Gli Austria-Este tra la corte di Vienna e l’Ungheria. Alcuni spunti di ricerca

Abstract

The essay focuses on relations of the Este House with the Imperial Court of Vienna and Hungary since the end of 18th century until the fall of Napoleon. Relationships between Modena and the Habsburg monarchy had already been established in the first half of 18th century, as duke Rinaldo I of Este had been enfeoffed with the Hungarian domains of Arad and Jenő in Transilvania (1725). The political relations between the Este House and the Habsburg empire were strengthened with the marriage of Maria Beatrice of Este, heiress of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, with archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine, cadet son of empress Maria Theresa of Austria. Celebrated in Milan in 1771, this marriage created the House of Habsburg-Este, a cadet branch of the Imperial House of Austria who definitely settled in Vienna after the loss of Modena (1859). The birth of the Habsburg-Este dynasty in 1771 led to long time ties with the Austrian empire, then with the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, who inherited honours and estates of the Este House in the 20th century. As Napoleon invaded Northern Italy in 1796, Maria Beatrice and Ferdinand fled Milan and moved to Austria with their sons. They settled in Vienna, where Maria Beatrice and Ferdinand bought as a city palace as a garden palace. Carlo Ambrogio of Austria Este, bishop of Vác celebrated the marriage between her sister and emperor Francis, despite his young age, he was elected archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary. As archbishop Primate of the Hungarian church, Carlo Ambrogio of Austria-Este crowned Maria Ludovica as queen of Hungary in the St. Martin’s cathedral of Pressburg on 7 September 1808.