Leonhard of Gorizia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leonhard |
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| Count of Görz | |
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| Spouse(s) | Hieronyma of Ilok Paola Gonzaga |
| Noble family | Meinhardiner dynasty |
| Father | Henry VI of Gorizia |
| Mother | Catherine of Garay |
| Born | 1440 Lienz, County of Görz |
| Died | 12 April 1500 (aged 59–60) Lienz |
Leonhard (1440 – 12 April 1500) was the very last count of Gorizia from the Meinhardiner family. He ruled the areas of Lienz and Gorizia (also known as Görz) from 1454 until he passed away. He also had the special title and rights of a count palatine in Carinthia.
Leonhard's Family
Leonhard was born in 1440 at Bruck Castle in Lienz. This castle was the main home for the Counts of Gorizia. His father was Henry VI, Count of Gorizia, and his mother was Catherine, whose father was Nicholas II Garay, a powerful Hungarian leader.
In 1454, Leonhard took over from his father. At that time, the county was in a difficult state, split into two separate areas.
Leonhard married twice. His first wife was Hieronyma of Ilok, the daughter of Nicholas of Ilok, who was a king in Bosnia. This marriage did not have any children. In 1478, he married Paola Gonzaga, who was the daughter of Ludovico III, a marquis from Italy. This second marriage also did not have any children.
Someone who wrote about the Gonzaga family, Andrea da Schivenoglia, described Leonhard as "pleasant and joyful" when he was 36 years old during his marriage talks.
Early Years as Ruler
At first, Leonhard ruled together with his brothers, John II and Louis. John, being the oldest, seemed to have most of the power. Louis, the youngest, did not play a big role in politics and died between 1456 and 1457.
The brothers faced problems with Emperor Frederick III. The Emperor wanted to take their lands around Lienz and the Puster Valley. These lands were important because they separated the Habsburg territories of Tyrol and Carinthia.
John and Leonhard also had a big fight over lands after Count Ulrich II of Celje died in 1456. The brothers lost this fight. They had to give up their claims to these lands. They also had to give their home in Lienz and other areas in Carinthia to Frederick III. The Counts of Görz then had to move to Heinfels Castle.
John died in 1462, and Leonhard became the only ruler. With the help of his skilled helper, Virgil von Graben, Leonhard managed to get Lienz back. Later, Leonhard also got back his title and rights as a Count palatine of Carinthia.
Who Would Rule Next?
Since Leonhard had no children, his family line was going to end. This meant that two powerful groups wanted to take over his lands: the Habsburg family (who ruled a large empire) and the Republic of Venice.
The Venetian Council of Ten, who controlled lands in Friuli, wanted to take the "inner county" around the town of Gorizia.
During Leonhard's rule, his administrator, Virgil von Graben, was convinced by King Maximilian I to support the Habsburgs. Virgil had secretly been working with the Venetians before. The Venetians had even thought about making Virgil von Graben the new Count of Gorizia. Another idea was for Virgil to give Gorizia to Venice and get all the Gorizian castles in Friuli as a reward. But none of these plans happened.
In 1498, Virgil von Graben gave his son, Lukas von Graben, control over Gorizia Castle. The Venetians had considered making Lukas their top commander in Friuli. However, since Virgil von Graben ended his agreement with Venice and started talking with Maximilian I, Lukas did not get this job.
In the end, Leonhard decided to side with the Habsburgs. He signed an agreement with Maximilian I about who would inherit his lands. After Leonhard died on April 12, 1500, the Venetians blamed Virgil and Lukas von Graben for their failure to get Gorizia.
Right after Leonhard's death, Austrian troops quickly took over the town of Gorizia. The Habsburgs then joined Lienz with the County of Tyrol. They continued to rule as Counts in Gorizia (which became Gorizia and Gradisca in 1754). Leonhard's former helper, Virgil von Graben, who helped bring Gorizia to the Habsburgs, became the governor in Lienz for them.
| Preceded by Henry VI |
Count of Görz 1454-1500 jointly with John II 1454-1462 and Louis 1454-1457 |
Succeeded by Maximilian I of Austria |
