Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until his death. He was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine.
For the majority of his 12-year reign, he delegated the administration of Tuscany to his ministers. He is best remembered as the patron of Galileo Galilei, his childhood tutor.[1]


Cosimo's father Ferdinando I took care to provide him with a modern education. Indeed, Galileo Galilei was Cosimo's tutor between 1605 and 1608. Ferdinando arranged for him to marry Archduchess Maria Maddalena of Austria, daughter of Archduke Charles II, in 1608. Their marriage was celebrated with an elaborate display on the Arno, which included a performance of the Argonautica, in which Jason sailed around an artificial island and presented Maria Maddalena with six red apples, alluding to the Medici family symbolic balls, or palle.[2] Cosimo and Maria Maddalena had eight children in just eight years; among them was Cosimo's eventual successor, Ferdinando II, an Archduchess of Inner Austria, a Duchess of Parma and two cardinals.
Ferdinando I died in 1609. Due to his precarious health, Cosimo did not actively participate in governing his realm, but he was a great patron of science and letters. Just over a year after Cosimo's accession, Galileo dedicated his Sidereus Nuncius, an account of his telescopic discoveries, to the grand duke.[3]
Cosimo extended the Palazzo Pitti, and he reconstructed the Villa del Poggio Imperiale.[2]
In spite of his lack of interest in governance, the grand duke did assiduously enlarge the navy.

He died on 28 February 1621 from tuberculosis and was succeeded by his elder son, Ferdinando II, still a minor at the time of his father's death. The regency for the new grand duke was bestowed upon Cosimo II's wife and mother, as per his wishes.
ガリレオ・ガリレイは1610年にコジモの宮廷数学者に任命され、大学で数学を教えるという制約から解放された。宮廷数学者として、ガリレオは学問分野の区別に挑戦し、物理学の問題に取り組むために数学を用いることでニコラウス・コペルニクスの理論を発展させることができた。 [ 4 ]すでに有名だったガリレオは、後援を得るために望遠鏡の業績を利用した。任命されると、ガリレオはフィレンツェの宮廷に移り、哲学者、数学者[ 5 ]、天文学者[ 6 ]として働く資源豊富な環境を見つけた。ガリレオは宮廷生活に積極的に関わり、メディチ家の王朝的レトリックを支持した。知的見世物を生み出すことに加えて、ガリレオはメディチ宮廷を利用して自身の理論的主張と発見を広めた。彼が発見した木星の4つの衛星は、コジモと彼の3人の兄弟にちなんでメディチ星と名付けられた。トスカーナ大使はヨーロッパにおける科学論争を促進するために利用された。プラハ、パリ、ロンドン、マドリードに駐在した大使はガリレオの『星界の報告』の写本を受け取り、宮廷の財源でガリレオが製作した望遠鏡を受け取った。[ 7 ]
著名な画家ジャック・カロは、 1621年にパトロンであるコジモ2世が亡くなるまで、大公の宮廷で活動した。カロはフィレンツェの祝祭やカーニバルの様子を視覚的に記録した。

