Maria Pia of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Maria Pia of Savoy was a Portuguese Queen consort
, spouse of King Luís I of Portugal
. On the day of her baptism, Pope Pius IX
, her godfather, gave her a Golden Rose
. Maria Pia was married to Luís on the 6 October 1862 in Lisbon
. She was the grand mistress of the Order of Saint Isabel
.
, the first King of Italy
, by his wife Adelaide of Austria. Her sister Maria Clotilde
was the "princesse Napoléon" as wife of Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte
and her brothers were King Umberto I of Italy
and King Amadeo of Spain.
. She had a taste for luxury, parties, ball
s, fashion
and masquerades
; at a masquerade ball in 1865, she changed her costume three times. When the Portuguese parliament discussed the queen's excessive expenses, Maria Pia replied saying "if you want a queen, you have to pay for her".
Maria Pia of Savoy was also known in Portugal as "angel of charity" or "mother of the poor" for her compassion and work on social causes.
She did not involve herself in politics, but at a conflict with João Carlos Saldanha de Oliveira Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha
in 1870, she stated: "If I were the king, I would have him shot!"
. She was very active as such and continued with her social projects while holding a dominating position at court. She served as regent during the absence of the king and queen.
The Queen Dowager was devastated after the assassination of her son King Carlos I of Portugal
and grandson Luís Filipe, Duke of Braganza
, on 1 February 1908. During her last years in Portugal, she was showing signs of senility and was rarely seen in public.
Maria Pia was deeply upset by the deposition of her other grandson Manuel II of Portugal
by the 5 October 1910 Revolution
and the resulting establishment of the Portuguese First Republic
. Maria Pia left Portugal with the rest of the royal family to exile in 1910. She returned to her native Italy
, where she died on 5 July 1911. She is said to have mourned the loss of Portugal.
Her remains are interred in the royal mausoleum in the Basilica of Superga
, near Turin
, with most members of the House of Savoy
since the 18th century.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
, spouse of King Luís I of Portugal
Luís I of Portugal
|-...
. On the day of her baptism, Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
, her godfather, gave her a Golden Rose
Golden Rose
The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection...
. Maria Pia was married to Luís on the 6 October 1862 in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. She was the grand mistress of the Order of Saint Isabel
Order of Saint Isabel
The Order of Queen Saint Isabel is a dynastic order of which the Grand Mistress is the Duchess of Braganza.- History :...
.
Biography
Maria Pia was the daughter of Victor Emmanuel IIVictor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
, the first King of Italy
King of Italy
King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
, by his wife Adelaide of Austria. Her sister Maria Clotilde
Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy
Maria Clotilde of Savoy was born in Turin to Vittorio Emanuele II, later King of Italy and his first wife Adelaide of Austria...
was the "princesse Napoléon" as wife of Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte
Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte
Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte, Prince Français, Count of Meudon, Count of Moncalieri ad personam, titular 3rd Prince of Montfort was the second son of Jérôme Bonaparte, king of Westphalia, by his wife Catherine, princess of Württemberg...
and her brothers were King Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in far-left circles, especially among anarchists, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan...
and King Amadeo of Spain.
Queen
As a queen, Maria Pia became known both for her extravagance and for her charityCharity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
. She had a taste for luxury, parties, ball
Ball
A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...
s, fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
and masquerades
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
; at a masquerade ball in 1865, she changed her costume three times. When the Portuguese parliament discussed the queen's excessive expenses, Maria Pia replied saying "if you want a queen, you have to pay for her".
Maria Pia of Savoy was also known in Portugal as "angel of charity" or "mother of the poor" for her compassion and work on social causes.
She did not involve herself in politics, but at a conflict with João Carlos Saldanha de Oliveira Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha
João Carlos Saldanha de Oliveira Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha
Dom João Carlos Gregório Domingos Vicente Francisco de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun, , 1st Count , 1st Marquis and 1st Duke of Saldanha ; , was a Portuguese marshal and statesman, a grandson of Pombal, born at Azinhaga. He studied at Coimbra, served against the French, and was made a prisoner in 1810...
in 1870, she stated: "If I were the king, I would have him shot!"
Queen Dowager
King Luís died on 19 October 1889 and Maria Pia became Queen DowagerQueen Dowager
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. In the case of the widow of a deceased emperor, the title of empress dowager is used...
. She was very active as such and continued with her social projects while holding a dominating position at court. She served as regent during the absence of the king and queen.
The Queen Dowager was devastated after the assassination of her son King Carlos I of Portugal
Carlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
and grandson Luís Filipe, Duke of Braganza
Luís Filipe, Duke of Braganza
-Titles and Styles:*21 March 1887-19 October 1889 - His Royal Highness The Prince of Beira, Duke of Barcelos*19 October 1889-1 February 1908 - His Royal Highness The Prince Royal of Portugal, Duke of Braganza-Arms:...
, on 1 February 1908. During her last years in Portugal, she was showing signs of senility and was rarely seen in public.
Maria Pia was deeply upset by the deposition of her other grandson Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
by the 5 October 1910 Revolution
5 October 1910 revolution
The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic....
and the resulting establishment of the Portuguese First Republic
Portuguese First Republic
The Portuguese First Republic spans a complex 16 year period in the history of Portugal, between the end of the period of constitutional monarchy marked by the 5 October 1910 revolution and the 28 May coup d'état of 1926...
. Maria Pia left Portugal with the rest of the royal family to exile in 1910. She returned to her native 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...
, where she died on 5 July 1911. She is said to have mourned the loss of Portugal.
Her remains are interred in the royal mausoleum in the 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...
, near 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...
, with most members of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
since the 18th century.
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dom Carlos, Prince Royal of Portugal Carlos I of Portugal -Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open... |
September 28, 1863 | February 1, 1908 | Who succeeded him as Charles I, the 33rd (or according to some historians 34th, or even 35th) King of Portugal, murdered in 1908 by the Carbonária Carbonária The Carbonária was originally an anti-clerical, revolutionary, conspiratorial society, originally established in Portugal in 1822 but soon disbanded. It was allied with the Italian Carbonari. A new organization of the same name and claiming to be its continuation was founded in 1896 by Artur... . |
| Dom Afonso, Prince Royal of Portugal | July 31, 1865 | February 21, 1920 | Infante of Portugal, Duke of Porto Duke of Porto Duke of Porto was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the status of royal dukedom, associated with the Portuguese royal house, created in 1833, by Queen Maria II of Portugal for herself, in honor of the city of Oporto, due its loyalty to the liberal cause she represented.From then on, this title... , Viceroy of Portuguese India , and after 1908 Prince Royal Prince Royal of Portugal Prince Royal of Portugal is the official title attributed to the heirs presumptive of the Crown of Portugal... . |
Ancestors
Titles and styles
- 14 February 1847 – 6 October 1862 Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Pia of Savoy
- 6 October 1862 – 19 October 1889 Her Most Faithful Majesty the Queen of Portugal and the Algarves
- 19 October 1889 – 1 February 1908 Her Most Faithful Majesty the Dowager Queen of Portugal and the Algarves
- 1 February 1908 – 5 July 1911 Her Most Faithful Majesty Queen Maria Pia of Portugal