The Great National Theatre of Mexico was a large opera house in Mexico City.
89-517: The theatre was built between 1840 and 1844 by architect Lorenzo de la Hidalga in Mexico City . It was located at the end of Cinco de Mayo Ave., on Vergara Street (now Bolívar). It had a capacity of more than 3,500 people; that is to say, 1,500 more seats than the present-day Palacio de Bellas Artes . Historians consider it the most important architectural work in Mexico City between the completion of
178-515: A yellow fever outbreak. The Imperial couple's arrival at the capital was more celebrated, with fireworks and hundreds of triumphant arches. Maximilian and Carlota were crowned at the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral . He had the backing of Mexican conservatives, nobility, clergy, some Native American populations, and numerous European monarchs, but from the very outset he found himself involved in serious difficulties, since
267-505: A committee of thirty-five Mexicans, the Junta Superior who then elected three Mexican citizens to serve as the government's executive. In turn this triumvirate then selected 215 Mexicans to form together with the Junta Superior , an Assembly of Notables. The Assembly met in July 1863 and resolved to invite Maximilian to be Emperor of Mexico. The executive triumvirate was formally changed into
356-565: A country retreat at Cuernavaca , a villa known as the Jardín Borda . Although Maximilian had been brought to power with the support of Mexican conservatives expecting he would reverse the reforms of Mexican liberals, codified in the Constitution of 1857 , Maximilian and Napoleon III did not want hardline Mexicans to control the regime. Napoleon III had a confidential policy known to his military commander François Achille Bazaine to marginalize
445-399: A farce", but Maximilian accepted the proclamation that a majority of Mexicans voted in favor of him as emperor. The crown of Mexico came at a high cost to Maximilian. Although he had extracted promises from Napoleon III to militarily support the regime, he was to be entirely dependent on him. Emperor Franz Joseph isolated his younger brother Maximilian by forcing him to renounce any rights to
534-538: A foreign outsider. When Maximilian was first mentioned as a possible emperor of Mexico, the idea seemed farfetched, but circumstances changed and made it viable. His tenure as emperor was just three years, ending with his execution by firing squad by forces of the Restored Republic on 19 June 1867. Political conflicts in Mexico in the 1850s between conservative and liberal factions were domestic disputes initially, but
623-563: A former President of Mexico , and Tomás Mejía Camacho in June 1867. His death marked the end of monarchism as a major force in Mexico. In reassessments of his brief rule, he is portrayed in Mexican history less as the villain of nationalist, republican history and more as a liberal in Mexico, along with Presidents of the Republic Juárez, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada , and Porfirio Díaz . Maximilian
712-423: A former ally of Juárez. Maximilian's lack of understanding of the political situation on the ground in Mexico is seen in his offer to Juárez of amnesty and the post of prime minister. Juárez refused and continued to assert his role as the legitimate head of the Mexican state, despite being forced to decamp from the capital to Mexico's north. He never left Mexico's national territory, continuing to be recognized by
801-435: A former convent which is now an art center. It was a replacement for the original, which had been toppled by an earthquake in 1845. [REDACTED] Media related to Lorenzo de la Hidalga at Wikimedia Commons Maximiliano I of Mexico Maximilian I ( Spanish : Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena ; German : Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen ; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867)
890-550: A liberal and conciliatory spirit.” Maximilian's tenure as viceroy was short-lived, lasting only two years during a period of rising local tensions. Although holding title of viceroy, his jurisdiction did not fully extend over the Austrian garrison, which was opposed to any sort of liberal reforms. Maximilian went to Vienna in April 1858 to ask his brother the emperor to grant him both military and administrative jurisdiction, while continuing
979-536: A pledge of French military support and at the formal invitation of a Mexican delegation, Maximilian accepted the crown of Mexico on 10 April 1864 following a bogus referendum in Mexico that purportedly showed the Mexican people backed him. Maximilian's hold on power in Mexico was shaky from the beginning. Rather than enacting policies that would return power to Mexican conservatives, Maximilian instead sought to implement liberal policies, losing him his domestic conservative backers. Internationally, his legitimacy as ruler
