Man, I can see where all the anti-Italy diatribes came from.
Well yes. Especially since Cosimo III. had over fifty years to run down the place. Not in the manner one usually imagines, i.e by promiscuity and endless parties. The only sensual feeling he ever gratified was gluttony. Incidentally, the contrast to FW is interesting, in that they were both fundamentalist Christians of their respective faiths, but FW was actually good at economy and motivating his people to adopt at least part of his mentality (he wasn't loved, but it's impossible to deny that Brandenburg/Prussia pre and post FW was not the same anymore - he made (nearly) the entire nobility and the citizens drink the LOYALTY DUTY DISCIPLINE MILITARY WORK WORK WORK Kool-Aid) - , while Cosimo just made himself hated, and no one adopted his personal ethics and mode of life.
Now of course, Italy isn't Tuscany, but it's worth noting that those 18th century travellers from other countries who unlike Algarotti loved it there also tended to pick Venice, Rome (Goethe) or Naples (Anna Amalia) as their favourite cities to stay longer. Not Florence, not until the 19th century, when it had truly recovered, courtesy not least of Leopold.
Bathing in the nude: I should have added "in the river". Since, see a famous story about Émilie, French ladies bathing in the nude in their own bath tub was par the course. Anyway, Louis was still "not my problem" when Cosimo complained.
I didn't know anything about these last Medici before, either, so thank you so much for pointing me their way!
Re: Harold Acton: Last of the Medici 2: This is the end, my friend...
Well yes. Especially since Cosimo III. had over fifty years to run down the place. Not in the manner one usually imagines, i.e by promiscuity and endless parties. The only sensual feeling he ever gratified was gluttony. Incidentally, the contrast to FW is interesting, in that they were both fundamentalist Christians of their respective faiths, but FW was actually good at economy and motivating his people to adopt at least part of his mentality (he wasn't loved, but it's impossible to deny that Brandenburg/Prussia pre and post FW was not the same anymore - he made (nearly) the entire nobility and the citizens drink the LOYALTY DUTY DISCIPLINE MILITARY WORK WORK WORK Kool-Aid) - , while Cosimo just made himself hated, and no one adopted his personal ethics and mode of life.
Now of course, Italy isn't Tuscany, but it's worth noting that those 18th century travellers from other countries who unlike Algarotti loved it there also tended to pick Venice, Rome (Goethe) or Naples (Anna Amalia) as their favourite cities to stay longer. Not Florence, not until the 19th century, when it had truly recovered, courtesy not least of Leopold.
Bathing in the nude: I should have added "in the river". Since, see a famous story about Émilie, French ladies bathing in the nude in their own bath tub was par the course. Anyway, Louis was still "not my problem" when Cosimo complained.
I didn't know anything about these last Medici before, either, so thank you so much for pointing me their way!