Polyxena Christina of Hesse-Rotenburg
Encyclopedia
Princess Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg (Polyxena Christina Johanna; 21 September 1706 – 13 January 1735) was the second wife of Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont
whom she married in 1724. The mother of the future Victor Amadeus III
, she was queen consort of Sardinia from 1730 until her death in 1735.
with a daughter of Rinaldo, reigning Duke of Modena had come to nothing. His first wife, Countess Palatine Anne Christine of Sulzbach had died on 12 March 1723, less than a year after her marriage and barely a week after giving birth to a son, Victor Amadeus.
Although only two years younger, Polyxena was a niece of Charles Emanuel's first wife, and belonged to the only Roman Catholic branch (since 1652) of the reign
ing House of Hesse
. In fact, she had been nominally a canoness of Thorn since 1720.
The engagement was announced on 2 July 1724, and she wed Charles Emmanuel by proxy on 23 July in Rotenburg
. The marriage was celebrated in person at Thonon
in Chablais
on 20 August 1724.
Her stepson Victor Amadeus, heir after his father and grandfather to the Sardinian crown, died at the age of two, a year after Polyxena's marriage and before she had a child of her own. Nonetheless, she is said to have had a close relationship with her mother-in-law Anne Marie d'Orléans and the two frequented the Villa della Regina
outside the capital, where the latter died in 1728.
When King Victor Amadeus announced his decision to return to the throne after having abdicated in 1730, Polyxena used her influence over her husband to have his father imprisoned at the Castle of Moncalieri
, where he was joined for a while by his morganatic
spouse Anna Canalis di Cumiana
, Polyxena's former lady of the bedchamber
.
In an 1869 history of the House of Savoy, Francesco Predari wrote that despite the fact Polyxena was praised for goodness of character and beautiful virtues, her father-in-law advised her to take care to maintain separate quarters from her husband for prudence sake. In 1732 she founded a home for young mothers in Turin, redecorated the Villa della Regina
, Stupingi's hunting lodge, and the Church of Saint Giuseppe in Turin. She carried out various improvements with Filippo Juvarra
and popularised chinoiserie
. She was also a patron of Giovanni Battista Crosato, a baroque
painter.
Having been ill since June 1734, she died at the Royal Palace of Turin
, and has been buried in the Royal Basilica of Superga
since 1786. Two years after her death, her widower married Princess Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, sister of the future Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
.
. The Villa Polissena in Rome
is named in her honour.
whom she married in 1724. The mother of the future Victor Amadeus III
, she was queen consort of Sardinia from 1730 until her death in 1735.
with a daughter of Rinaldo, reigning Duke of Modena had come to nothing. His first wife, Countess Palatine Anne Christine of Sulzbach had died on 12 March 1723, less than a year after her marriage and barely a week after giving birth to a son, Victor Amadeus.
Although only two years younger, Polyxena was a niece of Charles Emanuel's first wife, and belonged to the only Roman Catholic branch (since 1652) of the reign
ing House of Hesse
. In fact, she had been nominally a canoness of Thorn since 1720.
The engagement was announced on 2 July 1724, and she wed Charles Emmanuel by proxy on 23 July in Rotenburg
. The marriage was celebrated in person at Thonon
in Chablais
on 20 August 1724.
Her stepson Victor Amadeus, heir after his father and grandfather to the Sardinian crown, died at the age of two, a year after Polyxena's marriage and before she had a child of her own. Nonetheless, she is said to have had a close relationship with her mother-in-law Anne Marie d'Orléans and the two frequented the Villa della Regina
outside the capital, where the latter died in 1728.
When King Victor Amadeus announced his decision to return to the throne after having abdicated in 1730, Polyxena used her influence over her husband to have his father imprisoned at the Castle of Moncalieri
, where he was joined for a while by his morganatic
spouse Anna Canalis di Cumiana
, Polyxena's former lady of the bedchamber
.
In an 1869 history of the House of Savoy, Francesco Predari wrote that despite the fact Polyxena was praised for goodness of character and beautiful virtues, her father-in-law advised her to take care to maintain separate quarters from her husband for prudence sake. In 1732 she founded a home for young mothers in Turin, redecorated the Villa della Regina
, Stupingi's hunting lodge, and the Church of Saint Giuseppe in Turin. She carried out various improvements with Filippo Juvarra
and popularised chinoiserie
. She was also a patron of Giovanni Battista Crosato, a baroque
painter.
