Ferdinando de' Medici
Grand Prince of Tuscany
Years: 1663 - 1713
Ferdinando de' Medici (9 August 1663 – 31 October 1713) is the eldest son of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans.
Ferdinando is heir to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, with the title Grand Prince, from his father's accession in 1670 until his death in 1713.
He is remembered today primarily as a patron of music.
An excellent musician himself (sometimes called "the Orpheus of princes"), he recruits top musicians to Florence and thus makes it an important musical center of his time.
Through his patronage of Bartolomeo Cristofori, Ferdinando makes possible the invention (1700) of the piano.
