Florence officially became a monarchy in 1531, when Emperor Charles and Pope Clement appointed Alessandro de Medici as prince of the Florentine Republic.

The Medici monarchy lasted for over two hundred years. Alessandro's successor, Cosimo I de' Medici, was created Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569. In all of Tuscany, only the Republic of Lucca and the Duchy of Piombino were independent of Florence.