Having been ill since June 1734, she died at the Royal Palace of Turin
, and has been buried in the Royal Basilica of Superga
since 1786. Two years after her death, her widower married Princess Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, sister of the future Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
.
. The Villa Polissena in Rome
is named in her honour.
whom she married in 1724. The mother of the future Victor Amadeus III
, she was queen consort of Sardinia from 1730 until her death in 1735.
with a daughter of Rinaldo, reigning Duke of Modena had come to nothing. His first wife, Countess Palatine Anne Christine of Sulzbach had died on 12 March 1723, less than a year after her marriage and barely a week after giving birth to a son, Victor Amadeus.
Although only two years younger, Polyxena was a niece of Charles Emanuel's first wife, and belonged to the only Roman Catholic branch (since 1652) of the reign
ing House of Hesse
. In fact, she had been nominally a canoness of Thorn since 1720.
The engagement was announced on 2 July 1724, and she wed Charles Emmanuel by proxy on 23 July in Rotenburg
. The marriage was celebrated in person at Thonon
in Chablais
on 20 August 1724.
Her stepson Victor Amadeus, heir after his father and grandfather to the Sardinian crown, died at the age of two, a year after Polyxena's marriage and before she had a child of her own. Nonetheless, she is said to have had a close relationship with her mother-in-law Anne Marie d'Orléans and the two frequented the Villa della Regina
outside the capital, where the latter died in 1728.
When King Victor Amadeus announced his decision to return to the throne after having abdicated in 1730, Polyxena used her influence over her husband to have his father imprisoned at the Castle of Moncalieri
, where he was joined for a while by his morganatic
spouse Anna Canalis di Cumiana
, Polyxena's former lady of the bedchamber
.
In an 1869 history of the House of Savoy, Francesco Predari wrote that despite the fact Polyxena was praised for goodness of character and beautiful virtues, her father-in-law advised her to take care to maintain separate quarters from her husband for prudence sake. In 1732 she founded a home for young mothers in Turin, redecorated the Villa della Regina
, Stupingi's hunting lodge, and the Church of Saint Giuseppe in Turin. She carried out various improvements with Filippo Juvarra
and popularised chinoiserie
. She was also a patron of Giovanni Battista Crosato, a baroque
painter.
Having been ill since June 1734, she died at the Royal Palace of Turin
, and has been buried in the Royal Basilica of Superga
since 1786. Two years after her death, her widower married Princess Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, sister of the future Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
.
. The Villa Polissena in Rome
is named in her honour.
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
whom she married in 1724. The mother of the future Victor Amadeus III
Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until declaring war on revolutionary France in 1792...
, she was queen consort of Sardinia from 1730 until her death in 1735.
Queen of Sardinia
King Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia approached her family and proposed a union between Polyxena and Victor Amadeus II's son and heir Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont. A previous match orchestrated by Agostino SteffaniAgostino Steffani
Agostino Steffani was an Italian ecclesiastic, diplomat and composer.-Biography:Steffani was born at Castelfranco Veneto. At a very early age he was admitted as a chorister at San Marco, Venice...
with a daughter of Rinaldo, reigning Duke of Modena had come to nothing. His first wife, Countess Palatine Anne Christine of Sulzbach had died on 12 March 1723, less than a year after her marriage and barely a week after giving birth to a son, Victor Amadeus.
Although only two years younger, Polyxena was a niece of Charles Emanuel's first wife, and belonged to the only Roman Catholic branch (since 1652) of the reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ing House of Hesse
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
. In fact, she had been nominally a canoness of Thorn since 1720.
The engagement was announced on 2 July 1724, and she wed Charles Emmanuel by proxy on 23 July in Rotenburg
Rotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany lying, as the name says, on the river Fulda.- Geography :- Location :...
