Empress Eleonora Gonzaga was born on 23 September 1598. She descended from two powerful Italian dynasties, the Gonzagas of Mantua and the Medici of Florence. Her family connections were colourful indeed – ranging from a wife-killing grand-uncle to a queen of France as her aunt.
However, Eleonora’s ties with the Habsburgs were strong as both of her grandmothers were daughters of Emperor Ferdinand I. At her baptism, one of the godparents chosen was a young Habsburg prince, the son of Archduke Charles of Inner Austria. Charitable and pious, Eleonora received a fine humanist education, with training in languages, music, history, and the arts.
Two decades later, that ‘young Habsburg’ had become the ruling Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II. A widower with several children, he was soon to become Eleonora’s husband. The match was complicated even by Habsburg standards: the pair were first cousins once removed, and in addition were spiritually bound as godparent and godchild. A double papal dispensation was therefore required. Despite the age difference and the absence of children, their marriage proved harmonious.
In history books, the epithet ‘the Elder’ is usually added to Eleonora’s name to distinguish her from her namesake grandniece, who became the wife of her stepson, Ferdinand III.
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