Maria Theresa’s Italian Inheritance: Lombardy

This chapter explores Maria Theresa's approach to governing Austrian Lombardy, a territory acquired after Prince Eugene's entry into Milan in 1706 and the end of Spanish rule. It explains how Maria Theresa and her adviser Kaunitz recognised the unique character of Lombardy's urban patriciate, which required consensus and persuasion rather than feudal coercion. It also details the symbolic appointment of Archduke Ferdinand and Beatrice as governor-general in 1771, noting their largely ceremonial role and Ferdinand's focus on cultural life rather than politics. Real governance was led by Count Karl Joseph Firmian and Count Beltrame Cristiani under Kaunitz's light-touch policy, which encouraged economic growth and stability in the Po valley. It recounts Cristiani's appointment as Minister in the Departimento d'Italia, which marked a respectful and effective adaptation of Habsburg rule to local conditions.