Maria Anna von Österreich

Maria Anna Josepha of Austria was born on 7 September 1683 in Linz and died on 14 August 1754 at the age of 70 in the Palace of Belém. She was a Habsburg archduchess, the daughter of Emperor Leopold I and Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg, and became Queen of Portugal through her marriage. As the wife of John V, she was also the mother of the Portuguese kings Joseph I and Peter III. She served as regent of Portugal in 1716 and again from 1742 to 1750. The city of Mariana in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais was named after her. Maria Anna was born during a period of intense political and military upheaval. In the summer of 1683, her parents and the Viennese court fled from Vienna to Passau because of the Ottoman advance. She was born during this journey. At almost the same time, the Polish relief army joined the imperial and allied forces; a few days later, news of their victory and the lifting of the siege of Vienna reached the court. Nevertheless, the war against the Ottoman Empire continued until 1699. In addition, the Holy Roman Empire took part in the War of the League of Augsburg between 1688 and 1697. The family lived in Vienna’s Hofburg Palace. Schönbrunn Palace had been damaged during the Ottoman attack, and Emperor Leopold ordered its reconstruction, although work did not begin until 1696. Maria Anna had two older brothers, Joseph and Leopold, and a sister, Maria Elisabeth. Her father’s first marriage also produced her adult half-sister Maria Antonia, who married Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, in 1685. More siblings were born later, including Maria Theresa, Charles, Maria Josepha, and Maria Magdalena. For her time, Maria Anna received a comprehensive education. She spoke French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin, took an interest in music, and played several instruments, including the harpsichord. At court performances, she appeared in operatic roles that required her to sing and dance. Her father was regarded as prone to depression and indecision, while her mother exercised political influence, at times serving as the emperor’s secretary and accompanying him to the Imperial Diet in 1689. After Leopold’s death in May 1705, Maria Anna’s elder brother Joseph became emperor. Her mother remained a widow, wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life, devoted herself to charitable work, and continued to influence politics. She divided the valuable possessions and personal items from her former life among Maria Anna and her sisters. During this period, Maria Anna’s connection with the Portuguese heir to the throne was also arranged. The Habsburg archduke Charles, who was in Lisbon as a claimant to the Spanish throne, proposed to King Peter II that his son marry his sister. Vienna approved the plan because the marriage was intended to strengthen relations between the Habsburgs and Portugal during the War of the Spanish Succession. Maria Anna was 25 when she married the 19-year-old John. A splendid Portuguese embassy led by Fernão Teles da Silva arrived in Vienna in 1708. The proxy wedding took place on 9 July in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, with Emperor Joseph representing the bridegroom. Maria Anna then traveled by sea to Portugal. Passing through The Hague and Rotterdam, she reached England, where she was received with great honors because of the Portuguese-British alliance. On 6 October, she sailed from Portsmouth to Lisbon and arrived there on 16 October. Because she was unwell after the sea voyage, she did not set foot on Portuguese soil until the following day. Her arrival was marked by several days of festivities, bullfights, and an artificial re-creation of the eruption of Mount Etna. The wedding in Lisbon was celebrated on 27 October 1708. The royal couple’s official residence was the Ribeira Palace. The first years of their marriage were considered happy, although they were initially childless. Concerned about the future of the dynasty, John promised, on the advice of the Portuguese grand inquisitor, to build a Franciscan monastery in Mafra. In December 1711, Maria Anna gave birth to a daughter, followed later by five sons. John fulfilled his promise, and the basilica of the Mafra monastery was consecrated in October 1730. Despite the outward appearance of a harmonious family life, the king had numerous love affairs and fathered three illegitimate sons between 1714 and 1720. As queen, Maria Anna quickly adapted to the expectations of the Portuguese court, which valued beauty and luxury more highly than the piety emphasized at the Viennese court. She herself remained religious, founded monasteries and churches, and supported those in need. She paid particular attention to providing food for orphaned children in the kingdom’s principal cities. Portuguese agriculture had become so weakened that bread and butter had to be imported, while some rural regions produced mainly wine. Maria Anna was also interested in the sea and in technological developments. She took excursions on the Tagus with her family and the court, attended festivities on the river, and participated in ship-launching ceremonies. In 1727, she visited the royal glass factory in Coina, founded by John. At court, she strengthened the separation between men and women and between servants and their masters. Music was her particular passion. She attended concerts and operas, occasionally sang short arias for her children, and invited Italian opera musicians to Lisbon. At the same time, she supported her husband’s lavish building projects and festivities. In May 1742, John suffered a stroke and was left partially paralyzed. Maria Anna served as regent until his death. Her performance as ruler has been assessed in different ways: one view holds that she lacked the necessary political experience, with negative consequences for Portugal, while other accounts emphasize her ability, caution, and sense of justice. During her regency, Portugal remained neutral in the War of the Austrian Succession from 1740 to 1748. She also supported the diplomat Sebastião de Carvalho, who was sent from London to Vienna in 1745 and successfully mediated between Maria Theresa and the Holy See. She later recommended him to her son as a minister. John V died on 31 July 1750, and Maria Anna transferred full power to their eldest son, Joseph I. She died four years later in Belém. She was initially buried in the monastery of Saint John Nepomuk, which she had founded; in accordance with her will, her heart was taken to Vienna and placed in the Imperial Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church. In 1780, her granddaughter Maria I had her remains transferred to São Vicente de Fora. When the coffin was opened, the body was found to be preserved, giving rise to rumors about her holiness. In 1855, her remains were moved to the Pantheon of the House of Braganza. Maria Anna received the Order of the Starry Cross and is also a character in José Saramago’s novel “Memorial do Convento”.