Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608 – 1657)

Today, on 13 July 1608, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III was born in Graz, Austria. He reigned during the last decade of the Thirty Years’ War. It was a turbulent time for his country and its inhabitants, which ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. During his life, he was a well-known patron and lover of music. He studied under Giovanni Valentini (c. 1582 – 1649) and composed works himself. It made him the first monarch of the House of Habsburg to be recognized as a composer.