Embarazo y nacimiento en las cartas de Mariana de Austria

Christian Standhartinger

doi:10.25365/adv.2022.3.6591

Authors

Christian Standhartinger Institute for Habsburg and Balkan Studies

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25365/adv.2022.3.6591

Keywords:

Mariana of Austria, correspondence, intimacy, Early Modern period, pregnancy, court life

Abstract

The article explores a previously overlooked correspondence between Mariana of Austria and the Countess Johanna Theresia von Harrach, as well as the latter's mother, shedding light on their intimate relationship and discussing a wide range of topics typical of the Early Modern period. Through three hundred letters dating from 1661 onwards, Mariana and Johanna discuss health, courtly events, marriages, deaths, and political matters, including the Spanish succession. Particularly noteworthy are Mariana's candid discussions about her pregnancies, offering insights into her personal life and anxieties. The letters reveal Mariana's close bond with Johanna and her trust in confiding personal matters. Additionally, they provide a glimpse into the daily life of Mariana and her concerns as a mother and ruler.

References

Cartas de Mariana de Austria a Johanna Theresia von Harrach y Maria Judith Johanna Eleonora Rebekka von Lamberg. AVA FA Harrach Fam. in spec 321.58 y 322.1.

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Maura Gamazo, G. (1911/2018). Carlos II y su corte. Ensayo de reconstrucción biográfica (Vol. I: 1661-1669). Madrid, Boletín Oficial del Estado, Real Academia Española.

Oliván Santaliestra, L. (2019). Cartas para Johanna: una aproximación a la red epistolar de la condesa de Harrach (1661-1700). In B. J. García García, K. Keller, & A. Sommer-Mathis (Eds.), De puño y letra. Cartas personales en las redes dinásticas de la Casa de Austria (pp. 345-376). Madrid/Frankfurt am Main, Iberoamericana/Vervuert.