Anne Juliana Gonzaga
Encyclopedia
Anne Catherine Gonzaga, O.S.M. (November 16, 1566 – August 3, 1621) was an Archduchess of Austria
who went on to become a Servant of Mary
upon the death of her husband, the Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria
.
, Italy
on November 16, 1566 to Duke William Gonzaga and his wife, Eleonora of Austria
. She had two siblings, and was baptized in the Catholic Church
in her infancy. Her godfather
was Philip II of Spain
. Anne Catherine was raised in a pious Catholic
household, and Eleanor was particularly fond of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Legend has it that as an infant, Anne Catherine would be given a rosary
by her parents to quiet her down.
At about age 5, Anne Catherine became severely ill and nearly died. She contracted a high fever
and her extremities began to swell. For two years she was ill. Finally her parents appealed to the Virgin Mary with deep prayer, promising to raise Anne as a child of Mary if she lived on. Soon Anne became healthy again. Anne's parents told her of the Virgin Mary's intervention on her behalf and the promise they had made. From there out Eleanor educated and guided Anne Catherine in the cultivation of devotion
to Mary. Throughout childhood Anne Catherine displayed a consistent sense of piety.
At age 9, Anne Catherine was reported to have received a divine vision
from the Blessed Virgin Mary. One evening her room became immersed in a wondrous light and Mary came speaking to her. While she recognized the woman before her as Mary, she was unable to yet understand what was said. It would only be years later that she understood the message. This vision doubled her long-standing desire to become a nun
.
lost his wife Philippine. Philippine was from the Welser
family, who were not royalty
. Even though the couple had parented two sons together, neither of them was eligible to succeed Ferdinand as archduke
. This prodded Ferdinand to seek remarriage.
Ferdinand's sister, Madeleine, suggested he consider marrying her niece Anne Catherine. On January 1, 1582, Ferdinand asked Duke William for Anne Catherine's hand in marriage, to which William consented. Though she realized this would postpone her calling to a religious order, Anne respected her parent's wishes and voiced no objection to the marriage.
Before departing from Mantua
for Innsbruck
, in Austria
, Anne Catherine asked that her father fulfill some requests. First was a request to release 15 prisoners in celebration of her departure. Second was a request to donate moneys to 15 beggars. Third was a request to provide interior furnishings at 15 churches. William agreed to each request.
, King of Hungary and Bohemia, later Holy Roman Emperor
.
While Ferdinand loved his daughters, he internally harbored the wish for a son to succeed him. He soon realized this should never come to pass and gave way to fits of anger over the dilemma. Eventually Ferdinand would come to accept the situation and return to reason. As a way of rectifying his years of resentment and temper, he gave his wife the Chateau of Wohlgemutheium and the Fortress of Thaur
. In turn Anne was a dutiful wife who cared for Ferdinand throughout several illnesses. Ferdinand died in 1595.
and fine jewelry in order to satisfy him. However, following his death, she retired her crown for a black veil and wore a rosary
around her neck. Despite her enormous wealth, Anne’s goal was to completely do away with worldly pleasures.
In her palace Anne lived in small quarters adjacent to a large chapel
she had built since Ferdinand’s death, the door connecting the two via a secret hallway. Her room was quite simple, the bed made of very hard wood with one thin sheet to cover with. She abdicated primary care of her two daughters to the Baroness of Brandes.
The atmosphere at the palace took on the feel of a religious cloister
, where the hub of everyone’s universe revolved around religious piety and devotion. Anne was, in her own way, carrying out a semi-monastic lifestyle now. She would fast every Friday, permitting her health could withstand it.
It occurred to Anne that she should allot her considerable wealth to others, and so she gave considerable sums to The Catholic Church and poor, keeping some for her own family. She began to feed the poor at her palace and would serve them personally. Anne also made many visits to the sick and dying, always with her daughters, to administer medicines and to care for them. She was known to give alms everywhere she went, turning nobody in need away. She donated especially large sums to convents in the Innsbruck and Mantua areas, often heralded as an informal mother to the homes for her generosity.
in Innsbruck. Under full blessing from Pope Paul V
, Anne was given the go-ahead to proceed with building. Through prayer
Anne received further instruction to build her convent on the grounds of her garden; the first stone placed on the Feast of the Visitation in 1606.
