The County of Gorizia (, , , ), from 1365 Princely County of Gorizia, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. Originally mediate Vogts of the Patriarchs of Aquileia, the Counts of Gorizia (Meinhardiner) ruled over several fiefs in the area of Lienz and in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy with their residence at Gorizia (Görz).

In 1253 the Counts of Gorizia inherited the County of Tyrol, from 1271 onwards ruled by the Gorizia-Tyrol branch which became extinct in the male line in 1335. The younger line ruled the comital lands of Gorizia and Lienz until its extinction in 1500, whereafter the estates were finally acquired by the Austrian House of Habsburg.

History

Gorizia (House of Meinhardin) Count Meinhard I, a descendant of the Meinhardiner noble family with possessions around Lienz in the Duchy of Bavaria, is mentioned as a count as early as 1117. As a vogt official of the Patriarchs of Aquileia, he was enfeoffed with large estates in the former March of Friuli, including the town of Gorizia.

The borders of the county changed frequently in the following four centuries, due to frequent wars with Aquileia and other counties, but also to the subdivision of the territory in two main nuclei: one around the Bavarian ancestral seat of Lienz on the upper Drava River up to Innichen in the Puster Valley, the other centered on Gorizia in Friuli itself.

Gorizia-Tyrol (House of Meinhardin) Meinhard's descendant Count Meinhard III of Gorizia, a follower of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II, upon the extinction of the ducal House of Babenberg was appointed administrator of Styria in 1248. He campaigned the adjacent Duchy of Carinthia but was defeated by the troops of Duke Bernhard von Spanheim and his son Archbishop Philip of Salzburg at Greifenburg in 1252. Nevertheless, the county reached the apex of its power, when Meinhard III inherited County of Tyrol (as Meinhard I) from his father-in-law Count Albert IV one year later.

After Count Meinhard III had died in 1258, his sons at first ruled jointly until in 1271 they divided their heritage: While the elder Meinhard IV took the comital Tyrolean lands west of the Puster Valley, his brother Albert retained the Meinhardiner ancestral lands around Lienz and Gorizia. After his death, the County of Gorizia was again partitioned among his sons into the "inner county" at Gorizia, ruled by Henry III, and the "outer county" around Lienz und Albert II. When Count Henry III was assassinated in 1323, the Gorizia lands were shattered into four countries. The Counts of Gorizia temporarily controlled the Italian March of Treviso (Marca Trevigiana) and the remains of the Istrian march around Pazin (Mitterburg), which Count Albert III of Görz bequeathed to the House of Habsburg in 1365.

In 1365 Count Meinhard VI of Görz was granted the princely title by the Luxembourg emperor Charles IV, the county was thereon called Gefürstete Grafschaft Görz. The Meinhardiner nevertheless suffered a steep decline under their powerful neighbours, the Austrian lands of the Habsburg dynasty and the Republic of Venice.

Gorizia (House of Meinhardin) After the Habsburgs had acquired the Carinthian duchy with the March of Carniola in 1335 and the County of Tyrol in 1363, the remaining Gorizia lands of Lienz were a thorn in their side, separating the dynasty's "hereditary lands". Venice had conquered the former Patriarchate territories in Friuli, which were incorporated into the Domini di Terraferma by 1434. The Council of Ten strived for the adjacent "inner county" lands around Gorizia up to the Venetian Stato da Màr territories in Istria. Due to the pressure, the Gorizia counts took their residence at Bruck Castle in Lienz.

In 1429 the county was reunited under the single rule of Count Henry VI. His son, the last count Leonhard, died in 1500 and despite claims raised by Venice, according to a contract of inheritance and the active support of the Gorizia governor Virgil von GrabenErich Zöllner: Geschichte Österreichs: von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. p 159 the county fell to the Habsburg emperor Maximilian I.

Habsburg

While the Lienz area was administered with the Tyrolean crown land, the "inner county" of Gorizia remained an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by the Inner Austrian Archdukes as part of the Austrian Circle, governed by a capitano. Its territory included the Isonzo Valley down to Aquileia, the area of Cormons and Duino, and the former Venetian fortress of Gradisca, which was conquered by Imperial troops in 1511. Monfalcone formed a Venetian exclave in the county from 1420 to 1797. In 1647 Emperor Ferdinand III separated the "Principality of Gradisca" from Gorizia for his courtier Johann Anton von Eggenberg, until in 1747 both were again merged to form the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca, a crown land of the Habsburg monarchy.

