
Austria
Eleonora Gonzaga the Elder – The pious Empress
Eleonora Gonzaga, known as the Elder to distinguish her from her great-niece and namesake, was born on 23 September 1598 as the daughter of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Monferrato, and his wife Eleonora de’ Medici. She was the youngest of six siblings. Eleonora would grow up in one of the most splendid courts [read more]