Marriage contract no. 297: Toskana - Österreich

  • Date of contract conclusion: 4. März 1565
  • Place of contract conclusion: Florenz

Groom

  • Name: Francesco I. de Medici, Großherzog der Toskana
  • GND: 118692941
  • Year of Birth: 1541
  • Year of Death: 1587
  • Dynasty: Medici
  • Confession: Katholisch

Bride

  • Name: Johanna von Österreich
  • GND: 129927961
  • Year of Birth: 1547
  • Year of Death: 1578
  • Dynasty: Habsburg (Österreich)
  • Confession: Katholisch

Actors of the Groom

  • Name: Cosimo I. de Medici
  • GND: 118638521
  • Dynasty: Medici
  • Relationship: Vater

Actors of the Bride

  • Name: Ferdinand I. Kaiser
  • GND: 118532502
  • Dynasty: Habsburg (Österreich)
  • Relationship: Vater
  • Name: Karl II. von Innerösterreich
  • GND: 118560069
  • Dynasty: Habsburg (Österreich)
  • Relationship: Bruder

Contract content

1 – Dowry of 100,000 guilders provided by the bride’s family; payment to be arranged

2 – Investment of the dowry to be determined; annual interest to be 5%; this amount shall also be payable to the bride as a widow and to her heirs and successors

3 – 10,000 scudi to be generated annually from the widow’s dower and dowry

4 – Use of the dowry and widow’s dower with and without children in the event of widowhood regulated; option of a ransom for the widow’s dower

5 – The life estate of 10,000 scudi is guaranteed to the bride with reference to compensation if the attributed goods are not sufficient for this sum

6 – Gifts befitting the bride’s status from the groom’s side in the form of jewellery at the time of the wedding; the bride’s family reimburses the groom for the trousseau with jewellery of equal value; the gifts remain with the bride and her heirs; possibility of redemption for the groom

7 – The bride must be taken to Trento by the Emperor at his expense

8 – Regulations regarding the bride’s renunciation of inheritance

9 – Regulation regarding the nationality of the bride’s court

10 – The contract must be concluded in the usual form; naming of the negotiating officials; promise to abide by the contract, date, seals and signatures

Regulations on inheritance law

8 – Regulations regarding the bride’s renunciation of inheritance

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Regest based on ratification document

Letter of renunciation (according to Rauch, Margot, Cat. Nos. 4.1–4.29, in: Alfred Auer, et al. (eds.), Nozze italiane. Austrian Archduchesses in 16th-century Italy, Vienna 2010, p. 270)

Commentary

The regest is based on the ratification of the treaty by Cosimo I, in which the treaty is inserted; Ferdinand I (actor) had already died when the treaty was concluded; the date is based on the information at the beginning of the ratification document, which in turn is dated 20 December 1565.

References

  • Archive copy: AT-OeStA/HHStA UR FUK 1364
  • Contract language archive copy: Latin
  • Digitized archive copy: https://www.archivinformationssystem.at/detail.aspx?id=177998
  • Print reference: Rauch, Margot, Kat.-Nrn. 4.1 -4.29, in: Alfred Auer, u.a. (Hrsg.), Nozza italiane. Österreichische Erzherzoginnen im Italien des 16. Jahrhunderts, Wien 2010, S. 270 (als Bild der Ratifikationsurkunde)
  • Contract language print: Latin