Centuries of speculation regarding the deaths of two Medici brothers have been put to rest, with new scientific research confirming malaria as the cause of their demise. The study, which involved an analysis of DNA from the brothers' skeletal remains, resolves one of the Renaissance's most enduring historical mysteries.
Researchers from Yale University, in collaboration with paleopathologists from the University of Pisa, Italy, examined four rib samples from the brothers, who are entombed in the Medici Chapels in Florence. Their findings, published in the journal iScience, identified traces of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria, in the remains of Giovanni de’ Medici. Evidence of a second malaria strain was found in the remains of Francesco de’ Medici, the former Grand Duke of Tuscany.
This genetic analysis provides the strongest scientific evidence to date that Francesco died from malaria, rather than the poisoning that had been theorized for centuries. The powerful Medici family, known for financing the Renaissance and producing significant political figures, was often the subject of stories involving betrayal and assassination, which fueled the persistent poison theory.
"Our study is a great example of how we can use advanced ancient DNA laboratory methods to map the history of this deadly pathogen," stated Serena Tucci, a senior author of the study and assistant professor of anthropology at Yale. The ancient DNA analysis not only diagnoses past malaria infections but also offers a window into the evolution of malaria species, according to Yale researcher Alexander Ochoa.
Malaria was historically prevalent in central Italy and remains a significant global health concern, with millions of cases reported worldwide annually. Previous research had suggested malaria as a possible cause of death for the Medici brothers, based on their reported symptoms, such as intermittent fevers. However, the recent genetic testing confirms these historical accounts.
"At the time, both were diagnosed with symptoms, such as intermittent fevers, consistent with malaria," said Valentina Giuffra, a co-author of the study and professor of history of medicine at the University of Pisa. "This genetic analysis confirms the historical accounts as well as prior research. Now we can say with scientific certainty that malaria, not poisoning, killed Grand Duke Francesco de Medici."