Casa Granducale degli Asburgo-Lorena di Toscana

The period of the Habsburg-Lorraine is generally considered one of the most prosperous for the pre-unitary government of Tuscany. The dynasty begins with Francesco Stefano di Lorena, consort of the great Maria Teresa of Austria, who had the Grand Duchy of Tuscany on the death of the last Medici, Gian Gastone, in exchange for the Duchy of Lorraine, ceded to France. His government, exercised through intermediaries (Francesco Stefano resided in Vienna) is not seen favorably by historians, who believe he was purely interested in the financial exploitation of the Tuscan state.

Things changed with the accession to the throne of Pietro Leopoldo, a typical enlightened ruler, who during his residence in Tuscany revolutionized its economy, infrastructure and administration: the tradition he began was maintained by the government of his nephew Leopold II (Ferdinand III found himself ruling during the period of the Napoleonic wars) but he was unable to integrate positively into the Risorgimento movement and was overwhelmed. The family is still thriving.