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#17328692755501068-431: A policy of concessions. Franz Joseph rejected the appeal. That left Maximilian with only the limited role of prefect of police while tensions with Piedmont were rising. On 3 January 1859, for security reasons, Carlota was asked to return to Miramar, and she sent her valuables out of Lombardy-Venetia. Only while safe in the royal Palace of Milan did she share her concerns with her mother-in-law Sophie. In February 1859,
1157-505: A political position that those of royal blood adhered to. The appointment of the young progressive Maximilian to the office of viceroy was made in response to the growing discontent of the Italian population with the rule of the older Joseph Radetzky von Radetz . The appointment of an Archduke, indeed the Emperor's own brother, was also intended to encourage the local population's personal loyalty to
1246-740: A proposal to make him the emperor of Mexico. The Habsburg family had ruled the Viceroyalty of New Spain from its establishment until the Spanish throne was inherited by the Bourbons . As a member of the House of Habsburg, Maximilian was considered to have more potential legitimacy than other royal figures. He was unlikely to ever rule in Europe because of his elder brother's position as emperor and disapproval of his younger brother's liberalism. In that year, Maximilian declined
1335-794: A refined education. The pair fell in love. His brother Franz Joseph and his mother approved of a prospective marriage between them. Unfortunately, in February 1852, Maria Amélia contracted scarlet fever . Her health worsened over the months, developing tuberculosis. Her doctors advised her to leave Lisbon and go to Madeira , where she arrived in August 1852. At the end of November, she had lost hope of ever recovering her health. Maria Amélia died on February 4, 1853, which deeply shocked Maximilian. Other travels in this era included Italy, Spain, Madeira, Tangiers , and Algeria. He visited Beirut , Palestine , and Egypt . During his visit to Spain in 1854, he visited
1424-471: A rival conservative government. The three-year civil war (1858–61) between liberals and conservatives was won by liberals on the battlefield. Conservatives regrouped after the defeat and sought external allies for their monarchist cause. Mexican diplomat José Hidalgo had been officially tasked by the Santa Anna administration to sound European courts for interest in establishing a Mexican monarchy, but after
1513-468: A secret entry way in his Cuernavaca residence , allowing him to discreetly have encounters with women, but that Maximilian fathered a child by a Mexican woman in Cuernavaca , Concepción Sedano y Leguizano, who died shortly after Maximilian's execution. Unacknowledged as the emperor's offspring, the boy was allegedly taken to Paris and educated with funds by a Mexican ex-patriate there. During World War I , he
1602-583: The Avenida Cinco del Mayo [ es ] , and the Plaza de Volador was destroyed by a fire in 1870. The current Tampico Cathedral is a restoration. The central nave of his original structure collapsed in 1917, and one of its towers was destroyed by lightning in 1922. An aqueduct in Puebla survived until the earthquake of 2017 . One of his few remaining original works is the cupola at Santa Teresa la Antigua ,
1691-521: The First Mexican Empire . Agustin's mother, Alicia Iturbide, an American who was born Alice Green, agreed to give up her child. Soon after, she changed her mind and sent messages to Maximilian to renounce the adoption contract, but she was simply deported from Mexico without her child. Agustín and his cousin were granted the title Prince de Iturbide and the style of Highness by an imperial decree of 16 September 1865, and were ranked next in line after
1780-454: The Novara during its Atlantic crossing. Wrote du Barail: "If you succeed in bringing order out of this chaos, fortune into this misery, union into these hearts you will be the greatest sovereign of modern times. Go poor fool! You may regret your beautiful castle of Miramar!" The new emperor of Mexico landed at Veracruz on 29 May 1864, and received a sparse reception from the townspeople due to
1869-676: The Palacio de Bellas Artes , opera performances took place at the Teatro Principal and the Teatro Arbeu. Of all these theatres the plans have been restored, and they could be rebuilt. [REDACTED] Media related to Gran Teatro Nacional at Wikimedia Commons Lorenzo de la Hidalga Lorenzo de la Hidalga (4 July 1810 – 1872) was a Spanish architect who spent most of his career in Mexico. Few of his buildings have survived, due to earthquakes, urban redevelopment, and other factors. He
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#17328692755501958-483: The Plaza de la Constitución . The project was never completed. Later, during the short-lived Second Mexican Empire , he was named Arquitecto del Palacio y de la Iglesia Catedral , and worked on several more projects that were never brought to fruition, due to the unstable political situation. In 1872, he died in Mexico City . His works have not fared well. The Gran Teatro Nacional was demolished in 1901 to extend and widen
