Los Habsburgo

Of modest origins, the Habsburgs gained control of the Roman Empire in the 15th century and, in just a few decades, they rapidly expanded to encompass much of Europe, from Hungary to Spain, creating an empire that was never set. sol, from Peru to the Philippines. Giving special importance to the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs, Martyn Rady masterfully narrates the construction and loss of his world. The Habsburgs maintained their influence for nine hundred years, and they dominated Central Europe until the First World War. As is well known, one of the triggers of that contest was the murder in Sarajevo of Archduke Francisco Fernando, heir to the Crown. But his was not the only violent death of the Habsburgs. Also on the long list is that of Empress Sisi, murdered by an anarchist. Among the Habsburgs there were quirky and varied characters: warriors or contemplatives, clever or stupid, laid-back or frantic, all were driven by the same sense of family mission. With its seemingly disorganized mass of territories, its tangle of laws, and its mix of languages, the empire often seems chaotic and incomplete. But Martyn Rady reveals the origin of the incredible resistance of this lineage: the belief that they were destined to rule the world as defenders of the Catholic Church, guarantors of peace and patrons of science and culture. This is the first global story of a dynasty that, for better or worse, shaped Europe and the world, and whose architectural and artistic legacy, spread throughout the world, still bears witness to its overwhelming impact.