On July 2, 1607 Anne had the Bishop of Brixen (Christoph IV von Spaur), Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria and the Margrave of Burgau be present for the laying down of the first cornerstone. Incidentally, the Margrave of Burgau was the eldest son Ferdinand had fathered in his previous marriage. Despite this ceremonial start, many persons of power in the area were opposed to the construction. Many personal advisors felt it would deplete the palaces’ resources. The stresses related to this unforeseen opposition culminated in a dire illness for Anne. Her body became covered in terrible sores and she became bedridden, her doctors fearing for the worst.
Following a personal mass
held for her in her room Anne Catherine allegedly had another vision in which the Virgin Mary appeared, assuring her protection. Anne got out of bed immediately and was completely cured of her ailment, vowing to complete the project no matter the odds. One day, during construction, a landslide
occurred as laborers were working onsite, burying one worker. After considerable time had passed, the others located his body and were astonished to find he was not even hurt. This incident quieted much of the opposition to the building of the convent, seen by many as a Divine Intervention
. The story goes that the project would surely bankrupt Anne, but miraculously the money was always there no matter the expense.
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
who went on to become a Servant of Mary
Servite Order
The Servite Order is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. Its objects are the sanctification of its members, preaching the Gospel, and the propagation of devotion to the Mother of God, with special reference to her sorrows. The members of the Order use O.S.M. as their post-nominal...
upon the death of her husband, the Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria was ruler of Further Austria including Tirol.-Life account:...
.
Biography
Anne Juliana was born Anne Catherine in MantuaMantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on November 16, 1566 to Duke William Gonzaga and his wife, Eleonora of Austria
Eleonora of Austria
Archduchess Eleanor of Austria was the daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary.-Family:...
. She had two siblings, and was baptized in the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in her infancy. Her godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
was Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
. Anne Catherine was raised in a pious Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
household, and Eleanor was particularly fond of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Legend has it that as an infant, Anne Catherine would be given a rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
by her parents to quiet her down.
At about age 5, Anne Catherine became severely ill and nearly died. She contracted a high fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
and her extremities began to swell. For two years she was ill. Finally her parents appealed to the Virgin Mary with deep prayer, promising to raise Anne as a child of Mary if she lived on. Soon Anne became healthy again. Anne's parents told her of the Virgin Mary's intervention on her behalf and the promise they had made. From there out Eleanor educated and guided Anne Catherine in the cultivation of devotion
Catholic devotions
A Roman Catholic devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to God. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to serve God; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts such as the adoration of God or the veneration of the saints or the Virgin Mary.Roman Catholic...
to Mary. Throughout childhood Anne Catherine displayed a consistent sense of piety.
At age 9, Anne Catherine was reported to have received a divine vision
Vision (religion)
In spirituality, a vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations...
from the Blessed Virgin Mary. One evening her room became immersed in a wondrous light and Mary came speaking to her. While she recognized the woman before her as Mary, she was unable to yet understand what was said. It would only be years later that she understood the message. This vision doubled her long-standing desire to become a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
.
An Unexpected Marriage
In 1580, Archduke Ferdinand II of AustriaFerdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria was ruler of Further Austria including Tirol.-Life account:...
lost his wife Philippine. Philippine was from the Welser
Welser
Welser is the surname of an important German banking and merchant family, originally from Augsburg. Along with the Fugger family, the Welser family controlled various sectors of the European economy, and accumulated enormous wealth through trade and the German colonization of the...
family, who were not royalty
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
. Even though the couple had parented two sons together, neither of them was eligible to succeed Ferdinand as archduke
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
. This prodded Ferdinand to seek remarriage.
Ferdinand's sister, Madeleine, suggested he consider marrying her niece Anne Catherine. On January 1, 1582, Ferdinand asked Duke William for Anne Catherine's hand in marriage, to which William consented. Though she realized this would postpone her calling to a religious order, Anne respected her parent's wishes and voiced no objection to the marriage.
Before departing from Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
for Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Anne Catherine asked that her father fulfill some requests. First was a request to release 15 prisoners in celebration of her departure. Second was a request to donate moneys to 15 beggars. Third was a request to provide interior furnishings at 15 churches. William agreed to each request.