Counts

Houses of Eppenstein and Siegharding Marquard (E) (fl. 1060/1074), Vogt of Aquileia Meginhard (S) (died about 1090), from the House of Siegharding, Count in the Puster Valley Henry I (E) (died after 1102), Vogt of Aquileia from 1082 Ulrich (E) (died 1122), brother

Meinhard dynasty

Partitions of Gorizian territories under Meinhard dynasty rule

+      Countyof Tyrol(c.1050-1253)      County of Gorizia(1090-1500)County of Tyrol(1258-1363)      Annexed to theHouse of Habsburg

Table of rulers

RulerBornReignRuling partConsortDeathNotesc.1050First son of either Henry of Eppenstein or Meginhard, Count in the Puster Valley1090 – 14 December 1122County of GoriziaUnknown14 December 1122aged 71–72 Also Count Palatine of Bavaria.Meinhard Ic.1070Second son of either Henry of Eppenstein or Meginhard, Count in the Puster Valley14 December 1122 – 1142 County of Gorizia Hildegardno childrenElisabeth of Schwarzenbergfour children1142aged Brother of the predecessor.Cesare Scalon: Diplomi patriarcali. I documenti dei patrarchi aquileiesi anteriori alla meta del XIII secuio nell`Archivio capitolare di Udine, Quaterni e dispense dell` Istituto di storia dell` Universita degli Studi di Udine 8, Udine 1983, Nr. 4, S. 27f., ca. 1120/1121, ... a Mengynardo de Gurica pro beneficio fratres sui Engelini...Henry IIc.1120First son of Meinhard I and Elisabeth of Schwarzenberg1142 – 11 October 1149 County of Gorizia Unknown11 October 1149aged 28–29 Children of Meinhard, ruled jointly. Engelbert was also titular Margrave of Istria from 1188.Engelbert IIc.1120Second son of Meinhard I and Elisabeth of Schwarzenberg1142 – 1 April 1191Adelaide of Scheyern-Dachau-Valleythree children1 April 1191aged 70–71?Meinhard II the Elder1163Second son of Meinhard I and Elisabeth of Schwarzenberg1 April 1191 – 1231 County of Gorizia Kunigunde of Peilsteinno childrenAdelaideno childrenA daughter of Henry I, Count of Tyrolno children1231aged 67–68 Children of Engelbert II, ruled jointly. Meinhard was also Vogt of the Patriarchate of Aquileia.Engelbert III1164First son of Meinhard I and Elisabeth of Schwarzenberg1 April 1191 – 1220Matilda of Pisino1183no childrenMatilda of Andechs1190one child1220aged 55–56Meinhard III1200Son of Engelbert III and Matilda of Andechs1231 – 22 July 1258 County of Gorizia(with County of Tyrol from 1253)Adelaide of Tyrolc.1237four children22 July 1258aged 57–58 Through his marriage he inherited the County of Tyrol.Meinhard IV1238LandshutFirst son of Meinhard III and Adelaide of Tyrol22 July 1258 – 1 November 1295County of Tyrol(with Duchy of Carinthia and March of Carniola since 1286) Elisabeth of Bavaria6 October 1259Munichsix children1 November 1295Greifenburgaged 56–57 Children of Meinhard II, ruled jointly until 1271, when they divided their inheritance. In 1286, Meinhard was also enfeoffed with the Duchy of Carinthia and the adjacent March of Carniola. Albert I1240Second son of Meinhard III and Adelaide of Tyrol22 July 1258 – 1 April 1304County of GoriziaEuphemia of Glogowthree childrenEuphemia of Ortenburgno children1 April 1304Lüenzaged 63–64Ottoc.1265Second son of Meinhard IV and Elisabeth of Bavaria1 November 1295 – 25 May 1310 County of Tyrol(with Duchy of Carinthia and March of Carniola)Euphemia of Legnica1297four children25 May 1310aged 44–45Children of Meinhard IV/II, shared their inheritance. In 1307, Henry was elected King of Bohemia, but was deposed in 1310. The family lost Carniola and Carinthia after Henry's death. Only Tyrol passed to his daughter.Henryc.1270Fourth son of Meinhard IV