The statue of Empress Maria Theresa is a prominent figure in the square of downtown Vienna in Austria, Europe. Maria Theresa was the Holy Roman Empress from 1745 to 1780 and during the period of the Habsburg Dynasty, was the only known woman to have ruled.
Maria Theresa was considered to be one of the most competent rulers and brought harmony to the Habsburgh Monarchy. She was very much involved with the onset of financial and educational reforms, buying, selling and developing agriculture and reorganizing the army.
Brought up as a single child, as her younger brother died as an infant, she was guaranteed by her father to the right to succeed his Austrian throne. She married Francis I, Duke of Lorraine and together they had sixteen children. Eleven of them were daughters, with the youngest being Maria Antonia, which we all know as Marie Antoinette.
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This brings back memories of how much I have forgotten!!! ;) And I'm not sure I ever knew Marie Antoinette was the youngest of 16 children...
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot from this trip, and got reminded about stuff i forgot :D
ReplyDeleteWe visited Vienna last year. I have read so much European history I just loved seeing where some of the history actually took place!
ReplyDeleteHope you had fun in Vienna. It is a beautiful city.
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