Maria Francisca of Savoy
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Maria Francisca of Savoy | |||||
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Queen consort of Portugal | |||||
Tenure | 12 September 1683 – 27 December 1683 | ||||
Tenure | 2 August 1666 – 24 March 1668 | ||||
Born | Hôtel de Nemours, Paris, France | 21 June 1646||||
Died | 27 December 1683 Palhavã, Lisbon, Portugal | (aged 37)||||
Burial | |||||
Spouses | |||||
Issue | Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira | ||||
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House | Savoy | ||||
Father | Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours | ||||
Mother | Élisabeth de Bourbon |
Family
Maria Francisca was born in
Queen of Afonso VI
In 1581, Portugal and Spain had been united under Philip II, but domestic opposition led to the 1640 to 1668 Portuguese Restoration War. By the end of 1665, Spanish attempts to reconquer Portugal had clearly failed, while their finances had collapsed, the Crown declaring bankruptcy no less than nine times between 1557 and 1666.[4]
This allowed Portuguese chief minister, Castelo Melhor, to focus on securing his own position. Afonso VI succeeded his father in 1656 but he was physically impaired and mentally unstable, with government controlled by his mother, Luisa de Guzmán. Guided by Castelo Melhor, Afonso sent her to a convent in 1662, where she died in February 1666.[5]
The Portuguese government was split between pro-French and pro-English factions, respectively led by Castelo Melhor and Afonso's younger brother,
From then on, she became known as Maria Francisca Isabel de Sabóia, although the marriage proved a disappointment.[6] Afonso abandoned the festivities early, leaving his new bride in charge, and reportedly displayed a similar lack of interest in consummating it. More importantly, Maria was an intelligent and resolute individual, who wanted to serve French interests but also rule; she soon discovered Afonso was controlled by Castelo Melhor, who had no intention of sharing power. This drove her to first co-operate with her brother-in-law Pedro, then allegedly begin an affair with him.[7]
Although Castelo Melhor considered the marriage and the March 1667 Treaty of Lisbon with France as confirming his position, in fact they undermined it. Despite being financially exhausted, the treaty required Portugal to provide military support against Spain, while Maria persuaded Louis that Pedro was a better way to further French interests. In September, Castelo Melhor was forced into exile and in late November, Pedro deposed his brother, sending him to Terceira in the Azores. Maria retired to a convent and asked her marriage be annulled on the grounds of non-consummation; this was approved by her relative, French Cardinal Vendôme, and she married Pedro in September 1668.[8]
Queen of Peter II
Months after her annulment, Maria Francisca married the Infante Peter, now the
Throughout 1683, newspapers and diplomatic correspondence chronicled Maria Francisca's deteriorating health.[11] In September, it was reported that she had become incredibly thin and ill.[12] Her condition oscillated in the next months, offering sporadic signs of recovery.[13] She died on 27 December 1683,[14] three months after the death of Afonso VI.[15]
Maria Francisca's only child, the
Maria Francisca was initially interred at the Convent of the Francesinhas, but her remains were transferred to the Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in 1912.[16] Examination of her corpse revealed she had suffered from syphilis.[17]
Ancestry
Ancestors of Maria Francisca of Savoy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- ^ a b Oresko 2004, p. 17.
- ^ Oresko 2004, p. 19.
- ^ "Term details". British Museum. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
- ^ Cowans 2003, pp. 26–27.
- ^ a b Ames 2014, p. 32.
- ^ a b Oresko 2004, p. 23.
- ^ Ames 2014, p. 33.
- ^ Ames 2014, pp. 34–35.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 75.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 76.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 78.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 79.
- ^ Braga 2017, pp. 79–80.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 82.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 73.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 86.
- ^ Braga 2017, p. 74.
Sources
- Ames, Glenn J (2014). Renascent Empire?: Pedro II and the Quest for Stability in Portuguese Monsoon Asia, ca.1640-1682. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 978-9053563823.
- Braga, Isabel Drumond (2017). "Illnesses and Death of Maria Francisca Isabel of Savoy, Queen of Portugal". Donne, Cultura e Società nel Panorama Lusitano e Internazionale (secoli XVI-XXI. Sette Città. pp. 73–91.
- Cowans, Jon (2003). Modern Spain: A Documentary History. U. of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0-8122-1846-9.
- Oresko, Robert (2004). "Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours (1644–1724): daughter, consort, and Regent of Savoy". In Campbell Orr, Clarissa (ed.). Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81422-7.