Medici brothers murder mystery solved as new research rules out poison theory

Mistero risolto.For centuries, historians debated a longstanding mystery: Were two members of the powerful Medici dynasty victims of disease — or murder?Now, nearly 500 years later, scientists say they finally have an answer.A new analysis of the centuries-old remains of two Medici brothers uncovered evidence of malaria infections, settling one of the Renaissance’s longest-running mysteries while offering new clues about the deadly disease’s past.Yale researchers, in collaboration with paleopathologists from the University of Pisa in Italy, analyzed DNA from the brothers’ skeletal remains as part of an effort to trace how malaria spread and evolved during the Renaissance.According to the study published in iScience, the team found traces of Plasmodium falciparum — the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of malaria — in the remains of the banker brother Giovanni de’ Medici.They also identified evidence of a second malaria strain in Francesco de’ Medici, providing the strongest scientific evidence yet that the former Grand Duke of Tuscany died from malaria rather than poison.“Our study is a great example of how we can use advanced ancient DNA laboratory methods to map the history of this deadly pathogen,” said senior author Serena Tucci, assistant professor of anthropology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.For generations, historians had suspected foul play.The theory that Francesco had been poisoned persisted for centuries, inspiring books, documentaries and endless debate.

The speculation was fueled in part by what the Medici family represented.The Florentine banking dynasty helped finance the Renaissance, produced four popes, two queens of France and some of Europe’s most influential political leaders, making stories of betrayal and assassination seem entirely believable.For the new study, the researchers extracted DNA from four rib samples of the brothers, which were entombed in the Medici Chapels in Florence.The results, whi...