2047-489: The SMS Novara . He enjoyed that voyage so much that he anticipated in his diary “I shall fulfill one of my most beloved dreams, a voyage by sea. I depart with my memories of my beloved Austrian homeland in a very emotional moment for me.“ This voyage took him to Lisbon , where he met the princess Maria Amélia of Braganza , daughter of the late Brazilian Emperor Pedro I . She was described as beautiful, pious, clever, and of
2136-518: The Second Mexican Empire , by command of emperor Maximilian I of Mexico , the theatre changed its name to Great Imperial Theatre. During this period it was directed by Spanish playwright José Zorrilla . In this period a scandal occurred relating to the opera Ildegonda by Melesio Morales , which premiered on 27 January 1866. When the opera was ready, a group of notables, including Don José Urbano Fonseca and Don José Ignacio Durán, went to see
2225-706: The royal gardens of Venice , while in Milan, the avenues gained priority, the Piazza del Duomo was widened, and a new piazza was built between the Teatro alla Scala and the Palazzo Marino . The Biblioteca Ambrosiana library was also restored. The British minister of foreign relations wrote in 1859 that “the administration of the provinces of Lombardy-Venetia were directed by the Archduke Maximilian with great talent, and both
2314-529: The tombs of his ancestors Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabel I of Castile in Granada . Later travels took him to the Empire of Brazil . In an 1859 letter to his father-in-law King Leopold I of Belgium he wrote "It seems to me like a legend that I am the first descendant of Ferdinand and Isabela who since early childhood has thought it his mission to tread on the continent that has attained such gigantic importance for
2403-553: The 1840s, during the time he worked for the president, he was commissioned by a businessman, Francisco Arbeu, to build the Gran Teatro Santa Anna, which, after several name changes, came to be known as the Gran Teatro Nacional . In that same period, he built the market at the Plaza del Volador [ es ] , and worked on a project to create a monument to the heroes of Mexican Independence , to be placed in
2492-579: The Austrian military cracked down, making numerous arrests in Milan and Venice. The prisoners came from the upper classes and were transported to Mantua and various prisons throughout the realm. The city of Brescia was occupied by militia, while several battalions were camped in Piacenza , and on the shores of the River Po . Maximilian hoped to moderate the severe dispositions of General Ferenc Gyulay . Maximilian had just received permission from his brother to open
2581-489: The Austrian throne or as an archduke of Austria. On 9 April 1864 Maximilian reluctantly agreed to the "Family Pact". Maximilian formally accepted the crown of Mexico at Miramar on 10 April 1864. In April 1864, Maximilian stepped down from his duties as Chief of Naval Section of the Austrian Navy. He traveled from Trieste aboard SMS Novara , escorted by the frigates SMS Bellona (Austrian) and Thémis (French), and
2670-483: The Austrian viceroy of Lombardy–Venetia , but was removed by the emperor. Two years before his dismissal, he briefly met with French emperor Napoleon III in Paris, where he was approached by conservative Mexican monarchists seeking a European royal to rule Mexico. Initially Maximilian was not interested, but following his dismissal as viceroy, the Mexican monarchists' plan was far more appealing to him. Since Maximilian
2759-604: The Duke of Brabant, and future Leopold II , in contrast, wrote to Queen Victoria , who was Charlotte's cousin, “Max is a youth filled with ingenuity, knowledge, talent and kindness.” The engagement was formally concluded on 23 December 1856. On 27 July 1857 Maximilian and Charlotte were married in the Royal Palace of Brussels . Distinguished European royals attended the ceremony, including the first cousin of Charlotte and husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert . The marriage also enhanced
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2848-579: The Empress Eugénie . There he also met Mexican conservatives, who would later prove to be decisive in Maximilian's life. The Archduke would write about this initial meeting in his diary “although the emperor lacks the genius of his famous uncle , he retains fortunately for France, a grand personality. He stands tall over the century and shall surely leave his mark on it.” In May 1856, Franz Joseph asked Maximilian to return from Paris to Vienna, stopping on
2937-520: The House of Habsburg consider Maximilian an important ancestor. But in terms of the Mexican political reality, they are not in the spotlight. The nearest living agnatic relative to Maximilian is the head of the Habsburg family, Karl von Habsburg , and members of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine still reside in Mexico, among them Carlos Felipe de Habsburgo , the first male of the former ruling house to be born in
3026-497: The House of Habsburg. Charlotte made efforts to win over her subjects, speaking Italian, visiting charitable institutions, inaugurating schools, and dressing in native Lombard dress. On Easter 1858, Maximilian and Charlotte sailed down the Grand Canal of Venice in ceremonial dress. Despite their efforts, anti-Austrian sentiment continued to spread rapidly throughout the Italian population. Maximilian's efforts in administering
