Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (born 1770)

Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (Maria Anna Josepha Antonia) was born in Florence on April 22, 1770, and died in Naples on August 2, 1809. She was the daughter of Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany (later Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II), and Maria Luisa of Spain.

Maria Anna was the youngest of sixteen children. Her upbringing was relatively simple, focused on domestic skills and religious education. Unlike some of her older sisters, she was not particularly noted for her beauty or political influence.

In 1790, she married Prince Ferdinand of Naples, son of King Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Ferdinand later became King Ferdinand III of Sicily and Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. The marriage was arranged to solidify political ties between Austria and Naples.

Maria Anna's role in the Neapolitan court was primarily supportive. She was not actively involved in politics and is not remembered for any significant historical actions. She bore no children, which may have further limited her influence. She spent much of her time in Naples amidst the tumultuous political climate of the Napoleonic era. She died in Naples in 1809 at the age of 39. Her remains are interred in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.