He was a connoisseur: he bought Madonnas by Raphael and Andrea del Sarto. He also patronised Giuseppe Maria Crespi, Anton Domenico Gabbiani and Sebastiano Ricci. Crespi was long employed by him at Pitti. Ferdinando organised the first public exhibition of fine arts to be held in Florence (1705, in the cloister of SS. Annunziata). Among poets he befriended Vincenzo da Filicaja and Benedetto Menzini. Scipione Maffei's dedication to him of the "Giornale de' Letterati" (1710) is a proof of Ferdinando's widespread reputation.