WI: Ferdinando de' Medici had a son?

Razgriz 2K9

Banned
Cosimo III had two sons and a daughter. Ferdinando, the eldest of Cosimo sons married Violante Beatrice of Bavaria. However, he did not love her and for that produced no offspring. Upon his death in 1713, this began the final curtain call for the House of Medici as Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

What if Ferdinando did produce a son from the marriage? Would it prolong the Medici's rule for another several years (or at least until the inevitable Italian unification)? Alternately if not Ferdinando, then what about Cosimo's other son, Gian Gastone?
 

archaeogeek

Banned
At this point I'm not sure continued Medici rule would be great for Tuscany; the later Medici really utterly sucked as rulers and their mismanagement of the grand duchy had repercussions for a while. The only advantage they have is that they're arguably more italian than the Habsburgs, who are at this point so intermarried and involved in Italy that I'd be tempted to say until the 19th century this is rather nonsense.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
While Cosimo III's reign was largely disastrous its possible that Ferdinando could have turned things around. He was apparently strong willed, interested in music and the arts and showed none of the lethargy that plagued his Father, Uncle, Cardinal Francesco Maria, and brother, Gian Gastone. Whether or not he could have devoted his energies to governing Tuscany or simply given himself over to more hedonistic pursuits we'll never know. But its certainly possible that with a compatible and capable wife at his side he could have done better. I think there is some danger in him producing an heir and then still dying young. This would probably mean a regency headed by Gain Gastone and/or Ferdinando's wife. I can't imagine this would work out well for Tuscany.

Despite these challenges one should consider what was accomplished by Francesco Leopoldo several decades later. Through diligent administration and great reforms he recovered the economic position of the Grand Duchy after generations of decline. So in some sense it only takes one really great ruler to set things right. Tuscany has the advantage in the 18th century of being able to maintain political neutrality and being geographically located outside of the major fields of combat.

Thinking outside the box an even better way to secure the Medici and Tuscany would be to find another wife for Cosimo III. His disastrous marriage Marguerite Louise contributed to many of the troubles of his reign, especially the financial ones as he had to support his estranged wife in France. A better wife, one that didn't loathe everything about him and Tuscany, would probably help things a great deal. But its seems like the Medici had a tendency or just the bad luck to marry people whom the couldn't even pretend to tolerate.
 
While there would be no problem with any of Cosimo III's children producing heirs, you would have to butterfly away the Medici men's penchant for boys. Ferdinando contracted syphilis from a castrato in Venice, Gian'Gastone was under Giuliano Dami and the ruspanti, and Francesco Maria's wife refused to sleep with him because she was afraid of catching something. Even the Electress Palatine wouldn't be a bad bet to rule Tuscany, but she was rendered sterile after catching syphilis from her husband.
Once you've butterflied that tendency away, marry Gian'Gastone to someone else, since he hated his wife and she refused to come to Florence. Maybe set HIM up with Violante of Bavaria instead of his brother, since they were apparently close in her widowhood.
Another option is to marry Gian'Gastone to the Princess of Beira. It was proposed but Cosimo refused to grant his son the allowance to maintain court in Lisbon, and Spain didn't want the Braganzas to continue - since another match for the princess of Beira was IIRC Carlos II of Spain
 
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