. The marriage was celebrated in person at Thonon
Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains is a town in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:...
in Chablais
Chablais
Chablais was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.This region is currently divided into three territories, the Chablais savoyard, the Chablais valaisan, and the Chablais vaudois, and is now split across two countries: France and Switzerland...
on 20 August 1724.
Her stepson Victor Amadeus, heir after his father and grandfather to the Sardinian crown, died at the age of two, a year after Polyxena's marriage and before she had a child of her own. Nonetheless, she is said to have had a close relationship with her mother-in-law Anne Marie d'Orléans and the two frequented the Villa della Regina
Villa della Regina
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.-History:...
outside the capital, where the latter died in 1728.
When King Victor Amadeus announced his decision to return to the throne after having abdicated in 1730, Polyxena used her influence over her husband to have his father imprisoned at the Castle of Moncalieri
Castle of Moncalieri
The Castle of Moncalieri is a palace in Moncalieri , Piedmont, in northern Italy. It is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1997.-History:...
, where he was joined for a while by his morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
spouse Anna Canalis di Cumiana
Anna Canalis di Cumiana
Anna Carlotta Teresa Canalis di Cumiana was the morganantic spouse of Victor Amadeus II, King of Sardinia. She was created Marchioness of Spigno.-Lady of the court:...
, Polyxena's former lady of the bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
.
In an 1869 history of the House of Savoy, Francesco Predari wrote that despite the fact Polyxena was praised for goodness of character and beautiful virtues, her father-in-law advised her to take care to maintain separate quarters from her husband for prudence sake. In 1732 she founded a home for young mothers in Turin, redecorated the Villa della Regina
Villa della Regina
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.-History:...
, Stupingi's hunting lodge, and the Church of Saint Giuseppe in Turin. She carried out various improvements with Filippo Juvarra
Filippo Juvarra
Filippo Juvarra was an Italian architect and stage set designer.-Biography:Filippo Juvarra was an Italian Baroque architect working in the early part of the eighteenth century. He was born in Messina, Sicily, to a family of goldsmiths and engravers...
and popularised chinoiserie
Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", and pronounced ) refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
. She was also a patron of Giovanni Battista Crosato, a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
painter.
Having been ill since June 1734, she died at the Royal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin or Palazzo Reale, is a palace in Turin, northern Italy. It was the royal palace of the House of Savoy. It was modernised greatly by the French born Madama Reale Christine Marie of France in the seventeenth century. The palace was worked on by Filippo Juvarra...
, and has been buried in the Royal 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...
since 1786. Two years after her death, her widower married Princess Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, sister of the future Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
.
Legacy
The senior branch of the House of Savoy ended with her grandson Charles Felix of SardiniaCharles Felix of Sardinia
Charles Felix was the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont, Aosta and King of Sardinia from 1821 to 1831.-Early life:...
. The Villa Polissena in 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...
is named in her honour.
Issue
- Victor Amadeus III of SardiniaVictor Amadeus III of SardiniaVictor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until declaring war on revolutionary France in 1792...
(26 June 1726 – 16 October 1796), had issue. - Princess Eleonora of SavoyPrincess Eleonora of SavoyEleonora of Savoy was a Savoyard princess, the eldest daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg...
(28 February 1728 – 14 August 1781), unwed. - Princess Maria Luisa of SavoyPrincess Maria Luisa of Savoy (1729–1767)Maria Luisa of Savoy was a princess of Savoy. A religious woman, she died unmarried.-Biography:...
(25 March 1729 – 22 June 1767), unwed. - Princess Maria Felicita of SavoyPrincess Maria Felicita of SavoyMaria Felicita of Savoy was ) a princess of the house of Savoy, the third daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg...
(19 March 1730 – 13 May 1801), unwed. - Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy (17 May 1731 – 23 April 1735) Duke of AostaDuke of AostaIn the mid-13th century the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy; its arms were carried in the Savoyard coat-of-arms until the unification of Italy in 1870. The region remained part of Savoy lands, with the exception of a French occupation, 1539—1563...