A Growing Family
On May 14, 1582, at age 16, Anne Catherine was married to Ferdinand in Innsbruck and became Archduchess of Austria. In their first three years of marriage the couple gave birth to 3 daughters — Eleanor (b. 1583), Marie (b. 1584), and Anne (b. 1585 - 1618). Eleanor died in her infancy. Their daughter Anna would go on to marry MatthiasMatthias, Holy Roman Emperor
Matthias of Austria was Holy Roman Emperor from 1612, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1608 and King of Bohemia from 1611...
, King of Hungary and Bohemia, later Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
.
While Ferdinand loved his daughters, he internally harbored the wish for a son to succeed him. He soon realized this should never come to pass and gave way to fits of anger over the dilemma. Eventually Ferdinand would come to accept the situation and return to reason. As a way of rectifying his years of resentment and temper, he gave his wife the Chateau of Wohlgemutheium and the Fortress of Thaur
Thaur
Thaur is a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located 5 km east of Innsbruck between Rum, Austria and Hall in Tirol. As a matter of fact that Thaur is not far away from the capital it is a popular area of settlement nowadays but the old village core is still intact.Settlement of...
. In turn Anne was a dutiful wife who cared for Ferdinand throughout several illnesses. Ferdinand died in 1595.
Becoming a Widow
Aside from her considerable grief, Anne was now responsible for the Innsbruck palace, filled with a great deal of servants and two young daughters. But Anne took this time to redouble her devotion to God and Mary. With Ferdinand, Anne would often wear a royal crownCrown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
and fine jewelry in order to satisfy him. However, following his death, she retired her crown for a black veil and wore a rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
around her neck. Despite her enormous wealth, Anne’s goal was to completely do away with worldly pleasures.
In her palace Anne lived in small quarters adjacent to a large chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
she had built since Ferdinand’s death, the door connecting the two via a secret hallway. Her room was quite simple, the bed made of very hard wood with one thin sheet to cover with. She abdicated primary care of her two daughters to the Baroness of Brandes.
The atmosphere at the palace took on the feel of a religious cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
, where the hub of everyone’s universe revolved around religious piety and devotion. Anne was, in her own way, carrying out a semi-monastic lifestyle now. She would fast every Friday, permitting her health could withstand it.
It occurred to Anne that she should allot her considerable wealth to others, and so she gave considerable sums to The Catholic Church and poor, keeping some for her own family. She began to feed the poor at her palace and would serve them personally. Anne also made many visits to the sick and dying, always with her daughters, to administer medicines and to care for them. She was known to give alms everywhere she went, turning nobody in need away. She donated especially large sums to convents in the Innsbruck and Mantua areas, often heralded as an informal mother to the homes for her generosity.
Visions of Mary
Through the years Anne reportedly had a number of visions from the Virgin Mary. In 1606, on the Feast of the Annunciation and in her chapel in prayer, Anne purportedly received another such visit from Mary instructing her to build a conventConvent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
in Innsbruck. Under full blessing from Pope Paul V
Pope Paul V
-Theology:Paul met with Galileo Galilei in 1616 after Cardinal Bellarmine had, on his orders, warned Galileo not to hold or defend the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus. Whether there was also an order not to teach those ideas in any way has been a matter for controversy...
, Anne was given the go-ahead to proceed with building. Through prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
Anne received further instruction to build her convent on the grounds of her garden; the first stone placed on the Feast of the Visitation in 1606.
On July 2, 1607 Anne had the Bishop of Brixen (Christoph IV von Spaur), Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria and the Margrave of Burgau be present for the laying down of the first cornerstone. Incidentally, the Margrave of Burgau was the eldest son Ferdinand had fathered in his previous marriage. Despite this ceremonial start, many persons of power in the area were opposed to the construction. Many personal advisors felt it would deplete the palaces’ resources. The stresses related to this unforeseen opposition culminated in a dire illness for Anne. Her body became covered in terrible sores and she became bedridden, her doctors fearing for the worst.
Following a personal mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
held for her in her room Anne Catherine allegedly had another vision in which the Virgin Mary appeared, assuring her protection. Anne got out of bed immediately and was completely cured of her ailment, vowing to complete the project no matter the odds. One day, during construction, a landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
occurred as laborers were working onsite, burying one worker. After considerable time had passed, the others located his body and were astonished to find he was not even hurt. This incident quieted much of the opposition to the building of the convent, seen by many as a Divine Intervention
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
. The story goes that the project would surely bankrupt Anne, but miraculously the money was always there no matter the expense.