3115-613: The Imperial yacht Fantasie led the warship procession from his Miramare Castle out to sea. They received a blessing from Pope Pius IX , and Queen Victoria ordered the Gibraltar garrison to fire a salute for Maximilian's passing ship. The widespread doubts amongst informed persons concerning the wisdom of Maximilian's venture were reflected by the French colonel François Claude du Barail , who while returning from arduous service in Mexico sighted
3204-597: The Liberal forces led by President Benito Juárez refused to recognize his rule. There was continuous fighting between the French expeditionary forces (who were supplemented by Maximilian's locally recruited Imperial Mexican troops) on one side and the Mexican Republicans on the other. After a brief stay at the National Palace , the emperor and empress decided to set up their residence at Chapultepec Castle , located on
3293-519: The Metropolitan Cathedral and the building of the Palacio de Bellas Artes . The Great National Theatre was inaugurated in one of Antonio López de Santa Anna 's terms as president. Its name changed successively, from Great Theatre of Santa Anna to Great Theatre Vergara, then Great Imperial Theatre, and finally Great National Theatre. During the opera season of 1852, the theatre premiered 17 operas and offered more than 60 performances. During
3382-478: The Mexican monarchists on potential candidates for a Mexican throne. It was perceived as impolitic to propose a noble from one of the nations involved in the expedition and Maximilian already had a reputation as a capable administrator from his time spent as viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1859, Maximilian was first approached by Mexican monarchists—members of the Mexican nobility , led by José Pablo Martínez del Río —with
3471-563: The Regency of the Mexican Empire. An official delegation left Mexico, arriving in Europe in October. Upon meeting the delegation, Maximilian set forth the condition that he would only accept the throne if a national plebiscite approved of it. By February 1864 French forces controlled territory comprising the majority of Mexico's population. The Mexican plebiscite duly held in occupied territory "was
3560-581: The South that seceded and formed the Confederate States of America and the northern states that denied their right to secede. In these circumstances, the U.S. government could not enforce the Monroe Doctrine , which asserted U.S. pre-eminence in the hemisphere and excluded foreign intervention. In July 1861, Mexican President Benito Juárez had suspended the payment of foreign debts that had been incurred by
3649-447: The U.S. government. Juárez had appointed Matías Romero as minister plenipotentiary to the U.S. government, an effective advocate for the Mexican republic even as the U.S. was embroiled in its civil war. Juárez's continued presence in Mexico denied Maximilian assertion of legitimacy as ruler. A major aspect of liberalism in Mexico was the curtailment of the power and privileges of the ideologically conservative Catholic Church, including
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3738-455: The battle fleet with which Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff would later secure his victories. He was however criticized for diverting massive funds to ship building from the training, sea going experience, and morale of sailors. He also initiated a large-scale scientific expedition (1857–1859) . At the end of 1855, he sought refuge for his ship in the Gulf of Trieste during poor sailing weather. He
3827-501: The conservatives and create a moderate monarchy with wide support. Maximilian was in agreement and sought to establish a regime that included liberals. In the summer of 1864 Maximilian declared a political amnesty for all liberals wishing to join the Empire. His conciliatory efforts eventually won over some moderate liberals such as José Fernando Ramírez , José María Lacunza , Manuel Orozco y Berra , and northern strongman Santiago Vidaurri ,
3916-425: The conservatives' loss on the battlefield to the liberal regime during a three-year civil war (1858–61) meant conservatives sought ways to return to power with outside allies, opening a path for France under Napoleon III to intervene in Mexico and set up a puppet regime with conservative Mexican support. When the liberal government of Mexican President Benito Juárez suspended payment on foreign debts in 1861, there
4005-503: The country. Carlos Felipe is an academic who has given many interviews, conferences, and presentations regarding his family's history, Maximilian and Carlota, and the Second Mexican Empire. On 28 February 1857, Franz Joseph named Maximilian as viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia , an Italian-speaking region of the empire. On 6 September 1857, Maximilian and Charlotte made their entrance to the capital Milan . During their stay there
