Despite her attention to her German subjects, Eleonora didn't deny her support to her fellow Italian compatriots who came to her court. The Empress gave her patronage to Italian musicians and dancers. Thanks to her, the Imperial court in Vienna became a center of European baroque music. She began the tradition of attending the opera and ballet performances during special celebrations in the Imperial family; the first one took place during Ferdinand II's birthday in 1625, and to this end, the Hofburg large wooden hall was built.