On 2 February 1622, Emperor Ferdinand II married in second marriage the Mantuan princess Eleonora Gonzaga in Innsbruck. This marriage marked the beginning of an era of close dynastic relations between the courts of Vienna and Mantua lasting for over six decades. For even during the lifetime of Eleonora Gonzaga (the Elder, 1598-1655), her grandniece of the same name, Eleonora Gonzaga-Nevers (the Younger, 1628-1686) became the third wife of Ferdinand III in 1651. These two empresses not only acted in many ways as mediators between their home and host courts, but also initiated and facilitated many transalpine transfer processes in their environment. Everything suggests that because of the contribution of Eleonora Gonzaga and Eleonora Gonzaga-Nevers the Viennese Court was never more shaped by Italian influences than during the middle and second half of the 17th century.
The aim of the conference is to examine the transalpine transfer processes in the environment of the two Gonzaga empresses in context. In this context, transfer is not understood as a mere transfer from one place to another, but rather as a complex process implying the transformation of objects and knowledge as well as of the respective people involved and of societies.
Finally, the space-forming effect of transfer and exchange processes will be considered, too. The conference follows the concept of histoire croisée, which seeks to overcome one-dimensional approaches and perspectives and to advance towards a multi-layered, multi-dimensional analysis. The event is consistently interdisciplinary. The aim is not only to transcend disciplinary boundaries, but also to break down the specific "national" - i.e. "Italian" or "German" or in fact mostly Austrian, in any case northern Alpine - perspectives.
The first section of the conference deals with backgrounds and preconditions, introduces important personalities, and analyses their networks. The second and most comprehensive section of this conference illuminates different levels and dimensions of the transalpine transfer processes in the environment of the Gonzaga empresses in detail and in context. The third section broadens the perspective and places the transfer processes in the environment of the Gonzaga empresses in a broader context, in part also comparatively.
The call for papers invites both established researchers and young researchers working on the above-mentioned topics to submit papers/projects. Conference languages are German and English. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the organising institutions.
We invite you to send us your contribution proposals in the form of a one-page abstract and short biography to schnettger@uni-mainz.de by April 30th 2021.
A publication of the conference contributions is planned.