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The Rule Of The Republic

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With the constitution of 1532 proclaiming Alessandro de’Medici hereditary duke the Republic died, and the Medici family once again rose from the ashes, ending the historical struggle between the Medicean and Republican governments of the Florentine Renaissance. Duke Alessandro de’Medici’s assassination in 1537 and widespread uncertainty surrounding his inexperienced and young successor, Cosimo de’Medici, momentarily rekindled hope for a return of the Republic. However, not only did Cosimo thwart any hope for the return of the Republic, he went on to rule Florence for almost forty years and erect a Grand Dukedom that lasted until the mid-18th century. Propaganda in the form of art played a huge role in the consolidation of the Medici dukedom under Cosimo. The political nuances evident in the visual representations commissioned at this time were vital in the manipulation of the public, the establishment of the Medici as a ducal power and the subversion of Republican ideals. In January 1537, Cosimo was declared the head of Florentine government, however, he was still far from the powerful monarch that he is to become. Those who put Cosimo in power were members of Florentine aristocratic families who planned to establish an oligarchical government, with the adolescent Cosimo as mere a figurehead. Groups, exiled in 1532 following the reinstatement of the Medici, assumed the position to seize Florence aided by the King of France. Simultaneously, troops belonging to the Holy

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