The only way to know for sure is to ask the opera house.


Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (German language: Franz II, Heiliger Römischer Kaiser) also referred to as Francis I, Emperor of Austria (February 12, 1768 – March 2, 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until August 6, 1806, when the Empire was disbanded. He then became Francis I, first Emperor of Austria (ruling from 1804 to 1835).

My own guess would be that the inscription refers to him: Francis I, Emperor of Austria.

Later in that article:

"After 1806 he used the titles: "We, Francis the First, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria; King of Jerusalem, Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia and Lodomeria; Archduke of Austria; Duke of Lorraine, Salzburg, Würzburg, Franconia, Styria, Carinthia and Carniola; Grand Duke of Cracow; Grand Prince of Transylvania; Margrave of Moravia; Duke of Sandomir, Masovia, Lublin, Upper and Lower Silesia, Auschwitz and Zator, Teschen and Friule; Prince of Berchtesgaden and Mergentheim; Princely Count of Habsburg, Gorizia and Gradisca and of the Tyrol; and Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia and in Istria"."

That's a bit much to ask a mason to chisel onto a little block of granite.

Note that all of these names/titles are "English equivalents" and don't necessarily represent how one of home town chiselers would have put the title in marble.

"Names in other languages: German: Franz II./I., Czech: František I., Slovak: František I., Hungarian: I. Ferenc, Croatian: Franjo I., Italian: Francesco II./I., Slovenian Franc."

I would expect that this list is not necessarily complete.

A Genealogy of the Imperial and Royal Family of Austria-Hungary1: House Habsburg-Lothringen gives:

"HIM Franz Joseph Karl Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia
(Born as: HI & RH Franz Joseph Karl Prince Imperial and Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Prince of Tuscany)
(Since March 1st, 1792:) HIM Franz II Joseph Karl Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, King in Germany, of Jerusalem, Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria
(Since August 11th, 1804:) HIM Franz II Joseph Karl Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Emperor of Austria, King in Germany, of Jerusalem, Hungary and Bohemia
* Florence, February 12th, 1768
† Vienna, March 2nd, 1835
Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Milan, March 1st, 1792 (deposed as Duke of Milan: May 9th, 1796; abdicated as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire: August 6th, 1806); Grand Duke of Cracow, October 24th, 1795; Duke of Friaul, Lord of Cattaro, 1797; Emperor of Austria, August 11th, 1804; Duke of Milan, April 28th, 1814 - April 7th, 1815; King of Lombardia-Venice, April 7th, 1815; King of Illyria, Duke of Salzburg, Duke of Ragusa and Zara, Prince of Triente and Brixen, June 10th, 1815"

Although the histories gloss over it, his "given name" was Franz Joseph Karl, and it does appear as "Franz Joseph I," albeit perhaps incidentally, and perhaps briefly, and it may have varied in different localities.

1808 was the year in which he married (his third of four royal wives), which would have been an occasion for changes in titles for both parties to a royal marriage. The stone may mark his assuming the title Kaiser?/Fuhrer?/Emporer? Franz Joseph I in that year. It is possible that on the occasion of adding a few domains, he adopted the Franz Joseph, as by that time he had a (6 y.o.) son named Franz Karl. It also is likely that the histories gloss over his usage of "Franz Joseph I," since the same name also was used by his grandson. Historians have adopted that name as the "standard reference" to the grandson, and use another of this man's names to make clear which is meant, but both are recorded as having been called "Franz Joseph I" (preceded and followed by different lists of titles).

(But of course I'm only guessing.)

John