and Elisabeth of Bavaria1 November 1295 – 2 April 1335Anna of Bohemia1306no children1313two children1327no children2 April 1335Tyrol Castleaged 64–65Carinthia and Carniola merged into Habsburg domainHenry III1263First son of Albert I and Euphemia of Glogow1 April 1304 – 24 April 1323 County of Gorizia Beatrice da Camino1297one childBeatrice of Lower Bavaria1322one child24 April 1323Görzaged 59–60Children of Albert I, shared their rule. Henry III associated his eldest son, Meinhard, to the co-rulership.Albert IIc.1265Second son of Albert I and Euphemia of Glogow1 April 1304 – 1327Elisabeth of Hesse1299five childrenEuphemia of Mätsch1321three children1327Wilhelm Baum, I conti di Gorizia (Gorizia: LEG, 2000), 123aged 61–62Meinhard Vc.1300First son of Henry III and Beatrice da Caminoc.1314 – 1320?Unmarriedc.1320aged 19–201st Regency of Beatrice of Lower Bavaria (1323-1326)Regency of Albert II, Count of Gorizia (1326-1327)Regency of Henry, Count of Tyrol (1327-1335)2nd Regency of Beatrice of Lower Bavaria (1335-1338)Son of Henry III. Died childless, and was succeeded by his cousins, sons of his uncle Albert II.(John) Henry IV1322Son of Henry III and Beatrice of Lower Bavaria1327 – 17 March 1338 County of Gorizia Anna of Austriac.1335no children17 March 1338aged 15–16Margaret1318Daughter of Henry and 2 April 1335 – January 1363 County of Tyrol John Henry of Luxembourg16 September 1330Innsbruck(annulled 1349)no childrenLouis V, Duke of Bavaria10 February 1342Meranotwo children3 October 1369Viennaaged 50–51Shared rule with her husbands. In 1363, she abdicated from her domains, which were absorbed by the Habsburgs. Tyrol annexed to the Habsburg domainAlbert IIIc.1305Son of Albert II and Elisabeth of Hesse17 March 1338 – 1374 County of Gorizia(until 1365)Princely County of Gorizia(from 1365) Helen no childrenCatherine of Celje1353no children1374aged 70–71 Sons of Albert II, ruled jointly. At his death, Albert bequested his vast Istrian and Carniolan possessions to the Habsburg duke Rudolf IV of Austria. The remaining lands were kept by Meinhard VI, ascended as a Prince by Charles IV, Holy Roman EmperorMeinhard VIc.1325First son of Albert II and Euphemia of Mätsch17 March 1338 – May 1385Catherine of Pfannbergthree childrenEuphemia-Utehild of MätschTirol Neustift, CDXXXIV, p. 217.three childrenMay 1385aged 59–60Henry Vc.1325Second son of Albert II and Euphemia of Mätsch17 March 1338 – 1362Gigliola da Carrarano children1362aged 36–37Henry VI22 June 1376First son of Meinhard VI and Euphemia-Utehild of MätschMay 1385 – 18 March 1454 Princely County of Gorizia(at Gorizia proper, with County of Kirchberg since 1430)Elisabeth of Celje31 January 1400two childrenKatalin Garaithree children18 March 1454aged 77 Sons of Meinhard VI, ruled jointly.(John) Meinhard VII1378Second son of Meinhard VI and Euphemia-Utehild of MätschMay 1385 – 22 May 1430 Princely County of Gorizia(at the County of Kirchberg) 1404no childrenAgnes of Pettau-Wurmberg1422no children22 May 1430aged 51–52John II1438LienzFirst son of Henry VI and Katalin Garai18 March 1454 – 22 May 1462 Princely County of Gorizia(with County of Kirchberg) Unmarried22 May 1462Lienzaged 23–24 Sons of Henry VI, ruled jointly.Leonard1440LienzSecond son of Henry VI and Katalin Garai18 March 1454 – 12 April 1500Hieronyma of Ilokno childrenPaola Gonzaga1478no children12 April 1500Lienzaged 59–60Gorizia annexed to the Habsburg domain

See also House of Gorizia History of Gorizia Austrian Empire History of Slovenia

Notes

References

External links

de:Grafschaft Görz