Maria Leopoldina was born in 1797, in one of the most conservative royal houses of Europe. Her education was aimed not only at personal development but also at political duty.
The strict culture and education of an Austrian archduchess were among the main criteria for a prince to have one by his side. Leopold II, grandfather of Archduchess Leopoldina, established the guidelines for the education of the Habsburg princes. He believed that children should, from an early age, be inspired to cultivate high qualities such as humanity, compassion, and a desire to make the people happy.
The archdukes’ curriculum included subjects such as reading, writing, German, French, Italian, dancing, drawing, painting, history, geography, and music. In the more advanced module, mathematics — including arithmetic and geometry — was taught. Additionally, this advanced stage included literature, physics, Latin, singing, and manual crafts.
Leopoldina’s daily routine was as follows: she woke up around seven o’clock and went to church at eight. Usually, from nine to ten o’clock, she studied a particular subject with her teacher, followed by another class from eleven to noon in a different subject. She rested from noon until three o’clock, when she resumed her studies until eight in the evening. Of course, the subjects alternated throughout the week, and she usually followed this schedule from Monday to Saturday.
From an early age, Leopoldina showed great dedication and appreciation for the natural sciences, particularly mineralogy. The archduchess inherited the habit of collecting from her father: she maintained a collection of coins, plants, flowers, minerals, and shells. During a visit to the University of Prague, the archduchess discovered a library section dedicated to mineralogy. Leopoldina wrote in her diary about this visit, saying she could spend hours inside if she were allowed, and that her stay in the city greatly expanded her mineral collection.
Now, for an unusual curiosity: it was during this same visit that Leopoldina was robbed. That’s right — the archduchess, who freely roamed the city without proper escort, had her carriage robbed by a local resident of Prague. She recorded in her diary that she awaited rescue in a precarious hut and that her feet were completely soaked.
Another habit adopted by the Habsburgs was participating in theater plays, operas, and ballets. Beyond entertainment, this served as early training for public speaking. Through these experiences, the children lost their shyness in front of an audience and practiced their speech and voice projection, skills that were essential for public figures.
Leopoldina’s daily life was meticulously planned, including lessons, prayers, letter-writing, and family visits. The family valued working with the land and cultivating it. Not by chance, both at their summer residence in Laxenburg and at Schönbrunn Palace, there were gardens where the princes could cultivate up to four hundred types of plants. It was very common to see Leopoldina and her family on the palace terrace transplanting flowers and taking cuttings, even of flowers sent by relatives.
Each archduke had his or her own household. In Leopoldina’s case, two women played important roles in her small world. One was Maria Ulrica, the chief lady-in-waiting, responsible for teaching good manners, etiquette, and ceremonial practices, as well as supervising her studies. The other was Francisca Annony, who took care of the archduchess’s clothing, hygiene, and personal care. Francisca had been her maid since childhood and held great affection for her.
These two women remained with Leopoldina throughout her childhood and part of her youth. As was common among the nobility and upper classes, the archduchess was never left alone, not even while sleeping. This might seem strange to us today, but the modern concept of privacy did not apply back then, especially to someone of Leopoldina’s noble status, who was always accompanied. Even during her designated letter-writing times, she was never alone.
Leopoldina’s stepmother was deeply committed to the education of the children she had inherited from her husband’s previous marriage. She personally oversaw their studies and would even impose punishments when they refused to study. Leopoldina received catechism and made her First Communion. In 1810, she joined the Order of the Starry Cross, an exclusively female and aristocratic order. Its members were dedicated to prayer, veneration of the Holy Cross, virtuous living, spiritual assistance, and charitable works.
Europe was far from peaceful at the time. Leopoldina’s sister was married to Napoleon — and I believe I need not elaborate much on him, as he is a well-known historical figure who plunged the continent into wars. Because of this, Leopoldina’s stepmother’s health declined, worsened by the flight from Vienna and the fact that her stepdaughter was married to the man bringing chaos to the world. As a result, she decided to take Leopoldina with her to the spa town of Karlsbad, hoping the new air would restore her health.
In Karlsbad, Leopoldina did not simply enjoy a vacation. She participated in study excursions, visiting plantations, livestock farms, factories, greenhouses, foundries, and mines, as well as museums, botanical gardens, and cabinets of curiosities. After each visit, she wrote detailed reports. In this way, she broadened her world — not only scientifically but also by interacting with a variety of people: workers, farmers, and even miners.
The stay in Karlsbad also served as a kind of strategic withdrawal from the Viennese court while political negotiations were underway. Austrian diplomats, like the influential Prince Metternich, were working behind the scenes to arrange Leopoldina’s engagement to Dom Pedro. The trip to Karlsbad temporarily distanced Leopoldina from Vienna’s prying eyes and whispers — but it also brought her closer to the reality of international marriage negotiations. This process took time, and during the negotiations, Leopoldina’s father even requested Portuguese books so that his daughter could begin studying the language she would need in the years to come.
The childhood and youth of Maria Leopoldina reveal not only an exemplary education but also the formation of a woman prepared for a grand destiny. Her path of study, discipline, and sensitivity would shape an archduchess who, very soon, would cross the ocean to write her name into the history of Brazil.
Referentie: REZZUTTI, Paulo. D. Leopoldina: een niet-contada-geschiedenis: Een verhaal dat een onafhankelijkheid van Brazilië heeft opgeleverd. Brazilië: Leya, 2022.
Matheus Araújo
Matheus Araújo is de bedenker en redacteur van Brazilian History. Geboren in Rio de Janeiro en afgestudeerd in Reclame en Propaganda, bracht zijn passie voor geschiedenis hem ertoe om zich in te schrijven aan de Federale Universiteit van de Staat Rio de Janeiro, waar hij momenteel een lerarenopleiding Geschiedenis volgt.
