Archduchess Eleanor of Austria

Not to be confused with Archduchess Eleanor of Austria (1582-1620).

Eleanor of Austria
Duchess of Mantua and Montferrat
File:Anonym Erzherzogin Eleonore.jpg
Born	(1534-11-02)2 November 1534 Vienna
Died	Mantua
Spouse	William I, Duke of Mantua
Issue	Vincent I, Duke of Mantua Margherita, Duchess consort of Ferrara Anna Caterina, Archduchess of Austria
House	House of Habsburg (by birth) House of Gonzaga (by marriage)
Father	Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Mother	Anna of Bohemia and Hungary

Archduchess Eleanor of Austria (2 November 1534 – 5 August 1594) was the daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary.

Family

File:Jakob Seisenegger 006.jpg

Eleanor as a child

Eleanor was the eighth child and sixth daughter out of fifteen children born to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (before his election as Holy Roman Emperor) and his wife Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. She was a sister of Johanna of Austria, who married Francesco I de' Medici, thus making Eleonora the aunt of Marie de' Medici, Queen of France.

Marriage and children

She married William I, Duke of Mantua on 26 April 1561. Their children were:

• Vincent I, Duke of Mantua (21 September 1562 – 9 February 1612). Married Eleonora de' Medici (Eleanor's niece).
• Margherita Gonzaga (27 May 1564 – 6 January 1618). Married Alfonso II d'Este.
• Anna Caterina Gonzaga (17 January 1566 – 3 August 1621). Married her maternal uncle Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria.

At about age 5, Eleanor's daughter Anne Catherine became severely ill and nearly died. She contracted a high fever and her extremities began to swell. For two years she was ill. Finally Eleanor and William appealed to the Virgin Mary with deep prayer, promising to raise Anne as a child of Mary if she lived on. Soon Anne became healthy again. Eleanor and William told their daughter of the Virgin Mary's intervention on her behalf and the promise they had made. From there out Eleanor educated and guided Anne Catherine in the cultivation of devotion to Mary. Throughout childhood Anne Catherine displayed a consistent sense of piety.

Eleonora died on 5 August 1594 at the age of 59, she had been a widow since 1587 when her husband died. She was one of the last children of Ferdinand and Anna alive at the time, the only other sibling alive at the time of her death was her brother Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria who only died one year later.

Ancestors

Family of Archduchess Eleanor of Austria

16. Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor               8. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor                       17. Eleanor of Portugal               4. Philip I of Castile                             18. Charles, Duke of Burgundy               9. Mary of Burgundy                       19. Isabella of Bourbon               2. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor                                   20. John II of Aragon               10. Ferdinand II of Aragon                       21. Juana Enríquez               5. Joanna of Castile                             22. John II of Castile               11. Isabella I of Castile                       23. Isabella of Portugal               1. Eleanor of Austria                                         24. Władysław II Jagiełło               12. Casimir IV Jagiellon                       25. Sophia of Halshany               6. Vladislas II of Bohemia and Hungary                             26. Albert II of Germany               13. Elisabeth of Austria                       27. Elisabeth of Bohemia               3. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary                                   28. John de Foix, 1st Earl of Kendal               14. Gaston de Foix, Count of Candale                       29. Margaret Kerdeston               7. Anna of Foix-Candale                             30. Gaston IV, Count of Foix               15. Catherine of Foix                       31. Eleanor of Navarre