. - Prince Carlo of Savoy (23 July 1733 – 28 December 1733) Duke of ChablaisDuke of ChablaisThe title Duke of Chablais was a subsidiary title of the Duke of Savoy and later the King of Sardinia, both of the House of Savoy. The title is named after the province of Chablais, whose capital was Thonon-les-Bains.-Duke of Chablais, 1705:...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 21 September 1706 – 23 July 1724 Princess Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg
- 23 July 1724 – 3 September 1730 Her Royal Highness the Princess of Piedmont
- 3 September 1730 – 13 January 1735 Her Majesty the Queen of Sardinia
See also
Princess Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg (Polyxena Christina Johanna; 21 September 1706 – 13 January 1735) was the second wife of Charles Emmanuel, Prince of PiedmontCharles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
whom she married in 1724. The mother of the future Victor Amadeus III
Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until declaring war on revolutionary France in 1792...
, she was queen consort of Sardinia from 1730 until her death in 1735.
Queen of Sardinia
King Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia approached her family and proposed a union between Polyxena and Victor Amadeus II's son and heir Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont. A previous match orchestrated by Agostino SteffaniAgostino Steffani
Agostino Steffani was an Italian ecclesiastic, diplomat and composer.-Biography:Steffani was born at Castelfranco Veneto. At a very early age he was admitted as a chorister at San Marco, Venice...
with a daughter of Rinaldo, reigning Duke of Modena had come to nothing. His first wife, Countess Palatine Anne Christine of Sulzbach had died on 12 March 1723, less than a year after her marriage and barely a week after giving birth to a son, Victor Amadeus.
Although only two years younger, Polyxena was a niece of Charles Emanuel's first wife, and belonged to the only Roman Catholic branch (since 1652) of the reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ing House of Hesse
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
. In fact, she had been nominally a canoness of Thorn since 1720.
The engagement was announced on 2 July 1724, and she wed Charles Emmanuel by proxy on 23 July in Rotenburg
Rotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany lying, as the name says, on the river Fulda.- Geography :- Location :...
. The marriage was celebrated in person at Thonon
Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains is a town in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:...
in Chablais
Chablais
Chablais was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.This region is currently divided into three territories, the Chablais savoyard, the Chablais valaisan, and the Chablais vaudois, and is now split across two countries: France and Switzerland...
on 20 August 1724.
Her stepson Victor Amadeus, heir after his father and grandfather to the Sardinian crown, died at the age of two, a year after Polyxena's marriage and before she had a child of her own. Nonetheless, she is said to have had a close relationship with her mother-in-law Anne Marie d'Orléans and the two frequented the Villa della Regina
Villa della Regina
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.-History:...
outside the capital, where the latter died in 1728.
When King Victor Amadeus announced his decision to return to the throne after having abdicated in 1730, Polyxena used her influence over her husband to have his father imprisoned at the Castle of Moncalieri
Castle of Moncalieri
The Castle of Moncalieri is a palace in Moncalieri , Piedmont, in northern Italy. It is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1997.-History:...
, where he was joined for a while by his morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
spouse Anna Canalis di Cumiana
Anna Canalis di Cumiana
Anna Carlotta Teresa Canalis di Cumiana was the morganantic spouse of Victor Amadeus II, King of Sardinia. She was created Marchioness of Spigno.-Lady of the court:...
, Polyxena's former lady of the bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
.
In an 1869 history of the House of Savoy, Francesco Predari wrote that despite the fact Polyxena was praised for goodness of character and beautiful virtues, her father-in-law advised her to take care to maintain separate quarters from her husband for prudence sake. In 1732 she founded a home for young mothers in Turin, redecorated the Villa della Regina
Villa della Regina
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.-History:...
, Stupingi's hunting lodge, and the Church of Saint Giuseppe in Turin. She carried out various improvements with Filippo Juvarra
Filippo Juvarra
Filippo Juvarra was an Italian architect and stage set designer.-Biography:Filippo Juvarra was an Italian Baroque architect working in the early part of the eighteenth century. He was born in Messina, Sicily, to a family of goldsmiths and engravers...
and popularised chinoiserie
Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", and pronounced ) refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
. She was also a patron of Giovanni Battista Crosato, a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
painter.
Having been ill since June 1734, she died at the Royal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin or Palazzo Reale, is a palace in Turin, northern Italy. It was the royal palace of the House of Savoy. It was modernised greatly by the French born Madama Reale Christine Marie of France in the seventeenth century. The palace was worked on by Filippo Juvarra...
