Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily
| Maria Luisa | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portrait by Joseph Dorffmeister, 1797 | |||||
| Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany | |||||
| Tenure | 15 August 1790 – 21 March 1801 | ||||
| Born | 27 July 1773 Royal Palace of Naples, Naples | ||||
| Died | 19 September 1802 (aged 29) Hofburg Palace, Vienna, HRE | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue Detail | |||||
| |||||
| House | Bourbon-Two Sicilies | ||||
| Father | Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies | ||||
| Mother | Maria Carolina of Austria | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
 Coat of arms of Maria Luisa as Grand Duchess of Tuscany | |||||
Luisa of Naples and Sicily (Luisa Maria Amalia Teresa; 27 July 1773 – 19 September 1802) was Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the wife of Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany. She was born a princess of Tuscany as a daughter born to Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Carolina of Austria.
Luisa had a rough correspondence with preeminent painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun—who was commissioned to paint portraits of Luisa and her elder siblings. Vigée Le Brun dubbed Luisa as the “most ugly” daughter of Ferdinand and Maria Carolina, and was even reluctant to finish her portrait. In matter of fact, many disliked Luisa’s appearance, and found her to be unattractive. Despite this, Luisa was known to be kindhearted to those around her.
After eleven years of marriage, Luisa and her husband, Ferdinand, were unwillingly forced into exile upon the Treaty of Aranjuez in 1801. The couple soon fled to Vienna, Austria, where they would stay for nearly a year until Ferdinand compensated with the Electorate of Salzburg, giving him titles and land. Luisa, however, died aged 29, before her husband re-ascended the throne.
Life[]
Childhood (1773–1790)[]
Luisa Maria Amalia Teresa was born on 27 July 1773, at the Royal Palace of Naples. Her parents were Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and his wife, Maria Carolina of Austria. Luisa was one of eighteen children, seven of whom survived into adulthood. She was often called Maria Luisa.
Her paternal grandparents were Charles III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony; her maternal grandparents were Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Austria.
Marriage (1790–1802)[]
On 15 August 1790, Maria Luisa was wed with her first cousin Ferdinand, Grand Duke of Tuscany.[1][2] The wedding ceremony took place in Florence. Her husband ruled the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until 1790, but was forced into exile due to the Treaty of Aranjuez, in which he was to, by Napoleon, make way for the Kingdom of Etruria.
The couple both went into exile and lived in Vienna, the capital of the Austrian Empire, which was ruled by Archduke Ferdinand's elder brother, Emperor Francis II. Soon, Ferdinand was compensated by being given the secularized lands of the Archbishop of Salzburg as Grand-Duke of Salzburg.[3]
Correspondence with Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun[]
In 1790 prominent French painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun was commissioned to paint portraits of Maria Carolina’s four eldest children—one of them being Maria Luisa.[4] Though, whilst painting Luisa, Le Brun was reluctant to finish it due to Luisa’s features. Le Brun detailed the encounter in her memoirs, recalling:[5]
. . . [Luisa] was extremely ugly and pulled such faces that I was most reluctant to finish her portrait.
Despite the criticism given to her, Luisa remained charitable,[6] and kind to those critical of her appearance.
Death[]
On 19 September 1802, upon a somewhat complicated childbirth, Maria Luisa died giving birth to a stillborn son at the Hofburg, in Vienna. She is currently buried in the Imperial Crypt, in Austria, with her stillborn son in her arms.
Aftermath[]
Her husband outlived her by 23 years, he himself dying in 1824. Before his death, however, he had his Tuscan title reassumed—in 1814—after the title was held by Elisa Bonaparte.[7] Ferdinand also remarried in 1821 to Princess Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony, though this marriage remained childless.
Children[]
- Archduchess Carolina Ferdinanda Teresa (2 August 1793 – 5 January 1802);[8] died in childhood.
- Archduke Francesco Leopoldo (15 December 1794 – 18 May 1800);[9] died in childhood.
- Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (3 October 1797 – 29 January 1870);[10] became Grand Duke of Tuscany, marrying Maria Anna of Saxony and Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies. Had issue.
- Archduchess Maria Luisa Giuseppa (30 August 1799 – 15 June 1857);[11] was born disabled and suffered a severe deformity. Due to this, she was affectionately called "the little hunchback" by the people of Florence. Never married, nor had issue.
- Archduchess Maria Theresa (21 March 1801 – 12 January 1855);[12] became queen of Sardinia upon marriage to Charles Albert. Had issue.
- Stillborn son* (19 September 1802)[13]
Ancestry[]
References[]
- ^ Fulford, Tim (28 June 2021). The Life of Nelson, by Robert Southey. Routledge. pp. note, 619. ISBN 978-0-429-68231-5.
- ^ "Luisa Maria Amalia di Borbone-Napoli by ? (Galleria degli Uffizi - Firenze, Toscana, Italy) | Grand Ladies | gogm". www.gogmsite.net. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ The New International Encyclopaedia. Dodd, Mead. 1905.
- ^ Baillio, Joseph (1982). Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun : 1755 - 1842. Kimbell Art Museum. OCLC 1078711969.
- ^ Vigée-Lebrun, Louise-Elisabeth (1903). Memoirs of Madame Vigée Lebrun. Doubleday, Page & Company.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Susan (26 September 2021). "Luisa of Naples and Sicily, Grand Duchess of Tuscany". Unofficial Royalty. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleon's Capable Sister". Shannon Selin. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "Princess Caroline Ferdinanda Theresia of Tuscany, Archduchess of Austria". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ "Francesco Leopoldo Franz di Toscana". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ Susan (27 September 2021). "Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany". Unofficial Royalty. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ "How old is Archduchess Maria Luisa Of Austria, Princess Of Tuscany". HowOld.co. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ Susan (5 July 2021). "Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Tuscany, Queen of Sardinia". Unofficial Royalty. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ "Stillborn son of Tuscany". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. pp. 1, 9.
External links[]
Media related to Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily at Wikimedia Commons
| show Authority control |
|---|
- 1773 births
- 1802 deaths
- Austrian princesses
- Deaths in childbirth
- Grand Duchesses of Tuscany
- House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
- House of Habsburg-Lorraine
- Italian Roman Catholics
- Neapolitan princesses
- 18th-century Neapolitan people
- Sicilian princesses
- 19th-century Neapolitan people
- Burials at the Imperial Crypt
- Burials at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna