Charles III, Duke of Parma
Encyclopedia
Charles III was Duke of Parma
from 1849 to 1854.
, the only son of Charles Louis, Prince of Lucca
(later Duke of Lucca, and Duke of Parma) and his wife Princess Maria-Theresa of Savoy (daughter of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
). He was given the baptismal names Ferdinando Carlo Vittorio Giuseppe Maria Baldassarre. Until his accession as Duke of Parma in 1849 he was called Ferdinando Carlo or Ferdinando. His family called him Danduccio. From 13 March 1824, he bore the title Hereditary Prince of Lucca.
Ferdinando Carlo spent much of the first ten years of his life in Germany
and in Vienna
. When he was four, the responsibility for his education was entrusted to a Hungarian priest Zsigmond Deáki. He was taught Italian history and language by Lazzaro Papi, Director of the Library of Lucca. He learnt French, Hungarian, German, English, and Spanish.
In 1841 Ferdinando Carlo was sent to Turin
to be instructed in the military arts. He received a commission in the Piedmontese army with the rank of Captain in the Novara Cavalry.
pretender to the throne of France, the Comte de Chambord
. The ceremony took place at Schloss Frohsdorf near Lanzenkirchen
in Austria
. The couple spent their honeymoon at Üchendorff and then in England
.
Ferdinando Carlo and Louise Marie Thérèse had four children:
Ferdinando Carlo travelled a great deal. Outside Italy he often used the title Marchese di Castiglione; in Italy he often used the title Conte di Mulazzo.
died and Ferdinando Carlo's father succeeded as Duke Charles II of Parma. The Duchy of Lucca was incorporated in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and Ferdinando Carlo ceased being Hereditary Prince of Lucca becoming instead Hereditary Prince of Parma.
broke out in Parma supported by King Charles Albert of Sardinia
. Ferdinando Carlo escaped from Parma, but was taken prisoner at Cremona
. He remained a prisoner at Milan
for several months until the British government negotiated his release. After a brief sojourn on the island of Malta
, he travelled to Naples
and then Livorno
where he was joined by his wife Louise Marie who had just given birth to their first son. Then the family sought refuge in England and Scotland.
In August 1848 the Austria
n army entered Parma, and officially restored Charles II. Ferdinando Carlo and his family, however, remained in England, since hostilities continued between the Austrian and Piedmontese armies. For several years Charles II had considered abdicating in favour of Ferdinando Carlo, but he delayed in the hope that when he did so things would be more secure for his son.
On 24 March 1849 the abdication of Charles II was announced. Ferdinando Carlo, still living in England, succeeded to the title of Duke of Parma, Piacenza, and the Annexed States taking the name Charles III. On 18 May 1849 he re-entered Parma, but left again two days later. He did not take over the administration of the duchy until 25 August.
On the evening of 26 March 1854 Charles was taking a walk in the streets of Parma. He was stabbed by an assailant who escaped. He was taken to the Palazzo di Riserva where he died the following evening.
Charles' body was buried in the Cappella della Macchia near Viareggio
. His heart was placed in an urn in the crypt of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata
in Parma.
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
from 1849 to 1854.
Early life
Charles III was born at the Villa delle Pianore near LuccaLucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
, the only son of Charles Louis, Prince of Lucca
Charles II, Duke of Parma
Charles Louis of Bourbon-Parma was King of Etruria , Duke of Lucca , and Duke of Parma .-Early life and marriage:...
(later Duke of Lucca, and Duke of Parma) and his wife Princess Maria-Theresa of Savoy (daughter of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Victor Emmanuel I was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1802 to 1821, and Jacobite Pretender from 1819 until his death.-Biography:...
). He was given the baptismal names Ferdinando Carlo Vittorio Giuseppe Maria Baldassarre. Until his accession as Duke of Parma in 1849 he was called Ferdinando Carlo or Ferdinando. His family called him Danduccio. From 13 March 1824, he bore the title Hereditary Prince of Lucca.
Ferdinando Carlo spent much of the first ten years of his life in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. When he was four, the responsibility for his education was entrusted to a Hungarian priest Zsigmond Deáki. He was taught Italian history and language by Lazzaro Papi, Director of the Library of Lucca. He learnt French, Hungarian, German, English, and Spanish.
In 1841 Ferdinando Carlo was sent to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
to be instructed in the military arts. He received a commission in the Piedmontese army with the rank of Captain in the Novara Cavalry.
Marriage and issue
On 10 November 1845, Ferdinando Carlo married Louise Marie Thérèse of France (1819–1864), the older sister of the LegitimistLegitimists
Legitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior...
pretender to the throne of France, the Comte de Chambord
Henri, comte de Chambord
Henri, comte de Chambord was disputedly King of France from 2 to 9 August 1830 as Henry V, although he was never officially proclaimed as such...
. The ceremony took place at Schloss Frohsdorf near Lanzenkirchen
Lanzenkirchen
-Geography:Lanzenkirchen is located in the regions of Steinfeld and the Bucklige Welt and the Rosalienbirges ranges. Its main river is the Leitha and the Mühlbach Canal.Here are 5 Katastralgemeinden of Lanzenkirchen:*Lanzenkirchen*Frohsdorf*Haderswörth...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The couple spent their honeymoon at Üchendorff and then in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Ferdinando Carlo and Louise Marie Thérèse had four children:
- Margherita Maria Theresa Enrichetta of Bourbon-ParmaPrincess Margherita of Bourbon-ParmaPrincess Margherita of Bourbon-Parma was the eldest child and daughter of Charles III, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France, the eldest daughter of Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry and Princess Caroline Ferdinande Louise of the Two Sicilies...
(1847–1893)
- ∞ Carlos, Duke of MadridCarlos, Duke of MadridInfante Carlos María de los Dolores Juan Isidro José Francisco Quirin Antonio Miguel Gabriel Rafael de Borbón y Austria-Este, Duke of Madrid was the senior member of the House of Bourbon from 1887 until his death...
, CarlistCarlismCarlism is a traditionalist and legitimist political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina , and was founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread...
claimant to the Spanish throne, had issue.- Roberto Carlo Luigi MariaRobert I, Duke of ParmaRobert I was the last sovereign Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1854 to 1859, when the duchy was annexed to Sardinia-Piedmont during the unification of Italy...
, Duke of Parma (1848–1907)
- Roberto Carlo Luigi Maria
- ∞ Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two SiciliesFerdinand II of the Two SiciliesFerdinand II was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death.-Family:Ferdinand was born in Palermo, the son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his wife and first cousin Maria Isabella of Spain.His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Queen Marie...
and Maria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa of Austria (1816-1867)Maria Theresa of Austria was the second wife of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies.-Family:She was the eldest daughter of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg....
), had issue. - ∞ Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal (daughter of King Miguel of PortugalMiguel of PortugalDom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-RosenbergAdelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-RosenbergPrincess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was the wife of King Miguel of Portugal but only following his deposition. As a widow, she secured advantageous marriages for their six daughters.-Family:...
), had issue.- Alicia Maria Carolina Ferdinanda Rachael Giovanna Filomena of Bourbon-Parma (1849–1935)
- ∞ Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of TuscanyFerdinand IV, Grand Duke of TuscanyFerdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the last Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1859 to 1860. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine continued to hold the title as pretenders until the end of World War I.-Biography:...
, had issue.- Enrico Carlo Luigi Giorgio, Count of BardiPrince Henry, Count of BardiPrince Henry of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi was the youngest son and child of Charles III, Duke of Parma and his wife Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France, the eldest daughter of Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry and Princess Caroline Ferdinande Louise of the Two Sicilies.Henry was thus a...
(1851–1905)
- Enrico Carlo Luigi Giorgio, Count of Bardi
- ∞ Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two SiciliesFerdinand II of the Two SiciliesFerdinand II was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death.-Family:Ferdinand was born in Palermo, the son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his wife and first cousin Maria Isabella of Spain.His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Queen Marie...
and Maria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa of Austria (1816-1867)Maria Theresa of Austria was the second wife of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies.-Family:She was the eldest daughter of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg....
). - ∞ Infanta Adelgundes of Portugal, Duchess of GuimarãesInfanta Adelgundes, Duchess of GuimarãesInfanta Adelgundes of Portugal, Duchess of Guimarães was the fifth child and fourth daughter of Miguel of Portugal and his wife Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. A member of the House of Braganza by birth, Adelgundes became a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma through her marriage to...
(daughter of King Miguel of PortugalMiguel of PortugalDom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-RosenbergAdelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-RosenbergPrincess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was the wife of King Miguel of Portugal but only following his deposition. As a widow, she secured advantageous marriages for their six daughters.-Family:...
).
Ferdinando Carlo travelled a great deal. Outside Italy he often used the title Marchese di Castiglione; in Italy he often used the title Conte di Mulazzo.
Acquisition of Parma
On 17 December 1847 Empress Marie LouiseMarie Louise, Duchess of Parma
Marie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...
died and Ferdinando Carlo's father succeeded as Duke Charles II of Parma. The Duchy of Lucca was incorporated in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and Ferdinando Carlo ceased being Hereditary Prince of Lucca becoming instead Hereditary Prince of Parma.
Restoration and reign
Charles II only reigned for a few months in Parma. In March 1848 revolutionRevolutions of 1848 in the Italian states
The 1848 revolutions in the Italian states were organized revolts in the states of Italy led by intellectuals and agitators who desired a liberal government. As Italian nationalists they sought to eliminate reactionary Austrian control...
broke out in Parma supported by King Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
. Ferdinando Carlo escaped from Parma, but was taken prisoner at Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
. He remained a prisoner at Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
for several months until the British government negotiated his release. After a brief sojourn on the island of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, he travelled to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and then Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
where he was joined by his wife Louise Marie who had just given birth to their first son. Then the family sought refuge in England and Scotland.
In August 1848 the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n army entered Parma, and officially restored Charles II. Ferdinando Carlo and his family, however, remained in England, since hostilities continued between the Austrian and Piedmontese armies. For several years Charles II had considered abdicating in favour of Ferdinando Carlo, but he delayed in the hope that when he did so things would be more secure for his son.
On 24 March 1849 the abdication of Charles II was announced. Ferdinando Carlo, still living in England, succeeded to the title of Duke of Parma, Piacenza, and the Annexed States taking the name Charles III. On 18 May 1849 he re-entered Parma, but left again two days later. He did not take over the administration of the duchy until 25 August.
On the evening of 26 March 1854 Charles was taking a walk in the streets of Parma. He was stabbed by an assailant who escaped. He was taken to the Palazzo di Riserva where he died the following evening.
Charles' body was buried in the Cappella della Macchia near Viareggio
Viareggio
Viareggio is a city and comune located in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With a population of over 64,000 it is the main centre of the northern Tuscan Riviera known as Versilia, and the second largest city within the Province of Lucca.It is known as a seaside resort...
. His heart was placed in an urn in the crypt of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata
Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata
The Shrine of Santa Maria della Steccata is a Greek-cross design Renaissance church in central Parma, Italy.-History:By 1392, the site held a small oratory to shelter a miraculous image of St. John the Baptist and was neighboring a religious confraternity that had an equally miraculous image of the...
in Parma.
Titles and styles
- 13 March 1824 - 17 December 1847 His Royal Highness the Hereditary Prince of Lucca
- 17 December 1847 - 17 May 1849 His Royal Highness the Hereditary Prince of Parma
- 24 March 1849 His Royal Highness the Duke of Parma, Piacenza, and the Annexed States