Ferdinand de’ Medici was certainly no ordinary man… As Grand Prince of Tuscany, he cultivated a personal sphere of influence that differed significantly from his father’s political and religious choices. A man of refined aesthetic taste, Ferdinand somewhat neglected the political duties of an heir and focused on earthly pleasures with great emphasis on love, music, and the arts, making his court a significant magnet for the leading creators of the era.

Under his patronage, Florence emerged as a dynamic center of artistic production. At his country villa in Pratolino, he hosted spectacular opera performances and other musical events. There, through a commission, he gave the then-young Handel the opportunity to present his first Italian opera, Rodrigo. Vivaldi dedicated his early (Opus 3) yet groundbreaking collection of twelve concertos, collectively titled L’Estro Armonico, to him. This music reflects the patron’s preferences and personality; it is a multifaceted musical portrait of him.

Ferdinand was destined to be the final point in the glorious Medici line. He remained childless and did not live to succeed his father on the throne of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He died at fifty and was buried wrapped in a black silk shroud to cover the marks of the pale spirochete he had been awarded a few years earlier at a Venetian carnival a little livelier than the others…

His most enduring legacy, however, was not political, but artistic. With the foresight that distinguished him, Ferdinand commissioned his personal instrument maker, Bartolomeo Cristofori, with the challenging endeavor of creating a keyboard instrument capable (listen to this!) of controlling the dynamic variation of sound. The result was an invention that forever changed the course of music: the gravicembalo col piano e forte, the first piano!