Ercole Turinetti de Prié

Ercole Giuseppe Lodovico Turinetti marchese di Prié (born November 27, 1658 in Turin , † January 12, 1726 in Vienna ) was a Piedmontese diplomat and 1716–1726 deputy governor of the Austrian Netherlands .

Life

Prié came from the Savoyard nobility. His father was Giorgio de Prié, who was raised to count (Marchese). His mother was Maria Violante Valperga di Rivera. Prié was first the ambassador of his country to the Roman-German Emperor Leopold I and in 1704 brokered an alliance between the Habsburgs and Viktor Amadeus II. After entering the imperial service, he became commissioner for the catering of the troops in Italy and negotiated with Pope Clement XI . To began fighting with the Papal States in Comacchiokrieg to end by imperial ultimatum. In 1694, his compatriot Prince Eugene of Savoy owed Priés urging a first high command for the imperial army in Italy. After Eugen had been appointed governor of the new Austrian Netherlands, he needed a deputy who could take over his duties on site. Eugen was unable to travel to the distant southern Netherlands himself, mainly because of the renewed Turkish war. So Prié became the actual master of the Habsburg possessions in what is now Belgium.

The most important task for the governor was the revision of the barrier treaty with the United Provinces . Eugen's experienced diplomat and close confidante was very suitable for this task. Even if he had to submit, he set his own political accents. So Prié was against the establishment of the Ostend company , which the emperor wanted , but which ultimately had to fail because of the sea powers .

The French-speaking Italian was not really accepted by the regional, Austrian or Spanish nobility in Vienna. Prié was in constant dispute with the regional stands. One of the major opponents was Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Merode-Westerloo , Prié was overthrown by Claude Alexandre de Bonneval . In 1724, the close confidante arrived in the capital Brussels , "where he found the nobility and citizens in hatred of the" Piedmontese tyrant "united". Bonneval immediately began a political campaign against Prié and also filed a complaint with the Viennese court chancellor Philipp Ludwig Wenzel von Sinzendorf . Bonneval could be sure of general support against Prié in the southern Netherlands, including in large parts of the military. In the same year Eugen had to drop his protégé and asked Emperor Karl himself to be released from the Generalgouvernement , which was granted in November 1724.

Belgian historiography describes Prié as extremely corrupt. On the other hand, Prié left very large debts when he died.

Prié died in Vienna just a few years after his release.

Individual evidence

↑ On the other titles by Ercole see: Christopher F. Black: Early modern Italy: a social history. Routledge, London a. a. 2001, ISBN 0-415-21434-3 , p. 135.
^ Heinrich Benedikt: When Belgium was Austrian . Herold, Vienna, Munich 1965, p. 62 .

predecessor	Office	successor
	Piedmontese envoy to London 1679 to 1682
	Piedmontese envoy in Vienna 1691 to 1701	1720: Giuseppe Roberto Solaro di Breglio
	Austrian envoy in Rome 1708 to 1714

personal data
SURNAME	Turinetti de Prié, Ercole
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Turinetti, Ercole Giuseppe Lodovico marchese di Priero e di Pancalieri
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Habsburg governor
DATE OF BIRTH	November 27, 1658
PLACE OF BIRTH	Turin
DATE OF DEATH	January 12, 1726
Place of death	Vienna

[1] On the other titles by Ercole see: Christopher F. Black: Early modern Italy: a social history. Routledge, London a. a. 2001, ISBN 0-415-21434-3 , p. 135.

[2] Heinrich Benedikt: When Belgium was Austrian . Herold, Vienna, Munich 1965, p. 62 .