Princess Maria Luisa Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Encyclopedia
Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (full Italian
name: Maria Immacolata Luisa di Borbone, Principessa di Borbone delle Due Sicilie) (21 January 1855, Naples
, Two Sicilies
– 23 August 1874, Pau, Armagnac, France
) was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
and his wife Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. She was known for her piety and for her charity to the poor.
. Her father died when she was only four years old and she was raised primarily by her mother.
In 1860, when Maria Immacolata was five, her half-brother King Francis II of the Two Sicilies
was defeated by the Expedition of the Thousand
. She and her family fled to Rome
where they resided briefly at the Quirinal Palace
at the invitation of the Pope Pius IX
. Her mother rented the Palazzo Nipoti in Rome, and it was there that she lived for the next seven years.
Even as a child Maria Immacolata was known for her piety. She was particularly devoted to her namesake patrons, the Immaculate Heart of Mary
and Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
. On 24 December 1865, she made her first communion
in the chapel in the Roman College
where Saint Aloysius made his vows.
In the summer of 1867 Maria Immacolata and her family were vacationing at Albano Laziale
when cholera
broke out. Her mother died on 8 August, followed by her youngest brother Gennaro
on 13 August.
Following their mother's death, Maria Immacolata and her siblings moved into the Palazzo Farnese, the residence of her half-brother King Francis II. She was taught Italian, French, and German. She became a competent artist in both oil and watercolour.
In October 1867 Rome was attacked by the forces of Giuseppe Garibaldi
. Maria Immacolata and her sister Maria Pia were given refuge in the Apostolic Palace
in Vatican City
until the papal victory at the Battle of Mentana
.
In 1870 Rome was again attacked by the armies of the King of Italy. Maria Immacolata and her sister Maria Pia fled to Bolzano and then to Cannes
in France
.
, son of Charles III, Duke of Parma
and his wife Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France
. Henry's older brother Robert
had married Maria Immacolata's older sister Maria Pia in 1869.
After the wedding Henry and Maria Immacolata went to Egypt
for their honeymoon. There she became sick with a fever. The couple decided to return home, and on 30 March 1874 they disembarked at Marseilles.
where there were sulphur baths. On the way they stopped at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
where she was immersed in the water twice. Her physicians said that her case was hopeless, and at the end of July it was decided to move her to Pau. She died there on 23 August, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Maria Immacolata's remains were buried in the chapel at Villa Borbone, near Viareggio
.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
name: Maria Immacolata Luisa di Borbone, Principessa di Borbone delle Due Sicilie) (21 January 1855, 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...
, Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
– 23 August 1874, Pau, Armagnac, 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...
) was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand 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 his wife Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. She was known for her piety and for her charity to the poor.
Early life
Maria Immacolata was born at the Palace of Caserta. She was baptised with the names Maria Immacolata Luisa; her godmother was Princess Maria Luisa Carlota of ParmaPrincess Maria Luisa Carlota of Parma
Maria Luisa Carlota of Parma was a Princess of Parma and member of the House of Bourbon. She married Maximilian, Crown Prince of Saxony but remained childless.-Biography:...
. Her father died when she was only four years old and she was raised primarily by her mother.
In 1860, when Maria Immacolata was five, her half-brother King Francis II of the Two Sicilies
Francis II of the Two Sicilies
Francis II , was King of the Two Sicilies from 1859 to 1861. He was the last King of the Two Sicilies, as successive invasions by Giuseppe Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia ultimately brought an end to his rule, and marked the first major event of Italian unification...
was defeated by the Expedition of the Thousand
Expedition of the Thousand
The Expedition of the Thousand was a military campaign led by the revolutionary general Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860. A force of volunteers defeated the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, leading to its dissolution and annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia, an important step in the creation of a newly...