, and has been buried in the Royal 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...
since 1786. Two years after her death, her widower married Princess Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, sister of the future Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
.
Legacy
The senior branch of the House of Savoy ended with her grandson Charles Felix of SardiniaCharles Felix of Sardinia
Charles Felix was the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont, Aosta and King of Sardinia from 1821 to 1831.-Early life:...
. The Villa Polissena in 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...
is named in her honour.
Issue
- Victor Amadeus III of SardiniaVictor Amadeus III of SardiniaVictor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until declaring war on revolutionary France in 1792...
(26 June 1726 – 16 October 1796), had issue. - Princess Eleonora of SavoyPrincess Eleonora of SavoyEleonora of Savoy was a Savoyard princess, the eldest daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg...
(28 February 1728 – 14 August 1781), unwed. - Princess Maria Luisa of SavoyPrincess Maria Luisa of Savoy (1729–1767)Maria Luisa of Savoy was a princess of Savoy. A religious woman, she died unmarried.-Biography:...
(25 March 1729 – 22 June 1767), unwed. - Princess Maria Felicita of SavoyPrincess Maria Felicita of SavoyMaria Felicita of Savoy was ) a princess of the house of Savoy, the third daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg...
(19 March 1730 – 13 May 1801), unwed. - Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy (17 May 1731 – 23 April 1735) Duke of AostaDuke of AostaIn the mid-13th century the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy; its arms were carried in the Savoyard coat-of-arms until the unification of Italy in 1870. The region remained part of Savoy lands, with the exception of a French occupation, 1539—1563...
. - Prince Carlo of Savoy (23 July 1733 – 28 December 1733) Duke of ChablaisDuke of ChablaisThe title Duke of Chablais was a subsidiary title of the Duke of Savoy and later the King of Sardinia, both of the House of Savoy. The title is named after the province of Chablais, whose capital was Thonon-les-Bains.-Duke of Chablais, 1705:...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 21 September 1706 – 23 July 1724 Princess Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg
- 23 July 1724 – 3 September 1730 Her Royal Highness the Princess of Piedmont
- 3 September 1730 – 13 January 1735 Her Majesty the Queen of Sardinia
See also
Princess Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg (Polyxena Christina Johanna; 21 September 1706 – 13 January 1735) was the second wife of Charles Emmanuel, Prince of PiedmontCharles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
whom she married in 1724. The mother of the future Victor Amadeus III
Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until declaring war on revolutionary France in 1792...
, she was queen consort of Sardinia from 1730 until her death in 1735.
Queen of Sardinia
King Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia approached her family and proposed a union between Polyxena and Victor Amadeus II's son and heir Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont. A previous match orchestrated by Agostino SteffaniAgostino Steffani
Agostino Steffani was an Italian ecclesiastic, diplomat and composer.-Biography:Steffani was born at Castelfranco Veneto. At a very early age he was admitted as a chorister at San Marco, Venice...
with a daughter of Rinaldo, reigning Duke of Modena had come to nothing. His first wife, Countess Palatine Anne Christine of Sulzbach had died on 12 March 1723, less than a year after her marriage and barely a week after giving birth to a son, Victor Amadeus.
Although only two years younger, Polyxena was a niece of Charles Emanuel's first wife, and belonged to the only Roman Catholic branch (since 1652) of the reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
ing House of Hesse
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
. In fact, she had been nominally a canoness of Thorn since 1720.
The engagement was announced on 2 July 1724, and she wed Charles Emmanuel by proxy on 23 July in Rotenburg
Rotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany lying, as the name says, on the river Fulda.- Geography :- Location :...
. The marriage was celebrated in person at Thonon
Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains is a town in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:...
in Chablais
Chablais
Chablais was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.This region is currently divided into three territories, the Chablais savoyard, the Chablais valaisan, and the Chablais vaudois, and is now split across two countries: France and Switzerland...
on 20 August 1724.
Her stepson Victor Amadeus, heir after his father and grandfather to the Sardinian crown, died at the age of two, a year after Polyxena's marriage and before she had a child of her own. Nonetheless, she is said to have had a close relationship with her mother-in-law Anne Marie d'Orléans and the two frequented the Villa della Regina
Villa della Regina
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.-History:...
outside the capital, where the latter died in 1728.
