After centuries apart, two paintings produced in 1600 to mark weddings between the Medici family and French royals are back together in Florence .
The reunion came after the world-famous Uffizi gallery bought the missing partner, Jacopo da Empoli's portrayal of the royal wedding between Maria de' Medici and Henry IV on October 5 1600 .
The museum paid 280,000 euros to be able to reunite it with another painting created by the same artist which it already owned. The second work depicts Catherine de' Medici's betrothal to the Duke of Orleans - who went on to become Henry II of France - 67 years earlier. But da Empoli painted it to flank the one for Maria's wedding. The paintings were commissioned to highlight the strong bond that existed between the powerful Florentine dynasty and the French royals. Catherine and Marie both became queen of France by virtue of their marriages .
The works were first displayed together at Marie de' Medici's wedding banquet at Florence's Palazzo Vecchio, but subsequently got separated .
They now stand together at the entrance to the gallery that houses masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli and Caravaggio, among others. Florence's outgoing Museums Superintendent Antonio Paolucci explained that an Italian art expert on Jacopo da Empoli, Professor Alessandro Marabottino, spotted the missing painting in a Florentine gallery .
He alerted the Uffizi, which jumped at the chance to buy it .
"We could not miss this opportunity to reunite the two works on the weddings of these two illustrious Medici women," said Paolucci. "Now everyone can admire them" .
Marie was born in Florence's Palazzo Pitti in 1573 and spent the first part of her life there before being married off to Henry IV .
Her eldest son, Louis, became king of France, although Marie acted as regent on his behalf following her husband's assassination in 1610 .
Marie's fierce temper, rumours of her involvement in Henry IV's death, her extravagance and her plots against Louis made her a reviled figure to future French generations. She died in exile in Germany in 1642 .
However, some historians have recently tried to redeem her image, portraying her as a patron of the arts and culture .
She is also credited by some with having taken Florentine cuisine across the Alps, helping the French develop their fine culinary traditions in the process. Catherine (1519-1589) lived a quiet life during her husband's reign, but wielded considerable power in France after his death, as the mother of three future monarchs, Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III .