. She and her family fled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where they resided briefly at the Quirinal Palace
Quirinal Palace
The Quirinal Palace is a historical building in Rome, Italy, the current official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. It is located on the Quirinal Hill, the tallest of the seven hills of Rome...
at the invitation of the 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 mother rented the Palazzo Nipoti in Rome, and it was there that she lived for the next seven years.
Even as a child Maria Immacolata was known for her piety. She was particularly devoted to her namesake patrons, the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
and Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
Aloysius Gonzaga
- Early life :Aloysius Gonzaga was born at his family's castle in Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantova in northern Italy in what was then part of the Papal States. He was a member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga...
. On 24 December 1865, she made her first communion
First Communion
The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Catholic Church...
in the chapel in the Roman College
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
where Saint Aloysius made his vows.
In the summer of 1867 Maria Immacolata and her family were vacationing at Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...
when cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
broke out. Her mother died on 8 August, followed by her youngest brother Gennaro
Prince Januarius, Count of Caltagirone
Januarius Maria Immaculata Louis of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caltagirone was the twelfth and youngest child of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and his wife Maria Theresa of Austria...
on 13 August.
Following their mother's death, Maria Immacolata and her siblings moved into the Palazzo Farnese, the residence of her half-brother King Francis II. She was taught Italian, French, and German. She became a competent artist in both oil and watercolour.
In October 1867 Rome was attacked by the forces of Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
. Maria Immacolata and her sister Maria Pia were given refuge in the Apostolic Palace
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
in Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
until the papal victory at the Battle of Mentana
Battle of Mentana
The Battle of Mentana was fought on November 3, 1867 between French-Papal troops and the Italian volunteers led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who were attempting to capture Rome, then the main centre of the peninsula still outside of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy....
.
In 1870 Rome was again attacked by the armies of the King of Italy. Maria Immacolata and her sister Maria Pia fled to Bolzano and then to Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
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...
.
Marriage
On 25 November 1873 in Cannes, Maria Immacolata married Prince Henry of Bourbon-Parma, Count of BardiPrince Henry, Count of Bardi
Prince 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...
, son of Charles III, Duke of Parma
Charles III, Duke of Parma
-Early life:Charles III was born at the Villa delle Pianore near Lucca, the only son of Charles Louis, Prince of Lucca and his wife Princess Maria-Theresa of Savoy . He was given the baptismal names Ferdinando Carlo Vittorio Giuseppe Maria Baldassarre...
and his wife Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France
Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France
Louise Marie Thérèse d'Artois was a duchess and later a regent of Parma. She was the eldest daughter of Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, younger son of King Charles X of France and his wife Carolina of Naples and Sicily, daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies.-Biography:Louise's father...
. Henry's older brother Robert
Robert I, Duke of Parma
Robert 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...
had married Maria Immacolata's older sister Maria Pia in 1869.
After the wedding Henry and Maria Immacolata went to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
for their honeymoon. There she became sick with a fever. The couple decided to return home, and on 30 March 1874 they disembarked at Marseilles.
Death
It was decided to take Maria Immacolata to the town of CauteretsCauterets
Cauterets is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:Cauterets is located southwest of Lourdes in the beautiful valley of the Gave de Cauterets and borders the Pyrenees National Park....
where there were sulphur baths. On the way they stopped at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain is an area of ground surrounding the shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, France...
where she was immersed in the water twice. Her physicians said that her case was hopeless, and at the end of July it was decided to move her to Pau. She died there on 23 August, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Maria Immacolata's remains were buried in the chapel at Villa Borbone, 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...
.
Titles and styles
- 21 January 1855 – 25 November 1873: Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
- 25 November 1873 – 23 February 1874: Her Royal Highness The Countess of Bardi
Further reading
- "Maria Immacolata of Bourbon". Catholic World 21 (1875): 670-81.
- Spillmann, Giovanni. Intorno alla vita di Sua Altezza Reale Maria Immacolata di Borbone, contessa di Bardi. Roma: Tipografia Poliglotta della S.C. di Propaganda, 1875.