Gabriel von Salamanca-Ortenburg
Encyclopedia
Gabriel von Samalanca-Ortenburg (1489–1539) was a Spanish
nobleman who was general treasurer and archchancellor of the Austrian
archduke (and future Holy Roman Emperor
) Ferdinand I of Habsburg
from 1521 to 1526.
Descending from a rich family from Burgos
in Castile
, Gabriel von Salamanca in 1514 was already chancellor under Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg
, who had forged an alliance with King Ferdinand II of Aragon
and Queen Isabella I of Castile
by marrying his son Philip the Handsome
off to their daughter Joanna
. In this period Salamanca made friends with Maximilian's grandson Archduke Ferdinand I, who after the Emperor's death in 1519 received the Habsburg "hereditary lands" of Austria
with the duchies of Styria
, Carinthia
and Carniola
("Inner Austria
") as well as Tyrol
and Further Austria
from his elder brother Emperor Charles V
in 1521. Gabriel acted as Ferdinand's treasurer and archchancellor, his economic measures however largely failed as his self-serving manners met with fierce opposition by the Austrian aristocracy.
In 1523 he was elevated to the rank of an Imperial Freiherr
(Baron) and Lord of Ehrenberg Castle
in Tyrol as well as of Freyenstein
and Karlsbach
in Austria. On 10 March 1524 he further received the possessions of the former Counts of Ortenburg
in Carinthia, which were last held by Count Ulrich II of Celje
, and also the Ortenburg comital
title. As early as in 1526, Gabriel von Salamanca was forced to resign from his positions, but was able to maintain his fiefs. He retired to Carinthia and took his residence at Spittal an der Drau
, where he had a luxuriant Renaissance
palace built by Italian architects from 1533, today known as Schloss Porcia
.
Gabriel was married twice: to Elisabeth of Eberstein
in 1523 (d. about 1330) and to Elisabeth of Baden
, daughter of Margrave Ernst of Baden-Durlach in 1533. The marriages produced no children.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
nobleman who was general treasurer and archchancellor of the Austrian
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
archduke (and future Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
) Ferdinand I of Habsburg
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
from 1521 to 1526.
Descending from a rich family from Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
in Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
, Gabriel von Salamanca in 1514 was already chancellor under Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
, who had forged an alliance with King Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
and Queen Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
by marrying his son Philip the Handsome
Philip I of Castile
Philip I , known as Philip the Handsome or the Fair, was the first Habsburg King of Castile...
off to their daughter Joanna
Joanna of Castile
Joanna , nicknamed Joanna the Mad , was the first queen regnant to reign over both the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon , a union which evolved into modern Spain...
. In this period Salamanca made friends with Maximilian's grandson Archduke Ferdinand I, who after the Emperor's death in 1519 received the Habsburg "hereditary lands" of Austria
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
with the duchies of Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
, Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
and Carniola
Duchy of Carniola
The Duchy of Carniola was an administrative unit of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy from 1364 to 1918. Its capital was Ljubljana...
("Inner Austria
Inner Austria
Inner Austria was a term used from the late 14th to the early 17th century for the Habsburg hereditary lands south of the Semmering Pass, referring to the duchies of Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and the Windic March, the County of Gorizia , the city of Trieste and assorted smaller possessions...
") as well as Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
and Further Austria
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...
from his elder brother Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
in 1521. Gabriel acted as Ferdinand's treasurer and archchancellor, his economic measures however largely failed as his self-serving manners met with fierce opposition by the Austrian aristocracy.
In 1523 he was elevated to the rank of an Imperial Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
(Baron) and Lord of Ehrenberg Castle
Ehrenberg castle
Ehrenberg castle is a castle in Austria.-Ehrenberg History:The fortifications of Ehrenberg stand at a strategically important point known as the Ehrenberger Klause...
in Tyrol as well as of Freyenstein
Neustadtl an der Donau
Neustadtl an der Donau is a town in the district of Amstetten in Lower Austria in Austria....
and Karlsbach
Sankt Martin-Karlsbach
Sankt Martin-Karlsbach is a town in the district of Melk in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
in Austria. On 10 March 1524 he further received the possessions of the former Counts of Ortenburg
Grafschaft Ortenburg
The Ortenburger were a medieval noble family in the Duchy of Carinthia, with roots in Bavarian nobility. An affiliation with the Counts of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg, a branch line of the Rhenish Franconian House of Sponheim, is not established. Little is known about their reasons for settlement in...
in Carinthia, which were last held by Count Ulrich II of Celje
Ulrich II of Celje
Ulrich II , also known as Ulrich Cillei, was the last Princely Count of Celje.Ulrich II. was the son of Count Frederick II of Celje and his wife Elizabeth, a scion of the Croatian House of Frankopan. Little is known of his youth...
, and also the Ortenburg comital
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
title. As early as in 1526, Gabriel von Salamanca was forced to resign from his positions, but was able to maintain his fiefs. He retired to Carinthia and took his residence at Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau is located in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia and the administrative centre of the federal state's second largest district, Spittal an der Drau. It lies between the Lurnfeld area and the Lower Drava Valley. The city consists of the seven...
, where he had a luxuriant Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
palace built by Italian architects from 1533, today known as Schloss Porcia
Schloss Porcia
Schloss Porcia is a castle in Spittal an der Drau, in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is one of the most significant Renaissance buildings in Austria....
.
Gabriel was married twice: to Elisabeth of Eberstein
Counts of Eberstein
The Counts of Eberstein were a family of nobility in Baden, Germany. From 1085 up into the 13th century they lived in the castle known today as Alt Eberstein which lies on a mountain top between the valleys of the rivers Murg and Oos...
in 1523 (d. about 1330) and to Elisabeth of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
, daughter of Margrave Ernst of Baden-Durlach in 1533. The marriages produced no children.