Eugene Prince of Savoy (1663–1736)

Prince Eugene was the youngest son of Olympia Mancini, comtesse de Soissons, one of Cardinal Mazarin's beautiful nieces whom he brought to Paris from Rome to make advantageous marriages, and Eugene Maurice, comte de Soissons, Prince of Savoy, and a French general. Eugene grew up around the French court and by age 19 had determined on a military career. He was rejected by King Louis XIV for service in the French army, and so moved to Austria to serve the Habsburg monarchy.

Over six decades, Prince Eugene achieved a legendary reputation as a military commander. One of his greatest achievements was to break the westward expansion of the Ottoman Empire, liberating central Europe after a century and a half of Turkish occupation. He was also one of the great patrons of the arts whose building legacy can still be seen in Vienna today.