Background
Maria Ludovika was born in Monza, but her family fled from Italy to Austria when Northern Italy was conquered by Napoleon in 1796. In Austria, the Emperor fell in love with her during his visits to her mother.
Maria Ludovika was born in Monza, but her family fled from Italy to Austria when Northern Italy was conquered by Napoleon in 1796. In Austria, the Emperor fell in love with her during his visits to her mother.
This caused her a hostility for Napoleon. They had no children. The Ludovica Military Academy in Budapest established in 1808 was named after Maria Ludovika who contributed 50,000 Forint for its upkeep from the funds of the Honours list proclaimed at the Coronation in Saint Martin"s Cathedral, in Pressburg.
She supported the war against Napoleonic France in 1808.
From this year, her health deteriorated. She was opposed to the marriage between Napoleon and her step-daughter Marie Louise in 1809.
In 1812, she was a reluctant guest to the assembly of German monarchs gathered by Napoleon to celebrate his war against Russia. She was the hostess of the Vienna congress in 1815.
When Napoleon was finally defeated she traveled at the end of the year 1815 to her home country, North Italy, but died of tuberculosis in Verona.
She was only 28 years old. She is buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. 14 December 1787 - 11 August 1804: Her Royal Highness Archduchess Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Princess of Modena
11 August 1804 - 6 January 1808: Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, Imperial Princess of Austria, Royal Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Modena
6 January 1808 - 7 April 1816: Her Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty The Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia.
The French protested against the marriage because of her political views.
She was a member of the House of Austria-Este, a branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.