Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria (''Maria Amalia Josephe Johanna Katharina Theresia''; 15 October 1780 – 25 December 1798) was an

Archduchess of Austria The Archduchy of Austria (; ) was a major Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, principality of the Holy Roman Empire and the nucleus of the Habsburg monarchy. With its capital at Vienna, the archduchy was centered at the Empire's southeastern periph ...

by birth.

Biography

Maria Amalia was a daughter of

Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard; 5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792) was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and King of Bohemia, Bohemia, and List of rulers of Austria, Archduke of Austri ...

(1747–1792) and his wife

Maria Luisa of Spain Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain ( Spanish: ''María Luisa'', German: ''Maria Ludovika''; 24 November 1745 – 15 May 1792) was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the spouse of Leopold II, ...

(1745–1792). Maria Amalia was born in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, the then-capital of the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

, where her father reigned as

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

from 1765 to 1790. Her father was a son of Empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

and her mother a daughter of

Charles III of Spain Charles III (; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was King of Spain in the years 1759 to 1788. He was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Charles I (1731–1735); King of Naples, as Charles VII; and King of Sicily, as Charles III (or V) (1735� ...

. Her godparents were her mother's first cousin, Ferdinand, Duke of Parma, and his wife, Maria Amalia, her father's sister. She had a happy childhood surrounded by her many siblings. As her siblings, Maria Amalia was given a somewhat different upbringing than was usual for royal children at the time: they were actually raised by their parents rather than a retinue of servants, were largely kept apart from any ceremonial court life and were taught to live simply, naturally and modestly.Justin C. Vovk: ''In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa'' (2010) In 1790, her father became emperor and the family moved to Vienna. She died unmarried at the age of only 18 years in Vienna.

Ancestors

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Amalia Of Austria, Archduchess Austrian princesses 1780 births 1798 deaths Daughters of emperors Burials at the Imperial Crypt Burials at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna Children of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Daughters of kings Daughters of dukes Daughters of counts