Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany

FERDINAND III, Grand Duke of Tuscany. - Born in Florence on 6 May 1769, died there on 18 June 1824. The second-born son of Pietro Leopoldo of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and of Maria Luigia, daughter of Charles III of Spain, he had as his mentor the Marquis Federico Manfredini. On the death of Joseph II (Feb. 1790) without heirs, F.'s father succeeded him on the imperial throne and his elder brother Francis became hereditary archduke: F. accordingly received the government of Tuscany and the title of Grand Duke. Of a frank and open character, but incapable of devoting himself with firmness of purpose to the government and administration of the State, he ascended the throne in a particularly critical period of European history.

The Revolution of France was beginning its march beyond the frontiers, and F. had neither the experience nor, perhaps, the ability to carry out a policy adequate to the difficulties of the moment. He tried to remain neutral, but both the French and the English paid no heed to this intention of his and temporarily occupied now one part, now another of his State. Finally the Directory declared war on him and, Florence having been occupied by the revolutionary army on 25 March 1799, F. was forced to abandon Tuscany. Having taken refuge with his family in Vienna at the court of his brother the emperor, he had to renounce by the treaty of Lunéville (1801) every right to the grand duchy, obtaining in compensation first the archbishopric of Salzburg, which had been secularized, and in 1806 the bishopric of Würzburg, with the grand ducal title. The fall of Napoleon restored him to possession of Tuscany. From the very moment of his accession to the throne F. had abandoned the political line followed by his father with regard to the Holy See, softening Pietro Leopoldo's anti-clerical tendency and cutting off all support for Scipione de' Ricci, but jealous of the independence of the grand duchy, he did not neglect any occasion to affirm the superiority of the State over the Church. Toward Austria, after the Restoration, F. maintained an independent and firm attitude.

Silvio Furlani