Leopoldo de Austria was born in Austria as illegitimate son of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna von Helfenstein, who bore him seven other children.
He received a humanist education and was sent to Spain, where his nephew Charles, Holy Roman Emperor had become King.
Between 1536 and 1537, he was the Rector of the Salamanca University. In 1541, he was appointed as Bishop of Cordoba during the papacy of Pope Paul III as successor of Pedro Fernández Manrique.[2]
He served as Bishop of Cordoba until his death on 27 September 1557.