Alessandro de'Medici (1510 - 1537)
Medici's emblem with the old Spanish motto 'I shall not return without victory'
July 22nd 1510: Alessandro de’Medici born
On this day in 1510, Alessandro de’Medici was born in Florence. He was recognised as the illegitimate son of Florentine nobleman Lorenzo II de’Medici and an African slave named Simonetta da Collavechio, though rumours suggested his father was actually Lorenzo’s cousin Giulio de’Medici, who went on to become Pope Clement VII. Alessandro’s mother was freed, thus, under Roman law, ensuring that her son was also classified as free. His dark complexion and African ancestry earned him the nickname ‘il Moro’, which translates as ‘the Moor’. In 1522, Alessandro became duke of Penna, and Giulio appointed a regent for Alessandro as leader of Florence. However, the Medici were forced to flee Florence when republican revolution broke out against their rule. In 1529 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V agreed to restore the Medici, nominating Alessandro as the first Duke of Florence. Alessandro was generally a popular leader for his concern for the poor and patronage of the arts, though his leadership style was also criticised as severe and repressive. He married the emperor’s illegitimate daughter Margeret, and his descendants married into eminent families throughout Europe. In January 1537, when he was twenty-six, Alessandro was murdered by his cousin and rival Lorenzino de’Medici, who was himself forced to flee Florence and was killed eleven years later. Alessandro de’Medici has received increased attention from historians in recent years, celebrating him as the first black head of state in European history.
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