4094-606: The couple lived at the Royal Palace of Milan and occasionally resided at the Royal Villa of Monza . As viceroy, Maximilian lived as a sovereign surrounded by an imposing court of chamberlains and servants. During his two years as viceroy, Maximilian continued the construction of Miramar Castle, which would not be finished until three years later. Charlotte's royal dowry aided in the construction. Her brother Leopold would remark in his diary that “the construction of that palace amounts to endless madness.” Maximilian worked on developing
4183-521: The couple's feelings advised Maximilian to propose. From the Belgian viewpoint, the marriage was highly advantageous, since the nation was newly established and could benefit from ties to the Great Powers . Having been unlucky in love twice before, Maximilian's marriage to the daughter of a reigning European monarch was suitable and would seem to be a happy conclusion to his bachelorhood. Maximilian proposed and
4272-515: The defeated conservative government, providing a pretext for foreign intervention. Juárez's government could ill-afford and had no desire to pay off the debts contracted by those that had challenged its legitimacy to rule. The suspension gave Napoleon III an opportunity to establish a French client state which could also serve as a buffer to the expansion of the United States. France gained the aid of Britain and Spain , which also had loaned money to
4361-522: The defeated conservatives, under the pretext of arranging an expedition simply to renegotiate Mexico's debt agreements. Plans for such an expedition were formalized at the Convention of London on 31 October 1861. Gutiérrez de Estrada received Maximilian's answer at the beginning of October. The Archduke would accept the throne on two conditions: first, the Mexican people themselves should spontaneously ask for him; and second, that he should also be assured of
4450-495: The empire. Only in 1849 would the revolution be stamped out in Austria, with hundreds of rebels executed and thousands imprisoned. Maximilian was horrified at what he regarded as senseless brutality and openly complained about it. He would later remark, "We call our age the Age of Enlightenment , but there are cities in Europe where, in the future, men will look back in horror and amazement at
4539-547: The face of a renewed U.S. interest in enforcing the Monroe Doctrine, under orders by Napoleon III, the French armies that had propped up Maximilian's regime began withdrawing from Mexico in 1866. With no popular support and republican forces in the ascendant, Maximilian's monarchy collapsed. Maximilian was captured in Querétaro . He was tried and executed by the restored Republican government alongside his generals Miguel Miramón ,
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#17328692755504628-489: The fall of Santa Anna in 1853 with the successful liberal Revolution of Ayutla , Hidalgo had lost his official accreditation and continued his efforts independently. Hidalgo's childhood friend, the Spanish noblewoman Eugénie de Montijo was now wife of Napoleon III , Emperor of France, and it was through her that Hidalgo managed to gain the attention of the French ruler. The name of Maximilian came up swiftly in discussions among
4717-502: The forced sale of Church-owned property and freedom of religion, removing Catholicism as the sole religion of the nation. The papal nuncio, Pier Francesco Meglia , arrived in Mexico in December 1864, and informed Maximilian that the liberal laws were to be reversed, Church property was to be returned and religious toleration rescinded and Catholicism as the sole religion reinstated. Maximilian refused, decreeing freedom of worship and confirmed
4806-455: The fortunes of humanity." Maximilian learned to command sailors and received a solid education regarding the technical aspects of navigation. On 10 September 1854, he was named Commander-in-Chief of the Austrian Navy and was granted the rank of counter admiral . As commander-in-chief, Maximilian carried out several reforms to modernize the naval forces. He was instrumental in creating the naval ports at Trieste and Pola (now Pula ), as well as
4895-528: The imperial navy, and he organized the expedition of the ship Novara , which would turn out to be the first circumnavigation of the globe conducted by the Austrian Empire, a scientific expedition, which lasted more than two years from 1857 to 1859, and which involved the participation of many Viennese intellectuals. Politically, the Archduke was strongly influenced by nineteenth-century liberalism, generally not
4984-594: The impresario of the Great Imperial Theatre, Don Annibale Biacchi, so that Morales's opera could premiere there. Biacchi answered that he would not stage a work by a Mexican, which would damage his business. After the death of the emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and the restoration of the Republic, the theatre was renamed Great National Theatre. Around this time was the worldwide première of Cleopatra by Melesio Morales , writes Mañón: The Great National Theatre
