Eleonore Gonzaga (1598-1655)

Eleonora Gonzaga
Portrait by Justus Sustermans, ca. 1623/24. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Holy Roman Empress; German Queen; Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia; Archduchess consort of Austria
Tenure	2 February 1622 – 15 February 1637
Born	(1598-09-23)23 September 1598 Mantua, Duchy of Mantua
Died	27 June 1655(1655-06-27) (aged 56) Vienna, Austria
Spouse	Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
House	House of Gonzaga (by birth) House of Habsburg (by marriage)
Father	Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua
Mother	Eleonora de' Medici

For other women of the same name, see

Eleonora Gonzaga (23 September 1598 – 27 June 1655), was by birth Princess of Mantua as a member of the House of Gonzaga and by marriage Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia.

Nicknamed the Elder (de: Ältere) to distinguish herself from her namesake niece, during her reign the Imperial court in Vienna became one of the centers of European baroque music. As Empress, Eleanora was a supporter of the Counter-Reformation.

Eleonora was born in Mantua on 23 September 23, 1598 as was the youngest child of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Monferrato, and his wife and first cousin Eleonora de' Medici. On her father's side her grandparents were Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrato and his wife Archduchess Eleanor of Austria, and on her mother's side her grandparents were Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his first wife Archduchess Joanna of Austria.

Two months after her birth, on 22 November, the princess was baptized at the Basilica palatina di Santa Barbara with the names of Eleonora Anna Maria, in honor of her mother and her two only surviving full-siblings, Anna de' Medici (who died in 1584 aged 14) and Marie de' Medici, future Queen consort of France and Navarre. The ceremony was conducted by Francesco, Bishop of Mantua (born Prince Annibale Gonzaga, from the Gazzuolo branch), and her godparents were Ferdinand III, Archduke of Inner Austria (her future husband as Holy Roman Emperor) –who was represented by Jakob Prandtner– and Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain.