Johann Wenzel Count of Gallas (23 May 1669 – 25 July 1719), Duke of

Lucera Lucera ( Lucerino: ) is an Italian city of 34,243 inhabitants in the province of Foggia in the region of Apulia, and the seat of the Diocese of Lucera-Troia. Located upon a flat knoll in the Tavoliere Plains, near the foot of Daunian Mount ...

, was a

Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

noble and diplomat and one of the largest landowners in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

Biography

Johann Wenzel of Gallas was born on 23 May 1669 in

Hořiněves Hořiněves is a municipality and village in Hradec Králové District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Jeřičky, Želkovice and Žíželeves are administrative ...

Castle. He was the eldest son of the Imperial general Count Franz Ferdinand of Gallas (1635–1697) and his second wife Johanna Emerentia Countess Gaschin of Rosenberg, and a grandson of

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...

Matthias Gallas Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera (Count of Campo, Duke of Lucera) (Matteo Gallasso; 17 October 1588 in Trento – 25 April 1647 in Vienna) was an Austrian professional soldier during the Thirty Years' War. He distinguished hi ...

, one of the leading Imperial commanders during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

. Johann Wenzel of Gallas worked in the service of Emperors

Joseph I Joseph I or Josef I may refer to: *Joseph I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch in 1266–1275 and 1282–1283 * Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (1678–1711) *Joseph I (Chaldean Patriarch) (reigned 1681–1696) *Joseph I of Portugal (1750–1777) ...

and Charles VI, primarily as a diplomat. He successively became the Imperial ambassador in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

(1705–1711),

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

(1711–1713) and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

(1713–1718). He carried out his diplomatic activities during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

and was involved in negotiations with the English and Dutch allies and with the French Marquess of Torcy.
In 1709, he was awarded with the title and office of Stadtholder of the Habsburg

Duchy of Limburg The Duchy of Limburg or Limbourg was an imperial estate of the Holy Roman Empire. Much of the area of the duchy is today located within Liège Province of Belgium, with a small portion in the municipality of Voeren, an exclave of the neighbourin ...

. In addition, he was the Emperor's real privy councilor, associate judge of the Czech regional court and above all from 1708 Marshal of the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...

. Emperor Charles VI, who claimed the Spanish throne, also awarded Gallas the rank of Grandee of Spain in 1712 for his services. In 1713, Gallas had the vast palace

Clam-Gallas Palace The Clam-Gallas Palace ( cs, Clam-Gallasovský palác) is a Baroque palace in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The building is situated on the corner of Husova Street and Mariánské Square, in Prague Old Town. History The palace wa ...

built in the Old Town of

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

with the participation of the most important artists of his time, architect

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (20 July 1656 – 5 April 1723) was an Austrian architect, sculptor, engraver, and architectural historian whose Baroque architecture profoundly influenced and shaped the tastes of the Habsburg Empire. His inf ...

and sculptor

Matthias Braun Matthias Bernard Braun (Czech: ''Matyáš Bernard Braun'', 24 February 1684 in Sautens near Innsbruck – 15 February 1738 in Prague) was a sculptor and carver active in the Czech lands, one of the most prominent late baroque style sculptors ...

. At the end of his career, Gallas was appointed

Viceroy of Naples This is a list of viceroys of the Kingdom of Naples. Following the conquest of Naples by Louis XII of France in 1501, Naples was subject to the rule of the foreign rulers, the Kings of France, Aragon and Spain and the Habsburg Archdukes of Austri ...

in summer 1719. Traveling in the July heat and spending the night in fever-ridden places, led to his death 21 days after his arrival in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. He died there on 25 July 1719, He was buried in the Carmelite monastery church of the Virgin Mary in Naples. His widow would return to Naples in 1728 as the wife of a next Viceroy Alois Graf of Harrach.

Marriage and children

On 25 April 1700, Johann Wenzel of Gallas married Maria Anna Francisca Eva, Countess of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg (1681–1705), daughter of

Philipp Sigmund of Dietrichstein Philipp Sigmund of Dietrichstein (9 March 1651 – 3 July 1716), was a German prince member of the House of Dietrichstein. He was the fourth child and third (but second surviving) son of Maximilian Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maxim ...

. They had one son: * Philip Joseph (1703–1757), married Maria Anna Countess Collona von Fels, no issue After his first wife's death, Johann Wenzel of Gallas married on 26 August 1716, her sister Maria Ernestine, Countess of Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg und Großpriesen (1683–1744). They had one daughter: * Maria Elisabeth (1718–1737), married

Ferdinand Bonaventura II von Harrach Ferdinand Bonaventura Anton von Harrach zu Rohrau und Thannhausen (11 April 1708 – Vienna, 28 January 1778) was an Austrian statesman, diplomat, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and Governor of Milan. To distinguish him from his grandfat ...

, no issue.

Sources

ADB:Gallas, Johann Wenzel Graf von

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallas, Johann Wenzel of 1669 births 1719 deaths 17th-century Austrian people 18th-century Austrian people Diplomats from Austria-Hungary Viceroys of Naples Czech nobility Ambassadors of Austria-Hungary to the United Kingdom