Emperor Leopold I , his wives and family

[MarieCharlotte]

Dear Discussion Group,

I am searching for portaits showing Empress Claudia Felicitas (Felix). Any other information is welcome, too.

Claudia Felicitas was the daughter of Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol and Anna of Medici. She was married to Emperor Leopold I. and gave birth to two daughters, Anna Maria Sophia and Maria Josepha. The archduchesses died in infancy.

Does anybody know more about Claudia's mother Anna? It seems to me that they were very close, because Claudia wanted to be buried next to her mother in the Dominikanerkirche, Vienna. Only the urn with her heart is in the Kaisergruft.
Because of her mother being a Medici, Claudia wasn't welcome on the Imperial Court of Vienna.

[britt.25]

Such a pity that they all died so early.

[MarieCharlotte]

I think that the different burial places of Claudia and her daughters are quite interesting.

Claudia is buried next to her mother in the Dominikanerkirche. Her daughters Anna Maria Sophia and Maria Josepha were laid to rest in the Kaisergruft. Maria Josepha's urn (containing her heart) is standing at the tomb of her mother Claudia. But Claudia's urn is located in the Kaisergruft.

[britt.25]

I have just looked in my books about the Habsburgs and in the one  by Reiffenscheid "Die Habsburger in Lebensbildern", we have the following dates:

Claudia gave birth to two daughters, which both died very early: Anna Maria Sophie (10.09.1674- 21.12.1674) and the second one Maria Josepha Klementine (11.10.1675-11.7.1676).

Claudia herself died on April 8th, 1676, so I think her death is not directly in connection with the birth of her last daughter, but some months later, but I am sure she was weak from the births and maybe (not only but also) because of that not very healthy. If she had any special illness I do not know, but the main problems seem to have been the close relationship of her parents and ansistors, like often in Hapsburg marriages, the results are not very healthy descendants in many cases, you see this also when you look at the life dates of her children, Leopold I, her husband was like her a Habsburg and from her parents she had Habsburg and Medici blood from two sides (very closely), Claudia herself looks nice, but tenderly and not very strong in my view.
If anyone has further infos on the circumstances of her death it would be interesting.

[MarieCharlotte]

Claudia Felicitas had suffered from tuberculosis of the lung for quite a while. More than six doctors, among them the famous Italian doctor Borri, tried to save her life. The ambassador Michiele, who admired Claudia's beauty and intelligence, wrote about her death. Michiele: When she died on April 8th 1676 at 5.30 in the morning, Claudia's didn't have any other attendance than God and the angels. Poor Claudia!

Claudia's first daughter Anna Maria Sophia died of convulsions and a cold. Her second daughter Maria Josepha Clémentine died of a cold.

[britt.25]

Claudia Felicitas had suffered from tuberculosis of the lung for quite a while. More than six doctors, among them the famous Italian doctor Borri, tried to save her life. The ambassador Michiele, who admired Claudia's beauty and intelligence, wrote about her death. Michiele: When she died on April 8th 1676 at 5.30 in the morning, Claudia's didn't have any other attendance than God and the angels. Poor Claudia!

Claudia's first daughter Anna Maria Sophia died of convulsions and a cold. Her second daughter Maria Josepha Clémentine died of a cold.

Thanks for these concrete explanations. Where did you get them?

[MarieCharlotte]

Thanks for these concrete explanations. Where did you get them?

Die Kaisergruft by M. Hawlik van de Water - such a great book! 

[Thomas_Hesse]

This is a photo the sarcophagues of Empress Claudia Felicitas (to the left) and her mother, Anna de Medici in the Dominicuskapelle of the Dominikanerkirche, Vienna.



Here is the urn containing her heart (Kapuzinergruft, Vienna)



and here a portrait of her

[britt.25]

Hello Thomas!


Thanks very much for the pictures of the sarcophagues, I have never seen them before? Did you take them yourself or copy somewhere?

Thanks

[MarieCharlotte]

You are allowed to take pictures in the Kaisergruft, Vienna. I also have pictures of the tombs of Claudia and her mother which I have found in Die Kaisergruft by Brigitte Timmermann. On the picture, which Thomas has posted, you can see Claudia's stomb on the left. The urn of her daughter Maria Josepha is standing on the tomb.

The crypt in the Dominikanerkirche is not open to the public. But if you enter the church you can find an inscription on the floor which says that Empress Claudia was laid to rest here.

[Marc]

Hi,I was looking at genealogy tables and was a bit stunned when I saw how many sisters Emperor Karl VI had,although just some of them survived adulthood...Some of Maria Theresia's aunts are known like Electress Antonie von Bayern or Queen Maria Anna of Portugal,but what about others!I never heard any information nor pictures about them!They would be(I will pick up those who did not die as children):Archduchess Maria Elisabeth(1680-1741) who was Staatholder of the Netherlands,Archduchess Maria Theresia(1684-1696),Archduchess Maria Josepha(1687-1703) and Archduchess Maria Magdalena Josepha(1689-1743)...Any informations about them!Specially about those who lived long enough to see Maria Theresia as an adult!Any pictures/portraits of them?

[MarieCharlotte]

Leopold I. had 10 daughters:

Maria Antonia (1669-1692), Electress of Bavaria
Maria Anna Antonia (1672-1672)
Maria Josepha Clémentine (1675-1676)
Maria Christine (1679)
Maria Elisabeth (1680-1741)
Maria Anna Josepha (1683-1754), Queen of Portugal
Maria Theresia (1684-1696)
Maria Josepha (1687-1703)
Maria Magdalena Josepha (1689-1743)
Maria Margaretha (1690-1691)

[MarieCharlotte]

Maria Elisabeth

Maria Elisabeth was born on December 13th 1680 at Linz. She was a very intelligent woman. She was able to speak French, German, Italian and Latin fluently. At the age of 19, she wrote a long paper about the Habsburg dynasty.
In 1725 Karl VI. gave his sisters full powers and appointed her governor of the Netherlands. She succeeded Prince Eugen of Savoy. At her court in Brussels lived about 250 persons. Karl forced his sister to have two Obersthofmeisters: Julio Visconti and Friedrich von Harrach. They informed the Emperor about everything that happened at the court of Brussels. So no one really knows whether Maria Elisabeth or their Obersthofmeisters reigned the country.
Just like her brother Leopold she was very interested in music. In the Netherlands she was very popular, although the Emperor in Vienna didn't like her politics.
The Archduchess died on August 16th 1741.

[MarieCharlotte]

Maria Magdalena

Magdalena was born on March 26th 1689. As she lived a secluded life, not much is known about her. Although she was governor of Tyrol, she prefered to live in the Hofburg (Vienna) with the family of her brother. She was very much devoted to her niece Maria Theresia. At the age of 54 she died of pneumonia.

[Marc]

Wow,thank you Marie Charlotte,I never heard anything about them...they were somehow in the shadow and that's what was so interesting,at least for me...Do you know anything about their(sisters) relationship or the relationship between them and Empresses Amalia Wilhelmine and Elisabeth Christine?I ask this because I was reading in some biography of Maria Theresia that at the time of her childhood there(at Hofburg) was some kind of ''war'' or a chaos between two Empresses,Emperors sisters and even between daughters of Emperors Joseph I and Karl VI for the order of precedence...Do you know about this?If you know something more about sisters of Joseph I and Karl VI please write...