Maria Cristina of Savoy

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Maria Cristina of Savoy
Queen consort of the Two Sicilies
Tenure	21 November 1832 – 31 January 1836
Born	(1812-11-14)14 November 1812 Cagliari, Sardinia
Died	21 January 1836(1836-01-21) (aged 23) Naples, Two Sicilies
Burial	Basilica di Santa Chiara (Naples)
Spouse	Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Issue	Francis II of the Two Sicilies
Names Italian: Maria Cristina Carlotta Giuseppa Gaetana Efisia di Savoia
House	Savoy
Father	Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Mother	Maria Teresa of Austria-Este
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Coat of arms of Queen Maria Cristina of Savoy

Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy
Queen Maria Christina at prayer, circa 1835
Queen of the Two Sicilies and Laywoman
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	25 January 2014, Naples, Italy by Pope Francis
Major shrine	Basilica of Santa Chiara, Naples, Italy
Feast	21 January
Attributes	Crown Rosary Imperial attire
Patronage	Italy

Maria Cristina of Savoy (Maria Cristina Carlotta Giuseppa Gaetana Efisia; 14 November 1812 – 21 January 1836) was the first Queen consort of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. She died as a result of childbirth. She is venerated in the Catholic Church, having been beatified as Blessed by Pope Francis.

Family[]

Maria Cristina was the youngest daughter of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia and Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria-Este.

Her maternal grandparents were Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este and Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este. Ferdinand was the fourteenth child and third son born to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria Theresa of Austria. Maria Beatrice was the eldest daughter of Ercole III d'Este and Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, Duchess of Massa and Princess of Carrara.

Queen[]

On 21 November 1832, Maria Cristina married Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. The bride was twenty years old and the groom twenty-two.

Maria Cristina was described as beautiful but also timid and shy: modest and reserved, she was never comfortable at the royal court. Her relationship to Ferdinand was not happy, and he had little patience for her nervous modesty.

She died at the age of 23, after having given birth 5 days before to her only child, Francis II of the Two Sicilies.

Beatification[]

On 10 July 1872 she was declared to be a Servant of God, on 6 May 1937 a Venerable Servant of God, and on 3 May 2013 Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing a miracle due to her intercession, a further stage on her process to beatification.^[1] Her beatification took place on 25 January 2014 at the Basilica of Santa Chiara (Naples), where she is buried, making her Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy.

Maria Cristina as Queen

Ancestry[]

References[]