Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Charles was the Archduke of Further Austria
, including Tyrol
, from 1646 to 1662.
As the son of Archduke Leopold V and Claudia de' Medici
, he took over his mother's governatorial duties when he came of age in 1646. To finance his extravagant living style, he sold goods and entitlements. For example, he wasted the exorbitant sum which France
had to pay to the Tyrolean Habsburg
s for the cession of their fiefs west of the Rhine (Alsace
, Sundgau
and Breisach
). He also fixed the border to Graubünden
in 1652.
Ferdinand Charles was an absolutist ruler, did not call any diet
after 1648 and had his chancellor
Wilhelm Biener
executed illegally in 1651 after a secret trial. On the other hand, he was a lover of music: Italian opera
was performed in his court.
He died in Kaltern
.
. She was a daughter of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
and Maria Magdalena of Austria (+1631)
. They had two children:
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
, including Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, from 1646 to 1662.
As the son of Archduke Leopold V and Claudia de' Medici
Claudia de' Medici
Claudia de' Medici was a daughter of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Christina of Lorraine...
, he took over his mother's governatorial duties when he came of age in 1646. To finance his extravagant living style, he sold goods and entitlements. For example, he wasted the exorbitant sum which France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
had to pay to the Tyrolean Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s for the cession of their fiefs west of the Rhine (Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, Sundgau
Sundgau
Sundgau is a geographical territory on the eastern edge of France that was once a principality of the Holy Roman Empire. The name Sundgau derives from Alemannic German, which means "South County" ....
and Breisach
Breisach
Breisach is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway between Freiburg and Colmar — 20 kilometres away from each — and about 60 kilometres north of Basel near the...
). He also fixed the border to Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
in 1652.
Ferdinand Charles was an absolutist ruler, did not call any diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
after 1648 and had his chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
Wilhelm Biener
Wilhelm Biener
Wilhelm Biener was a lawyer, and chancellor of Tyrol.Born in Lauchheim in what is now Baden-Württemberg, he was employed by Margrave Karl von Burgau from 1620 onwards. After having served under the Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian I from 1625 to 1630, he was appointed by Emperor Ferdinand II to be...
executed illegally in 1651 after a secret trial. On the other hand, he was a lover of music: Italian opera
Italian opera
Italian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language. Opera was born in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. Many famous operas in Italian were written by foreign composers,...
was performed in his court.
He died in Kaltern
Kaltern an der Weinstraße
Kaltern an der Weinstraße is a municipality in South Tyrol, in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is located about 40 km north of the city of Trento and about 12 km southwest of the city of Bolzano....
.
Ancestors
Marriage and children
Ferdinand Charles married Anna de' MediciAnna de' Medici (1616–1676)
Anna de' Medici was a daughter of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his wife Maria Maddalena of Austria. A patron of the arts, she married Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria in 1646...
. She was a daughter of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo II de' Medici was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until 1621. He was the elder son of the then incumbent Grand Duke and Christina of Lorraine. He married Maria Magdalena of Austria, and had eight children....
and Maria Magdalena of Austria (+1631)
Maria Magdalena of Austria (+1631)
Maria Maddalena of Austria was Grand Duchess of Tuscany from her husband's accession in 1609 until his death in 1621. With him, she had eight children, including a duchess of Parma, a grand duke of Tuscany, and an archduchess of Further Austria...
. They had two children:
- Claudia Felicitas of AustriaClaudia Felicitas of AustriaArchduchess Claudia Felicitas of Austria was the eldest daughter of Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria, and his wife Anna de' Medici...
(30 May 1653 - 8 April 1676). Married Leopold I, Holy Roman EmperorLeopold I, Holy Roman Emperor| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
. - Maria Magdalena of Austria (17 August 1656 - 21 January 1669).