Princess Maria Felicita of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Maria Felicita of Savoy was ) a princess of the house of Savoy
, the third daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg. A religious woman, she died unmarried.
, she was the third daughter of Charles Emmanuel III, King of Sardinia
and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg. Her mother died in 1735 when she was just four years old. Her father married again in 1737 to Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, the youngest sister of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
. Charles Emmanuel III and Elisabeth Therese went onto have three children, including the Duke of Chablais
.
Her maternal cousins included Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignan
and his younger sister the future princesse de Lamballe
, both of which were born at the court of Savoy. Her paternal cousins included Ferdinand VI of Spain
, who was king of Spain at the time of her birth.
She was a very religious woman and never married. She founded a boarding school in her native Turin called the Convitto per donne nubili e vedove), a boarding school for widows and unmarried ladies in the Kingdom of Sardinia
.
On 6 December 1798, the French First Republic
declared war on Sardinia
.
Her brother Charles Emmanuel
(then king) was forced to abdicate all his territories on the Italian mainland and to withdraw to the island of Sardinia. As Charles Emmanuel took little interest in the rule of what was left of his kingdom, he and Clotilde lived in Rome and then in Naples as guests of the wealthy Colonna family. Maria Felicita went with her nephew to live as fugitives in Italy.
She died in Rome unmarried and was buried at the Royal Basilica of Superga
overlooking Turin, the traditional burial place of the House of Savoy. She outlived all her siblings except the Duke of Chablais
.
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...
, the third daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg. A religious woman, she died unmarried.
Biography
Born at the Royal Palace of TurinRoyal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin or Palazzo Reale, is a palace in Turin, northern Italy. It was the royal palace of the House of Savoy. It was modernised greatly by the French born Madama Reale Christine Marie of France in the seventeenth century. The palace was worked on by Filippo Juvarra...
, she was the third daughter of Charles Emmanuel III, King of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg. Her mother died in 1735 when she was just four years old. Her father married again in 1737 to Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, the youngest sister of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
. Charles Emmanuel III and Elisabeth Therese went onto have three children, including the Duke of Chablais
Benedetto, Duke of Chablais
Benedetto of Savoy was a prince of Savoy and Duke of Chablais. He was born in the reign of his father Charles Emmanuel III, King of Sardinia. He has no descendants but had a distinguished military career...
.
Her maternal cousins included Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignan
Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignan
Victor Amadeus of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy and Prince of Carignano. He was the brother of the murdered princesse de Lamballe and grandfather of King Charles Albert of Sardinia.-Biography:...
and his younger sister the future princesse de Lamballe
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...
, both of which were born at the court of Savoy. Her paternal cousins included Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
, who was king of Spain at the time of her birth.
She was a very religious woman and never married. She founded a boarding school in her native Turin called the Convitto per donne nubili e vedove), a boarding school for widows and unmarried ladies in the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
.
On 6 December 1798, the French First Republic
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...
declared war on Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
.
Her brother Charles Emmanuel
Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel IV was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802. He abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I...
(then king) was forced to abdicate all his territories on the Italian mainland and to withdraw to the island of Sardinia. As Charles Emmanuel took little interest in the rule of what was left of his kingdom, he and Clotilde lived in Rome and then in Naples as guests of the wealthy Colonna family. Maria Felicita went with her nephew to live as fugitives in Italy.
She died in Rome unmarried and was buried at the Royal 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...
overlooking Turin, the traditional burial place of the House of Savoy. She outlived all her siblings except the Duke of Chablais
Benedetto, Duke of Chablais
Benedetto of Savoy was a prince of Savoy and Duke of Chablais. He was born in the reign of his father Charles Emmanuel III, King of Sardinia. He has no descendants but had a distinguished military career...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 19 March, 1730–13 May, 1801 Her Royal HighnessRoyal HighnessRoyal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
Princess Maria Felicita of Savoy, Princess of Sardinia and Piedmont