5073-452: The injustice of tribunals, which in a spirit of vengeance condemned to death those whose only crime lay in wanting something different to the arbitrary rule of governments which placed themselves above the law." At a court ball in Vienna, Maximilian met and fell in love with a young Moldavian noblewoman , Viktoria Keșco (1835–1856), paternal aunt of the future Queen of Serbia . But the match
5162-549: The liberals in the War of Reform. After Charles de Lorencez 's expeditionary force was repulsed at the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862 , Napoleon III sent reinforcements, ultimately numbering about 38,900, and placed them under the command of General Élie Forey . Even so, it took the French a year to take Puebla , and then the capital in June 1863. The French now sought to establish a friendly Mexican provisional government. Forey appointed
5251-433: The marriage was fruitful, and after four miscarriages, four sons – including Maximilian – would reach adulthood. Rumors at the court alleged that Maximilian was the product of an extramarital affair between his mother and Napoleon II , Duke of Reichstadt. The existence of an illicit affair between Sophie and the duke, and any possibility that Maximilian was conceived from such a union, are dubious. Maximilian's upbringing
5340-556: The movement for Italian unification , the Count of Cavour , who declared that In Lombardy, our worst enemy...was the Archduke Maximilian; young, active, enterprising, who dedicated himself completely to the difficult task of winning over the Milanese, and who was about to triumph in it. The Lombardian provinces had never been so prosperous or well administered. Thank God that the good government of Vienna intervened, and as usual, took advantage of
5429-482: The noted historian Joaquín García Icazbalceta . They settled in Mexico City; soon becoming a part of the intellectual and cultural circles there. He also performed construction work on several of her family's estates. He was honored by the Academia de San Carlos , although he chose not to teach there. In terms of politics, he proved to be very adaptable, working for both President Santa Anna and Emperor Maximilian I . In
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#17328692755505518-411: The offer, but several attempts were made by the Mexican royalists. Later it was decided to again to make the offer to Maximilian, and that José María Gutiérrez de Estrada , because of his pivotal role in the history of Mexican monarchism, was to be given the role of again inviting Maximilian to assume a Mexican throne. In early 1861, the United States was embroiled in its Civil War between the states of
5607-464: The opportunity to commit a blunder, an impudent act, one most fatal to Austria, but most advantageous to Piedmont...Lombardy shall now fall into our grasp. After gaining independence in 1821 Mexico had soon divided itself into liberal and conservative parties, the latter of which had a monarchist faction. The failed monarchy of Agustín I that saw him forced to abdicate, swearing to remain in exile, met its final demise when he returned to Mexico and
5696-592: The presidency of Mariano Paredes and during the last presidency of Santa Anna , but by the late 1850s the liberals had appeared to have achieved a decisive victory through the promulgation of the Constitution of 1857 , which constrained the powers of the Mexican Catholic Church and the Mexican Army , two traditional bastions of conservativism. Conservatives declared the Constitution null and void and formed
5785-515: The prestige of the newly established Belgian dynasty as the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha once more found itself allied with the powerful House of Habsburg . The marriage was not fruitful, producing no children. However, when they were Emperor and Empress of Mexico, they adopted on 9 September 1865 Agustín de Iturbide y Green and his cousin Salvador de Iturbide y Marzán , both grandsons of Agustín de Iturbide , who had briefly reigned as emperor of
5874-556: The private law schools in Pavia and Padua . In March 1859, there were incidents between the Milanese police and the Veronese public. In Pavia, one of the cities governed by Maximilian, Austria created a veritable state of military occupation. The Italian situation was becoming critical, and order could no longer be maintained without troops. The Austrian archduke's conciliatory efforts ultimately fell apart when his various projects for improving
5963-407: The province included a revision of the tax registry, a more equitable distribution of tax revenue, the establishment of medical districts, dredging the Venetian canals, expanding the port of Cuomo, draining swamps to put a stop to malaria, fertilization projects and the irrigation of the plains of Friuli . There was also a series of urban development projects. The Riva degli Schiavoni was extended to
6052-501: The reigning family. In October 1866, as the Empire began to falter, Maximilian wrote to Alice Iturbide that he was returning her son, Agustín, to her care." One biographer claims that Maximilian took a mistress in Mexico. Historian Enrique Krauze suggests that Maximilian was rendered sterile due to venereal disease contracted from a Brazilian woman when he spent time in the country following his dismissal as viceroy. However, another biographer contends that not only did Maximilian have
