Francis II of the Two Sicilies
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| Francis II | |
| King of the Two Sicilies | |
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| Reign | 22 May 1859-20 March 1861 |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 January 1836 |
| Birthplace | Naples |
| Died | 27 December 1894 (aged 58) |
| Place of death | Arco |
| Predecessor | Ferdinand II |
| Successor | None |
| Consort | Maria Sophie of Bavaria |
| Royal House | Bourbon |
| Father | Ferdinand II |
| Mother | Maria Christina of Savoy |
Francis II (Francesco d'Assisi Maria Leopoldo, January 16, 1836 – December 27, 1894), was King of the Two Sicilies (the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily) from 1859 to 1861.
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[edit] Early life
The son and heir of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Maria Christina of Savoy, Francis II was the last of the Bourbon kings of Naples, where he was born in 1836. His education had been much neglected and he proved a man of weak character, greatly influenced by his stepmother Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, by the priests, and by the camarilla, or reactionary court set.
On January 8, 1859, Francis married Maria Sophie of Bavaria, from the royal Bavarian house of Wittelsbach (younger sister of Empress Elisabeth "Sissi" of Austria). Their only daughter, Cristina, only lived three months (24 December 1869 - 28 March 1870).
[edit] King of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II ascended the throne on the death of his father (May 22, 1859). As prime minister he at once appointed Carlo Filangieri, who, realizing the importance of the Franco-Piedmontese victories in Lombardy, advised Francis to accept the alliance with the Kingdom of Sardinia proposed by Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour. On June 7 a part of the Swiss Guard mutinied, and while the king mollified them by promising to redress their grievances, General Nunziante collected other troops, who surrounded the mutineers and shot them down. The incident resulted in the disbanding of the whole Swiss Guard, the strongest bulwark of the dynasty.
Cavour again proposed an alliance to divide the Papal States between Piedmont and Naples, the province of Rome excepted, but Francis rejected an idea which to him savoured of sacrilege. Filangieri strongly advocated a Constitution as the only measure which might save the dynasty, and on the king’s refusal he resigned.
[edit] Garibaldi lands with his Thousand
Meanwhile the revolutionary parties were conspiring for the overthrow of the Bourbons in Calabria and Sicily, and Giuseppe Garibaldi was preparing for a raid in the south. A conspiracy in Sicily was discovered and the plotters punished with brutal severity, but Rosalino Pilo and Francesco Crispi had organized the movement, and when Garibaldi landed at Marsala (May 1860) with his Thousand, he conquered the island with astonishing ease.
These events at last frightened Francis into granting a constitution, but its promulgation was followed by disorders in Naples and the resignation of ministers, and Liborio Romano became head of the government. The disintegration of the army and navy proceeded apace, and Cavour sent a Piedmontese squadron carrying troops on board to watch events. Garibaldi, who had crossed the straits of Messina, was advancing northwards and was everywhere received by the people as a liberator. After long hesitations and even an appeal to Garibaldi himself, on the advice of Romano Francis left Naples on September 6 with his wife Maria Sophia, the court, the diplomatic corps (the French and English ministers excepted), and went by sea to Gaeta, where a large part of the army was concentrated.
The next day Garibaldi entered Naples, was enthusiastically welcomed, and formed a provisional government.
[edit] Victor Emmanuel invades
King Victor Emmanuel II had decided on the invasion of the Papal States, and after occupying Romagna and the Marche entered the Neapolitan kingdom. Garibaldi’s troops defeated the Neapolitan royalists at the Battle of Volturno (October 1 and 2), while the Piedmontese captured Capua.
By late 1860, only Gaeta, Messina, and Civitella del Tronto still held out and Garibaldi took Messina before the end of the year. The Siege of Gaeta by the Piedmontese began on November 6, 1860. Both Francis and Maria Sophia behaved with great coolness and courage. Even when the French fleet, whose presence had hitherto prevented an attack by sea, was withdrawn, they still resisted. It was not until February 12, 1861 that the fortress capitulated.
[edit] Deposed
Thus the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was incorporated in that of the Kingdom of Italy and Francis II was deposed. Francis and Maria Sophie, now royals without a kingdom, led a wandering life from then on. They lived in Austria, France, and Bavaria. In 1894, Francis died at Arco in Trentino (northern Italy). His widow survived him by 31 years and died in Munich. Upon the death of Francis, his half-brother, Prince Alfonso, became the pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Francis II was weak-minded and vacillating, but, although his short reign was stained with some cruel massacres and persecutions, he was less of a tyrant than his father. The courage and dignity he displayed during his reverses inspired pity and respect.
[edit] Ancestors
[edit] See also
[edit] References
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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Francis II of the Two Sicilies
Born: 16 January 1836 Died: 27 December 1894 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ferdinand II |
King of the Two Sicilies 1859 — 1861 |
Kingdom Abolished Italian Unification under the House of Savoy |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Himself |
— TITULAR — King of the Two Sicilies 1861 — 1894 |
Succeeded by Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta |
