Louis Victor, Prince of Carignan
Encyclopedia
Louis Victor of Savoy was a northern Italian nobleman and the Prince of Carignano from 1741 till his death.
and thus a descendant of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain. He was doubly descended from the latter pair due his mother being an illegitimate daughter of Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
and his mistress Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes
.
One of five children, he was the second son of his parents; his older brother Joseph Victor Amadeus died in 1716 aged 5 months. Louis Victor was thus the heir to the so called House of Savoy-Carignano from birth. His older sister Anne Thérèse
married the Frenchman Charles de Rohan
and was Princess of Soubise
by marriage. Anne Thérèse was the mother of Madame de Guéméné, governess to the children of Marie Antoinette
and Louis XVI.
Louis Victor grew up in Paris, his father was an inveterate gambler. Heavily in debt, and sued by his sisters whose dowries he had gambled away, he fled to France where he lived such a luxurious life that his son was forced to sell the great fortune he owned in that country. He later moved to Piedmont, between Turin and Racconigi, where his father would establish relations with the greatest European families, such as the Bourbon
, the Rohan
and the Lorraine Armagnac
in France
, the Lobkowicz in Bohemia, and the Colonna
and Doria Pamphili in Italy
. Many of his daughters would later marry into these families.
On 4 May 1740 Louis Victor married the Landgravine Christine of Hesse-Rotenburg; she was a Princess of Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg and was the sister of the then Kings deceased wife Polyxena Christina of Hesse-Rotenburg
(1706–1736). The couple would have many children; eight in total.
Their most famous child was Princess Maria Teresa Louisa of Savoia
, better known as the princesse de Lamballe and best friend of Marie Antoinette
.
Maria Teresa married in 1767 to the Louis Alexandre, Prince of Lamballe, heir to one of the largest fortunes of the era and great grandson of Louis XIV
and Madame de Montespan
. Widowed the next year, Louis Victor's daughter was given a large fortune making her an extremely wealthy women in her own right.
In 1741, he lost his father and thus became the Prince of Carignano. The fief of Carignano
had belonged to the Savoys since 1418, and the fact that it was part of Piedmont
, only twenty km south of Turin, meant that it could be a "princedom" for Thomas in name only, being endowed neither with independence nor revenues of substance.
Louis Victor lost his wife in September, 1778. Louis Victor would follow on 16 December 1778 dying at the Palazzo Carignano
, the Turin residence of the Savoy-Carignano family. Since 1835 his wife's grave has been in Turin's Basilica of Superga
, as is that of Louis Victor.
His present descendants include the pretending cousins Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
and Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
. There is also Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este.
Biography
Louis Victor was born at the Hôtel de Soissons in Paris to the Prince Victor Amadeus of Savoy and his wife Maria Vittoria of Savoy. His father was a grandson of Thomas Francis, Prince of CarignanoThomas Francis, Prince of Carignano
Thomas Francis of Savoy was an Italian military commander, the founder of the Savoy-Carignano branch of the House of Savoy which reigned as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the...
and thus a descendant of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I , known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630...
and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain. He was doubly descended from the latter pair due his mother being an illegitimate daughter of Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus II was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of marquis of Saluzzo, duke of Montferrat, prince of Piedmont, count of Aosta, Moriana and Nizza. Louis XIV organised his marriage in order to maintain French influence in the Duchy but Victor Amadeus soon broke away...
and his mistress Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes
Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes
Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes, comtesse de Verrue was a French noblewoman and the mistress of Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia.-Biography:...
.
One of five children, he was the second son of his parents; his older brother Joseph Victor Amadeus died in 1716 aged 5 months. Louis Victor was thus the heir to the so called House of Savoy-Carignano from birth. His older sister Anne Thérèse
Princess Anne Thérèse of Savoy
Anne Thérèse of Savoy was a Savoyard princess born in Paris. She was the second wife of Charles de Rohan, the friend of Louis XV and great military man.-Biography:...
married the Frenchman Charles de Rohan
Charles, Prince of Soubise
Charles de Rohan , duke of Rohan-Rohan, seigneur of Roberval, and marshal of France from 1758, was a military man, a minister to the kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, and a notorious libertine. The last male of his branch of the House of Rohan, he was also the great grandfather to the duc d'Enghien,...
and was Princess of Soubise
Princess of Soubise
- Princess of Soubise :...
by marriage. Anne Thérèse was the mother of Madame de Guéméné, governess to the children of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
and Louis XVI.
Louis Victor grew up in Paris, his father was an inveterate gambler. Heavily in debt, and sued by his sisters whose dowries he had gambled away, he fled to France where he lived such a luxurious life that his son was forced to sell the great fortune he owned in that country. He later moved to Piedmont, between Turin and Racconigi, where his father would establish relations with the greatest European families, such as the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, the Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
and the Lorraine Armagnac
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Lobkowicz in Bohemia, and the Colonna
Colonna family
The Colonna family is an Italian noble family; it was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other Church and political leaders...
and Doria Pamphili in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Many of his daughters would later marry into these families.
On 4 May 1740 Louis Victor married the Landgravine Christine of Hesse-Rotenburg; she was a Princess of Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg and was the sister of the then Kings deceased wife Polyxena Christina of Hesse-Rotenburg
Polyxena Christina of Hesse-Rotenburg
Princess Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg was the second wife of Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont whom she married in 1724...
(1706–1736). The couple would have many children; eight in total.
Their most famous child was Princess Maria Teresa Louisa of Savoia
Princess Marie Louise of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy. She was married at the age of 16 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince de Lamballe, the heir to the greatest fortune in France. After her marriage, which lasted a year, she went to court and became the confidante of Queen Marie Antoinette...
, better known as the princesse de Lamballe and best friend of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
.
Maria Teresa married in 1767 to the Louis Alexandre, Prince of Lamballe, heir to one of the largest fortunes of the era and great grandson of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and Madame de Montespan
Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
. Widowed the next year, Louis Victor's daughter was given a large fortune making her an extremely wealthy women in her own right.
In 1741, he lost his father and thus became the Prince of Carignano. The fief of Carignano
Carignano
Carignano is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km south of Turin. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 8,777 and an area of 50.2 km².-Geography:...
had belonged to the Savoys since 1418, and the fact that it was part of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, only twenty km south of Turin, meant that it could be a "princedom" for Thomas in name only, being endowed neither with independence nor revenues of substance.
Louis Victor lost his wife in September, 1778. Louis Victor would follow on 16 December 1778 dying at the Palazzo Carignano
Palazzo Carignano
The Palazzo Carignano is a historical building in the centre of Turin, Italy, which currently houses the Museum of the Risorgimento. It was once a private residence of the Princes of Carignano, after whom it is named. It is famous for its unique rounded façade...
, the Turin residence of the Savoy-Carignano family. Since 1835 his wife's grave has been in Turin's Basilica of Superga
Basilica of Superga
The Basilica of Superga is a church in the vicinity of Turin.It was built from 1717 to 1731 for Victor Amadeus II of Savoy by Filippo Juvarra, at the top of the hill of Superga, to fulfill a vow the duke had made during the Battle of Turin...
, as is that of Louis Victor.
His present descendants include the pretending cousins Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, formerly Crown Prince of Italy is the only son of the Umberto II, the last King of Italy. He is commonly known in Italy as Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia...
and Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Aosta, is a claimant to the headship of the House of Savoy, the family which ruled Italy from 1861 to 1946, as well as the heir to the short-lived Kingdom of Croatia during World War II...
. There is also Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este.
Issue
- Princess Charlotte Maria Luisa of Savoy (Turin, 17 August 1742 - 20 February 1794) died unmarried; was a nun;
- Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignano (Turin, 31 October 1743 - September 1780) married Princess Joséphine of LorrainePrincess Joséphine of LorraineJoséphine of Lorraine was a French princess of the House of Lorraine and by marriage the Princess of Carignan...
and had issue; - Princess Leopoldina Maria of SavoyPrincess Leopoldina of SavoyLeopoldina of Savoy was a Princess of Savoy and later the Princess of Melfi, as wife of Giovanni Andrea VI Doria-Pamphilj-Landi, Prince of Melfi...
(Turin, 21 December 1744 – Rome, 17 April 1807) married Prince Andrea IV Doria Pamphili Landi, 8th Prince of Melfi and had issue; - Princess Polyxena Teresa of Savoy (Turin, 31 October 1746 - 20 December 1762) died unmarried;
- Princess Gabrielle of Savoy (Turin, 17 May 1748 - Vienna, 10 April 1828) married Ferdinand Philipp Josef, Prince of Lobkowicz and had issue currant House of Lobkowicz descend from her;
- Princess Maria Teresa Luisa of SavoyPrincess Marie Louise of SavoyMaria Luisa of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy. She was married at the age of 16 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince de Lamballe, the heir to the greatest fortune in France. After her marriage, which lasted a year, she went to court and became the confidante of Queen Marie Antoinette...
(Turin, 8 September 1749 – Paris, 3 September 1792) married Louis Alexandre Joseph de Bourbon, prince de Lamballe; murdered in the French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
; - Prince Tommaso of Savoy (Turin, 6 March 1751 - 23 July 1753)
- Prince Eugenio of SavoyEugenio, Count of VillafrancaEugenio of Savoy was a Prince of the House of Savoy and the Count of Villafranca in his own right...
(Turin, 21 October 1753 - 30 June 1785) married Elisabeth Anne Magon Boisgarin and had issue; - Princess Caterina Maria Luisa Francesca of Savoy (Turin, 4 April 1762 - 4 September 1823) married Don Filippo Giuseppe Francesco Colonna, 9th Prince of Paliano, descendant of Marie ManciniMarie ManciniAnna Maria Mancini was the third of the five Mancini sisters; nieces to Cardinal Mazarin who were brought to France to marry advantageously...
; had issue from which the present Princes of Paliano descend;