Skip to content
VitrineVitrine
Sign in

John Joseph of Austria

Madrid, 7 Apr 1629 – Madrid, 17 Sep 1679

14 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born7 Apr 1629, Madridnot verified1 source
  • Titleviceroy of Naples, 1648or Viceroy of Sicily, 1648–1651 · viceroy of Catalonia, 1653–1656 · Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, 1656–1659 · Viceroy of Aragon, 1669–1678 · favourite, 1677–1679not verified1 source
  • TitleViceroy of Sicily, 1648–1651or viceroy of Naples, 1648 · viceroy of Catalonia, 1653–1656 · Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, 1656–1659 · Viceroy of Aragon, 1669–1678 · favourite, 1677–1679not verified1 source
  • Titleviceroy of Catalonia, 1653–1656or viceroy of Naples, 1648 · Viceroy of Sicily, 1648–1651 · Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, 1656–1659 · Viceroy of Aragon, 1669–1678 · favourite, 1677–1679not verified1 source
  • TitleGovernor of the Spanish Netherlands, 1656–1659or viceroy of Naples, 1648 · Viceroy of Sicily, 1648–1651 · viceroy of Catalonia, 1653–1656 · Viceroy of Aragon, 1669–1678 · favourite, 1677–1679not verified1 source
  • TitleViceroy of Aragon, 1669–1678or viceroy of Naples, 1648 · Viceroy of Sicily, 1648–1651 · viceroy of Catalonia, 1653–1656 · Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, 1656–1659 · favourite, 1677–1679not verified1 source
  • Titlefavourite, 1677–1679or viceroy of Naples, 1648 · Viceroy of Sicily, 1648–1651 · viceroy of Catalonia, 1653–1656 · Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, 1656–1659 · Viceroy of Aragon, 1669–1678not verified1 source
  • Died17 Sep 1679, Madridnot verified1 source
  • FatherPhilip IV of Spainnot verified1 source
  • MotherMaría Calderónnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 7 Apr 1629

    Born in Madrid

  2. 1648

    Viceroy of Naples

  3. 1648–1651

    Viceroy of Sicily

  4. 1653–1656

    Viceroy of Catalonia

  5. 1656–1659

    Governor of the Spanish Netherlands

  6. 1669–1678

    Viceroy of Aragon

  7. 1677–1679

    Favourite

  8. 17 Sep 1679

    Dies in Madrid, aged 50

Family

See the tree

Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Madrid.

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

The 1620s · John is born in Madrid

In the news1628

Dutch capture treasure fleet in 1628

In 1628, the Dutch captured the entire American treasure fleet at the Cuban bay of Matanzas, severely impacting the Crown's finances.

Getting around

Freight carts daily travel speed

Freight carts typically carried up to 1,000 pounds of cargo and traveled at a speed of ten to twelve miles per day.

In the news1627

First royal bankruptcy in 1627

In 1627, Spain was forced to declare its first bankruptcy due to the insupportable military strain on the monarchy's resources.

Daily life

Nightly waste disposal and street hygiene

To maintain hygiene, residents often threw waste from their homes onto the streets at night, leading to the famous cry of "agua va" to warn passersby. This practice contributed significantly to the extreme filth and foul odors reported by foreign travelers in cities like Madrid.

What people wore

Mercury-based cosmetic face whiteners

Women used a face whitener made from corrosive mercury sublimate to achieve the desired pale complexion.

Music

Popular and Controversial Zarabanda Dance

The zarabanda was a popular but controversial folk dance accompanied by the guitar, castanets, and tambourine; it was frequently banned for its perceived lascivious nature and vulgar gestures.

At the table

Affordability of basic food items

With 1 blanca, which was worth half a maravedí, a person could buy nine salted or fresh sardines. At the time, an average laborer or muleteer earned 17 maravedís per day.