Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Saturday, 4 July 2026

Death and the Medici


LiveScience had an interesting report this week about an analysis of the remains of some members of the  Medici family from the later sixteenth century.
 

The coat of arms of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany

Image: Wikimedia 

The particular object of the research was to determine the cause of death of leading figures in the Tuscan Grand Ducal family. Were they poisoned by mother member of the family as some believed at the time and subsequently,or did they die of natural causes? Three family members died in 1562, and Grand Duke Francesco I and his Grand Duchess in 1587. Was there something sinister going on, or were they just unfortunate as a family?

The article about the research and what it revealed can be read at Ancient-DNA analysis solves 500-year-old mystery of what killed 2 Medici brothers

Wikipedia has a biography of Grand Duke Francesco, who ruled from 1574 until his death, and which gives more about his medical history at Francesco_I_de'_Medici


Grand Duke Francesco I

Image: Wikipedia 



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