Ferdinand, Duke of Genoa
Encyclopedia
Duke of Genoa
The Royal Dukedom of Genoa was a subsidiary title of the King of Sardinia. It was first awarded in 1831 to Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, second son of King Charles Albert of Sardinia. The title became extinct on the death of Prince Eugenio, grandson of King Charles Albert in 1996.-External links:...
branch of the House of Savoy
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...
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Biography
Ferdinand was born in FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
the second son of Charles Albert, Prince of Carignan
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
and Maria Teresa of Tuscany. His father was the head of the House of Savoy-Carignan a cadet branch of the House of Savoy. The senior line of the house became extinct in 1831 and his father succeeded as King of Sardinia. With the ascension of his father he was created Duke of Genoa
Duke of Genoa
The Royal Dukedom of Genoa was a subsidiary title of the King of Sardinia. It was first awarded in 1831 to Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, second son of King Charles Albert of Sardinia. The title became extinct on the death of Prince Eugenio, grandson of King Charles Albert in 1996.-External links:...
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During the wars taking place on the Italian peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
in 1848 and 1849, Ferdinand commanded an army division. After peace was restored in Italy he was appointed general commandment of the artillery and set about making improvements.
As a result of the Sicilian revolution of independence
Sicilian revolution of independence of 1848
The Sicilian revolution of independence of 1848 occurred in a year replete with revolutions and popular revolts. It commenced on 12 January 1848, and therefore was one of the first of the numerous revolutions to occur that year...
he was a candidate for the throne. He was the most acceptable candidate to Britain and the British Minister in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
informed him they would recognise him as king as soon as he took possession of the throne. On 11 July 1848 the national assembly of Sicily unanimously voted to offer him the throne. When the Sicilian deputation arrived to offer him the throne, he was absent from Royal headquarters as he was commanding a division in the army. After Sardinia's defeat to the forces of the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
commanded by Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
he felt compelled to decline the opportunity to become King of Sicily.
During the Crimean war
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
he was to be appointed to command the Kingdom of Sardinia's auxiliary
Auxiliaries
An auxiliary force is a group affiliated with, but not part of, a military or police organization. In some cases, auxiliaries are armed forces operating in the same manner as regular soldiers...
corps but his declining health meant he could not take up the posting.
His health did not recover and he died in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
at the age thirty two. He is buried in the Royal Cript of the 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...
. His one year old son Thomas
Thomas, Duke of Genoa
Tommaso of Savoy , 2nd Duke of Genoa, also known as Thomas Albert Victor of Savoy, was an Italian royal prince, nephew of the King of Sardinia, who on 18 February1861 became the first King of a united Italy...
succeeded to the title Duke of Genoa
Duke of Genoa
The Royal Dukedom of Genoa was a subsidiary title of the King of Sardinia. It was first awarded in 1831 to Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, second son of King Charles Albert of Sardinia. The title became extinct on the death of Prince Eugenio, grandson of King Charles Albert in 1996.-External links:...
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Marriage and children
Ferdinand married Princess Elizabeth of SaxonyPrincess Elizabeth of Saxony
Elisabeth of Saxony was a Princess of Saxony who married the second son of the King of Sardinia. She was the mother of Margherita, Queen of Italy.-Early life and family:...
, daughter of King John of Saxony and Princess Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
Amalie Auguste was a Princess of Bavaria and Queen of Saxony.-Biography:Amalie was the fourth child of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife Karoline of Baden. She was the identical twin sister of Elizabeth Louise, later Queen of Prussia as wife of Frederick William IV of Prussia...
, on 22 April 1850 in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. They had two children:
| Name | |Death | Margherita of Savoy Margherita of Savoy Margherita of Savoy , was the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy during the reign of her husband, Umberto I.-Family:... | Palazzo Chiablese Palazzo Chiablese The Palazzo Chiablese is a building which is part of the Royal Palace of Turin, northern Italy. It was the successive home of the Duke of Chablais and then Carlo Felice, king of Sardinia and Ferdinando the Duke of Genoa. It is today the home of a cultural collection which honouring the history... , 1851 |
1926 | married Umberto I of Italy Umberto I of Italy Umberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in far-left circles, especially among anarchists, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan... ; had issue |
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| Thomas, 2nd Duke of Genoa | 1854 | 1931 | married Princess Isabella of Bavaria Princess Isabella of Bavaria Princess Isabella Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria was the third child and eldest daughter of Prince Adalbert of Bavaria and his wife Infanta Amelia Philippina of Spain... ; had issue |
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