6141-420: The small Imperial Austrian Navy . He displayed zeal in his naval career and his direct link with Emperor Franz Joseph enabled the diversion of resources to what had previously been a neglected service. Maximilian embarked on the corvette Vulkan , for a brief cruise through Greece. In October 1850, he became a navy lieutenant. At the beginning of 1851, he embarked on another much more distant cruise on board
6230-668: The support of France and Great Britain. Maximilian's older brother, Franz Joseph Emperor of Austria, now sent Count von Rechberg , the Austrian minister of foreign affairs to brief Maximilian on what lay in store in the event that France did militarily intervene in Mexico, and a Mexican plebiscite approved of Maximilian. In the interim, the agreement among France, the United Kingdom, and Spain broke down as it became increasingly clear that France intended to overthrow Juárez's liberal government of Mexico. France began military operations in April 1862. They were eventually joined by conservative Mexican generals who were not reconciled to their loss to
6319-411: The top of a hill formerly on the outskirts of Mexico City that had been a retreat of Aztec emperors and Spanish viceroys. Maximilian ordered a wide avenue cut through the city from Chapultepec to the city center and named it the Paseo de la Emperatriz, the project would survive him and the Empire and is today one of the central avenues of Mexico City, the Paseo de la Reforma . Maximilian also acquired
6408-656: The way at Brussels , in order to visit the King of the Belgians, Leopold I . On 30 May 1856, he arrived in Belgium where he was received by Prince Philippe , younger son of King Leopold. He was accompanied by the Belgian princes, visiting the cities of Tournai , Kortrijk , Bruges , Ghent , Antwerp, and Charleroi . In Brussels, Maximilian met the only daughter of the king and the late queen Louise of Orleans , Charlotte of Belgium , and romance blossomed. Leopold I, upon becoming aware of
6497-423: The wellbeing of the Italian public were shut down. Franz Joseph was intent on preventing any concessions to the populace. The emperor considered Maximilian too liberal and generous with the rebellious Italian population. Franz Joseph relieved his brother of his post as viceroy on 10 April 1859. In Italy, news of Maximilian's dismissal was received with sarcastic enthusiasm by statesmen there. A pivotal figure in
6586-724: Was a descendant of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor , King of Spain when the Spaniards conquered the Aztecs (1519–21) and first brought Mexico into the Spanish Empire , a status it held until the Mexican independence in 1821, Maximilian seemed a perfect candidate for the conservatives' plans for monarchy in Mexico. Maximilian was interested in assuming the throne, but only with guarantees of French support. Mexican conservatives did not take sufficient account of Maximilian's embrace of liberalism, and Maximilian failed to understand he would be viewed as
6675-461: Was an Austrian archduke who became emperor of the Second Mexican Empire from 10 April 1864 until his execution by the Mexican Republic on 19 June 1867. A member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine , Maximilian was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria . Prior to his becoming Emperor of Mexico, he was commander-in-chief of the small Imperial Austrian Navy and briefly
6764-403: Was an opening for European powers to intervene militarily in Mexico. The intention of the French and Mexican conservatives was for regime change to oust the liberals, backed by the power of the French army. Mexican monarchists sought a European head of state and, with the brokering of Napoleon III, Maximilian was invited to establish what would come to be known as the Second Mexican Empire . With
6853-680: Was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 1810. While still rather young, he enrolled at the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid; graduating in 1836 with a degree in architecture. He then spent some time in Paris, where he was inspired by the Neo-Classical ideals that were prevalent at the time, as well as the latest concepts concerning structural function, and the works of contemporary architects. Family circumstances took him to Mexico in 1838, where he married Ana García Icazbalceta, elder sister of
6942-584: Was born on 6 July 1832 in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire . He was baptized the following day as Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria . The first name honored his godfather and paternal uncle, the future Emperor Ferdinand I , and the second honored his late maternal grandfather, Maximilian I Joseph , King of Bavaria . His father was Archduke Franz Karl , the second surviving son of Emperor Francis I , during whose reign he
