Sharing the Medici Archive with the World.

MAP FORUM – Francesco Freddolini Francesconi- “MAP FORUM PRESENTS: Eurasian Tuscany: The Grand Dukes and Islam” – Tuesday, 10 February 2026 @ 5pm EST/11pm CET

The Medici dukes and grand dukes cultivated intense and complex relations with Islamicate realms throughout the entire span of their dynasty. By adopting a longue durée approach spanning the period from the establishment of the Order of Saint Stephen to the grand duchy of Cosimo III, this talk explores how the visual arts articulated narratives of exchange, diplomacy, and even complicity, alongside tensions and open conflict with Islam, both within the Mediterranean basin and across a much broader geopolitical landscape, including Mughal India. Francesco Freddolini is Associate Professor of Early Modern Art History at Sapienza University of Rome.