Eleonora Gonzaga

1630 – 1686 · Generation XII · Consort

Eleonora (1630 – 1686). Consort. Married Ferdinand in 1651. Third wife of Ferdinand III. Born in Mantua to Charles Gonzaga of Nevers and Maria Gonzaga, heiress of Montferrat, she was named for her great-aunt the empress — her godmother and the chief sponsor of her marriage. She grew up fluent in French, Spanish and Italian. The formal wedding took place at Wiener Neustadt; despite the difference in age the marriage was happy, and she won over her stepchildren. With her husband she founded a literary academy open even to Protestants, and thanks to her, Italian speech and fashion came to dominate the court. Of her four children, two daughters survived, one of whom became Queen of Poland. Widowed in 1657, she worked for her stepson Leopold I’s election as emperor, and he afterwards consulted her on many matters. She brought the Ursulines to Vienna to educate girls, founded the Order of the Starry Cross in 1668, and was buried in the Imperial Crypt.

Place in the family

Eleonora Gonzaga married Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, a great-grandfather of Maria Theresa.

Partners

Married Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608 – 1657) in 1651

Life

1630 — Born
1651 — Married Ferdinand
1686 — Died