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Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Florence, 3 Oct 1797 – Rome, 29 Jan 1870

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 3 Oct 1797

    Born in Florence

  2. 1822–1852

    13 children are born

  3. 1861

    Member of the House of Lords (Austria)

  4. 29 Jan 1870

    Dies in Rome, aged 72

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 13

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Florence.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1790s · Leopold is born in Florence

In the news1796

French Invasion and Republics (1796)

French armies invaded Italy in 1796, initiating the era of the Italian Republics and ending the old order of the Settecento. This brought new political systems and constitutions that transformed the map of the peninsula.

What people wore

Coral jewelry for festive occasions

On feast days, ordinary women often adorned themselves with coral jewelry, which was meticulously categorized into fourteen different shades, ranging from blood-red to black. This industry was so significant that it drew the interest of foreign travelers who observed the detailed production process in Livorno.

Getting around

Extra animals for steep terrain

Travelers often needed extra horses or mules to navigate steep or sandy mountain terrain, paying extra fees for these additional animals.

The French Revolution. Parisians stormed the Bastille in 1789; the monarchy fell, the king was executed, and “liberty, equality, fraternity” spread across Europe.In Europe · 1789–1799

The French Revolution. Parisians stormed the Bastille in 1789; the monarchy fell, the king was executed, and “liberty, equality, fraternity” spread across Europe.

Unidentified painter · public domain

In the news1799

Anti-Republican Risings (1799)

Popular anti-republican uprisings occurred throughout Italy during the summer and autumn of 1799, reflecting the intense instability following the French invasion and the collapse of the newly formed republican systems.

Music

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater tradition

During Lent in Florence, a popular and recurring musical event was the performance of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, which became a hallowed tradition.

Daily life

Peasant Cooking and Meals

Peasant families frequently cooked large pots of vegetable soup, especially on Fridays when meat was avoided. Leftovers were repurposed by reboiling the soup in a pan with bread on subsequent days.