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Medici, Ferdinand II de'

Medici, Ferdinand II de',1610–70, grand duke of Tuscany (1620–70); son and successor of Cosimo II de'Medici. A pupil of Galileo, he founded (1657) the Accademia del Cimento, the first European academy of natural sciences. As a ruler, Ferdinand was weak, and his lavish expenses drained the family fortune. His son, Cosimo III de'Medici, succeeded him.

    The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia,6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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