Prince Januarius, Count of Caltagirone
Encyclopedia
Januarius Maria Immaculata Louis of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caltagirone (Full Italian
name: Gennaro Maria Immacolata Luigi, Principe di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, Conte di Caltagirone) (28 February 1857 – 13 August 1867) was the twelfth and youngest child of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
and his wife Maria Theresa of Austria. Januarius was a member of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
. The prince was named for Saint Januarius
, patron saint of Naples
.
, two years before the death of his father, Ferdinand II, the penultimate King of the Two Sicilies. At the time of the prince's birth, Ferdinand was already ill and too weak to play with his youngest son as he had done with his previous eleven children. The young prince would never know of the carefree experience of growing up in the opulence of the Neapolitan court.
In 1860, the Royal Family of the Two Sicilies was driven from Naples
and from the kingdom by Giuseppe Garibaldi
and his Expedition of the Thousand
. Garibaldi and his troops deprived Januarius and his family of their properties and wealth forcing the family and their descendants into a financially-strained and nomadic existence. Pope Pius IX
offered the family a residence at Quirinal Palace
in Rome
as gratitude for their loyalty.
In 1867, a cholera
epidemic forced the population, or at least those who could, to leave the capital. Januarius's mother, Maria Theresa, took the children who still lived with her at Quirinal Palace and moved them over the Alban Hills
to Albano Laziale
. Despite his mother's efforts to spare her children from illness, the small Januarius contracted cholera. Januarius died almost immediately. Maria Theresa was also infected and died after atrocious suffering, having refused treatment from a doctor whom she considered to be "liberal."
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
name: Gennaro Maria Immacolata Luigi, Principe di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, Conte di Caltagirone) (28 February 1857 – 13 August 1867) was the twelfth and youngest child of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death.-Family:Ferdinand was born in Palermo, the son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his wife and first cousin Maria Isabella of Spain.His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Queen Marie...
and his wife Maria Theresa of Austria. Januarius was a member of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
. The prince was named for Saint Januarius
Januarius
Januarius, Bishop of Naples, is a martyr saint of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later sources and legends claim that he died during the Diocletianic Persecution, which ended with Diocletian's retirement in...
, patron saint of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
.
Life
Januarius was born in the Caserta PalaceCaserta Palace
The Royal Palace of Caserta is a former royal residence in Caserta, southern Italy, constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and one of the largest buildings erected in Europe during the 18th century...
, two years before the death of his father, Ferdinand II, the penultimate King of the Two Sicilies. At the time of the prince's birth, Ferdinand was already ill and too weak to play with his youngest son as he had done with his previous eleven children. The young prince would never know of the carefree experience of growing up in the opulence of the Neapolitan court.
In 1860, the Royal Family of the Two Sicilies was driven from Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and from the kingdom by Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
and his Expedition of the Thousand
Expedition of the Thousand
The Expedition of the Thousand was a military campaign led by the revolutionary general Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860. A force of volunteers defeated the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, leading to its dissolution and annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia, an important step in the creation of a newly...
. Garibaldi and his troops deprived Januarius and his family of their properties and wealth forcing the family and their descendants into a financially-strained and nomadic existence. Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
offered the family a residence at Quirinal Palace
Quirinal Palace
The Quirinal Palace is a historical building in Rome, Italy, the current official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. It is located on the Quirinal Hill, the tallest of the seven hills of Rome...
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...
as gratitude for their loyalty.
In 1867, a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic forced the population, or at least those who could, to leave the capital. Januarius's mother, Maria Theresa, took the children who still lived with her at Quirinal Palace and moved them over the Alban Hills
Alban Hills
The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located southeast of Rome and about north of Anzio.The dominant peak is Monte Cavo. There are two small calderas which contain lakes, Lago Albano and Lake Nemi...
to Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...
. Despite his mother's efforts to spare her children from illness, the small Januarius contracted cholera. Januarius died almost immediately. Maria Theresa was also infected and died after atrocious suffering, having refused treatment from a doctor whom she considered to be "liberal."