7031-443: Was born. Maximilian was thus a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine . His mother was Princess Sophie of Bavaria , a member of the House of Wittelsbach . Intelligent, ambitious and strong-willed, Sophie had little in common with her husband, whom historian Richard O'Conner characterized as "an amiably dim fellow whose main interest in life was consuming bowls of dumplings drenched in gravy". Despite their different personalities,
7120-617: Was closely supervised. Until his sixth birthday, he was cared for by Baroness Louise von Sturmfeder , who was his aja (then rendered "nurse", now nanny ). His education was then entrusted to a tutor. Most of Maximilian's day was spent in study. The hours per week of classes steadily increased from 32 at age seven to 55 by the time he was 17. The disciplines were diverse, ranging from history, geography, law and technology, to languages, military studies, fencing and diplomacy. From an early age, Maximilian tried to surpass his older brother Franz Joseph in everything, attempting to prove to all that he
7209-476: Was demolished between 1900 and 1901 to extend the Avenida Cinco de Mayo [ es ] . The demolition was justified with the promise that the theatre would be replaced by the Palacio de Bellas Artes , whose construction began in 1904, but was interrupted by the Mexican Revolution , and finally opened in 1934. In the more than 30 years between the demolition of the old theatre and the inauguration of
7298-621: Was impossible for Archduke Maximilian since her family was Orthodox and did not belong to the family reigning or former reigning monarchs. When their romance was discovered, her father Ioan Keșco (1809–1863), who served as Russian Marshal of Nobility in Bessarabia , quickly sent her back home and forcibly married her off to her longtime admirer, local rich nobleman of Greek descent, Alexander Dimitrievich Inglezi (1826–1903), son of Dimitri Spiridonovich Inglezi (1771–1846). Not destined to rule, Maximilian entered military service, training in
7387-509: Was impressed enough to immediately consider building a residence there, a goal which he actually carried out in March 1856, when he began construction of what would later be called Miramare Castle , located near the city of Trieste. At end of the Crimean War in March 1856 that brought a period of peace to Europe, Maximilian traveled to Paris to meet Emperor of the French, Napoleon III and his wife
7476-550: Was in doubt since the United States continued to recognize Benito Juárez as the legal head of state rather than Emperor Maximilian. The U.S. saw the French invasion as a violation of the Monroe Doctrine , but the U.S. was unable to intervene politically due to the American Civil War (1861–1865). With the end of the American Civil War in 1865, the United States began providing material aid to Juárez's republican forces. In
7565-474: Was living in Spain, where he was recruited by German intelligence. He was arrested as a traitor by the French and executed by firing squad in 1917. According to the biographer's account, citing no sources in his publication, the charge read out at his execution began "Sedano, son of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico." Since Maximilian and Carlota had no offspring, there are no direct descendants. However, today members of
7654-556: Was often the instigator of pranks – including even his uncle, the emperor, among his victims. His attempts to outshine his older brother and his ability to charm opened a rift between himself and the aloof and self-contained Franz Joseph that widened as years passed, and their close relationship in childhood would be all but forgotten. During revolutionary unrest in Europe in 1848, Emperor Ferdinand abdicated in favor of Maximilian's older brother Franz Joseph. Maximilian accompanied his brother on campaigns to put down rebellions throughout
7743-401: Was shot in 1824. Nonetheless, Conservatives continued to see monarchy as a viable option. Monarchist plans had most clearly been laid out in an 1840 essay by the statesman José María Gutiérrez de Estrada , which argued that after two decades of chaos, the republic had failed, and that a European prince ought to be invited to establish a Mexican throne. Such ideas received official interest during
7832-447: Was the better qualified of the two and thus deserving of more than second-place status, but with primogeniture, Maximilian was destined for secondary status. The highly restrictive environment of the Austrian court was not enough to repress Maximilian's natural openness. He was joyful, highly charismatic, and able to captivate those around him with ease. Although he was a charming boy, he was also undisciplined. He mocked his teachers and
7921-624: Was welcomed into the Belgian Court. He later remarked on the contrast of the Belgian Palace of Laeken to the splendor of the Imperial Viennese royal residences, not surprising since Belgium was but a small and new kingdom. Prince George of Saxony , who previously had been rejected by Charlotte, warned Leopold I of the “calculating character of the Viennese archduke." The son of Leopold I,
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