stones and allowed him to dabble in chemistry and alchemical schemes. Francesco and Bianca died on 19 and 20 October, both at the Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano. Although the original death certificates mention malaria, it has been widely speculated that the couple was poisoned, possibly by Francesco's brother Ferdinando. While some early forensic research supported the latter theory, forensic evidence from a study in 2010 found the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which causes malaria, in the skeletal remains of Francesco I, which strongly bolstered the infection theory and the credibility of the official documents. Francesco was succeeded by his younger brother Ferdinando. In 1857, all members of the Medici family were exhumed and reburied in the place where they still lie today, the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Florence. The painter Giuseppe Moricci attended the ceremony and depicted Francesco with a facial droop, a right claw hand appearance, the right shoulder internally rotated, the right calf muscle wasted and a right clubfoot confirmed by orthopaedic footwear within the coffin. These are the signs of a right-sided stroke possibly within the internal capsule. The presence of the orthopaedic footwear suggests that this stroke happened significantly before his death. During life, in his official portraits, the grand duke was always depicted as being in perfect physical condition. The cause of his stroke is not known, but malaria is known to cause this condition. There is a famous portrait of Francesco as a child by Bronzino that hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Francesco's marriage to Bianca and the couple's death was exploited by Thomas Middleton for his tragedy Women Beware Women, published in 1658. Children Francesco and Joanna had eight children: Eleonora (28 February 1567 – 9 September 1611), who married Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua (1562–1612) Romola (20 November 1568 – 2 December 1568) Anna (31 December 1569 – 19 February 1584) Isabella (30 September 1571 – 8 August 1572) Lucrezia (7 November 1572 – 14 August 1574) Marie (26 April 1575–3 July 1642), who became Queen of France by her marriage to Henry IV in 1600 Filippo (20 May 1577 – 29 March 1582) a son, died in a miscarriage In fiction Francesco de' Medici is a secondary character in John Webster's 1612 play The White Devil References Sources External links "The Medici Archive Project", from the Medici Archive Project "The Medici Archive Project Bio Page" "Toledo-de' Medici,