When King Victor Amadeus announced his decision to return to the throne after having abdicated in 1730, Polyxena used her influence over her husband to have his father imprisoned at the Castle of Moncalieri
Castle of Moncalieri
The Castle of Moncalieri is a palace in Moncalieri , Piedmont, in northern Italy. It is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1997.-History:...
, where he was joined for a while by his morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
spouse Anna Canalis di Cumiana
Anna Canalis di Cumiana
Anna Carlotta Teresa Canalis di Cumiana was the morganantic spouse of Victor Amadeus II, King of Sardinia. She was created Marchioness of Spigno.-Lady of the court:...
, Polyxena's former lady of the bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
.
In an 1869 history of the House of Savoy, Francesco Predari wrote that despite the fact Polyxena was praised for goodness of character and beautiful virtues, her father-in-law advised her to take care to maintain separate quarters from her husband for prudence sake. In 1732 she founded a home for young mothers in Turin, redecorated the Villa della Regina
Villa della Regina
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.-History:...
, Stupingi's hunting lodge, and the Church of Saint Giuseppe in Turin. She carried out various improvements with Filippo Juvarra
Filippo Juvarra
Filippo Juvarra was an Italian architect and stage set designer.-Biography:Filippo Juvarra was an Italian Baroque architect working in the early part of the eighteenth century. He was born in Messina, Sicily, to a family of goldsmiths and engravers...
and popularised chinoiserie
Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", and pronounced ) refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
. She was also a patron of Giovanni Battista Crosato, a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
painter.
Having been ill since June 1734, she died at the Royal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin or Palazzo Reale, is a palace in Turin, northern Italy. It was the royal palace of the House of Savoy. It was modernised greatly by the French born Madama Reale Christine Marie of France in the seventeenth century. The palace was worked on by Filippo Juvarra...
, and has been buried in the Royal 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...
since 1786. Two years after her death, her widower married Princess Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, sister of the future Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
.
Legacy
The senior branch of the House of Savoy ended with her grandson Charles Felix of SardiniaCharles Felix of Sardinia
Charles Felix was the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont, Aosta and King of Sardinia from 1821 to 1831.-Early life:...
. The Villa Polissena in 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...
is named in her honour.
Issue
- Victor Amadeus III of SardiniaVictor Amadeus III of SardiniaVictor Amadeus III was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until declaring war on revolutionary France in 1792...
(26 June 1726 – 16 October 1796), had issue. - Princess Eleonora of SavoyPrincess Eleonora of SavoyEleonora of Savoy was a Savoyard princess, the eldest daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg...
(28 February 1728 – 14 August 1781), unwed. - Princess Maria Luisa of SavoyPrincess Maria Luisa of Savoy (1729–1767)Maria Luisa of Savoy was a princess of Savoy. A religious woman, she died unmarried.-Biography:...
(25 March 1729 – 22 June 1767), unwed. - Princess Maria Felicita of SavoyPrincess Maria Felicita of SavoyMaria Felicita of Savoy was ) a princess of the house of Savoy, the third daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg...
(19 March 1730 – 13 May 1801), unwed. - Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy (17 May 1731 – 23 April 1735) Duke of AostaDuke of AostaIn the mid-13th century the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy; its arms were carried in the Savoyard coat-of-arms until the unification of Italy in 1870. The region remained part of Savoy lands, with the exception of a French occupation, 1539—1563...
. - Prince Carlo of Savoy (23 July 1733 – 28 December 1733) Duke of ChablaisDuke of ChablaisThe title Duke of Chablais was a subsidiary title of the Duke of Savoy and later the King of Sardinia, both of the House of Savoy. The title is named after the province of Chablais, whose capital was Thonon-les-Bains.-Duke of Chablais, 1705:...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 21 September 1706 – 23 July 1724 Princess Polyxena of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg
- 23 July 1724 – 3 September 1730 Her Royal Highness the Princess of Piedmont
- 3 September 1730 – 13 January 1735 Her Majesty the Queen of Sardinia