The history of the grand-ducal collections, in other words, the acquisition of the works of art and their transfer from various places in the city (the Uffizi Gallery, the apartments in the Pitti Palace, country villas and lastly to the new museums that were founded with these collections), can be divided into various phases. The first period of the Medici's passion for collecting beautiful things dates from the origins of the family to the brief reign of the Grand Duke Cosimo II (who died in 1621). The second dates from Ferdinado II (1610-1670) to the last of the Medicis and this can be defined as the golden age of collecting. The last and no less important period dates from the reign of the Lorraine family and that of the Kingdom of Italy to the present day.