Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy

Not to be confused with Princess Maria Theresa of Savoy.

Maria Teresa of Savoy
Duchess consort of Parma
Tenure	17 December 1847 - 17 May 1849
Duchess consort of Lucca
Tenure	13 March 1824 - 17 December 1847
Spouse	Charles II, Duke of Parma
Issue
Princess Luisa of Parma Charles III, Duke of Parma
Full name
Maria Teresa Fernanda Felicitas Gaetana Pia di Savoia
House	House of Savoy (by birth) House of Bourbon-Parma (by marriage)
Father	Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Mother	Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria-Este
Born	19 September 1803(1803-09-19) Palazzo Colonna, Rome
Died	16 July 1879(1879-07-16) (aged 75) San Martino, Vignale, Italy
Burial	Verano Cemetery, Rome

Maria Teresa of Savoy, (Maria Teresa Fernanda Felicitas Gaetana Pia; 19 September 1803 – 16 July 1879) was the wife of Charles II, Duke of Parma (Duke Charles I of Lucca).

Biography

Early life

Maria Teresa was born in Palazzo Colonna in Rome, the daughter of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia and of his wife, Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria-Este. She had a twin sister Maria Anna. The two princesses were baptised by Pope Pius VII. Their godparents were their maternal grandparents, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este and his wife Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este. In the Museo di Roma can be seen a painting of the baptism.^[1]

Maria Teresa spent the majority of her childhood in Cagliari on the island of Sardinia, where her family had taken refuge from the armies of Napoleon I of France. In 1814 her father was restored to rule in Piedmont and the family returned to Turin.

Marriage and issue

On September 5, 1820, in Lucca, Maria Teresa married Charles Louis, Prince of Lucca.

They had two children:

• Luisa Francesca di Paola Teresa Maria Anna Clothilde Beatrice (October 29, 1821 – September 8, 1823)
• Carlo Giuseppe Maria Vittorio Baldasarre, Duke of Parma (1823–1854)

Maria Teresa and her husband were considered a mismatched couple. She was a deeply religious woman committed to her Catholic faith. Charles Louis lived largely for his own pleasure often ignoring his governmental responsibilities. They lived most of their married life apart from each other.

On March 13, 1824, Charles Louis' mother died, and he succeeded her as Duke Charles I of Lucca; Maria Teresa became Duchess of Lucca.

On December 17, 1847, the Empress Marie Louise died, and, in accordance with the Congress of Vienna, Charles exchanged the duchy of Lucca for that of Parma, becoming Duke Charles II of Parma; Maria Teresa became Duchess of Parma. For the next few months Maria Teresa was the virtual ruler of Parma until revolution broke out in March 1848. In March 1849 Charles abdicated as duke of Parma and was succeeded by their son, Charles III. Henceforward, Maria Teresa was styled Dowager Duchess of Parma.

Maria Teresa lived mostly at her villa at Viareggio, particularly after the assassination of her son in 1854. Later she lived in a villa in San Martino in Vignale on the hills just north of Lucca. The villa is still called "Tenuta Maria Teresa" in her honour. There she died in 1879 as a result of cerebral arteriosclerosis. She is buried in the Verano cemetery in Rome, dressed in the habit of the Third Order of St. Dominic.

Ancestry

Footnotes

1. ^ Noel S. McFerran, Museo di Roma (A Jacobite Gazetteer, Rome)

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 19 September 1803 – 5 September 1820 Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy
• 5 September 1820 – 13 March 1824 Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Princess of Lucca
• 13 March 1824 – 17 December 1847 Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Lucca
• 17 December 1847 – 17 May 1849 Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Parma
• 17 May 1849 – 16 July 1879 Her Royal Highness The Dowager Duchess of Parma

Bibliography

• Dizionario biografico degli Parmigiani
• Tenuta Maria Teresa Duchessa di Lucca

Persondata
Name	Maria Teresa Of Savoy, Princess
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	19 September 1803
Place of birth	Palazzo Colonna, Rome
Date of death	16 July 1879
Place of death	San Martino