gian Gastone went to live with his grandmother—and this is where his tumultuous destiny began to unfold.
4. He Had A Mentor
As a child, Gian Gastone really looked up to a particular church historian—Cardinal Henry Noris. He tutored Gian Gastone for a while, who was reportedly so in awe of the Cardinal that he hardly left his presence.
Being a curious and motivated student, he filled his resume with many skills. He showed interest in the arts, literature, and science, and even learned more than six languages.
Sounds like a perfect daddy’s boy, right? Well, that wasn’t exactly the case.
