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{{Short description|Queen of Portugal from 1666 to 1668 and again in 1683}}
{{Refimprove|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
| consort = yes
| consort = yes
| image = Ritratto di Maria Francesca Elisabetta di Savoia-Nemours (Castello Reale di Racconigi).png
| image = Ritratto di Maria Francesca Elisabetta di Savoia-Nemours (Castello Reale di Racconigi).png
| caption = Portrait at the [[Castle of Racconigi]]
| caption =
| succession = [[Queen consort of Portugal]]
| succession = [[Queen consort of Portugal]]
| reign1 = 2 August 1666 – {{nowrap|24 March 1668}}
| reign1 = 2 August 1666 – {{awrap|24 March 1668}}
| reign = 12 September 1683 – {{nowrap|27 December 1683}}
| reign = 12 September 1683 – {{awrap|27 December 1683}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1646|6|21|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1646|6|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Hôtel de Nemours, [[Paris]], France
| birth_place = Hôtel de Nemours, [[Paris]], France
Line 12: Line 12:
| death_place = Palhavã, [[Lisbon]], Portugal
| death_place = Palhavã, [[Lisbon]], Portugal
| burial_place = [[Pantheon of the House of Braganza|Pantheon of the Braganzas]]
| burial_place = [[Pantheon of the House of Braganza|Pantheon of the Braganzas]]
| spouses = {{plainlist|
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Afonso VI of Portugal]]<br />|29 June 1666|24 March 1668|end=annulled}}<br />{{marriage|[[Peter II of Portugal]]<br />|2 April 1668}}
* {{marriage|[[Afonso VI of Portugal]]|29 June 1666|24 March 1668|end=annulled}}
* {{marriage|[[Peter II of Portugal]]|2 April 1668}}
}}
| issue = [[Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira]]
| issue = [[Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira]]
| full name = {{lang-en|Mary Frances Elizabeth}}<br />{{lang-fr|Marie-Françoise-Élisabeth}}<br />{{lang-pt|Maria Francisca Isabel}}
| full name = {{langx|en|Mary Frances Elizabeth}}<br />{{langx|fr|Marie-Françoise-Élisabeth}}<br />{{langx|pt|Maria Francisca Isabel}}
| house = [[House of Savoy|Savoy]]
| house = [[House of Savoy|Savoy]]
| father = [[Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours]]
| father = [[Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours]]
| mother = [[Élisabeth de Bourbon]]
| mother = [[Élisabeth de Bourbon]]
| religion = [[Roman Catholicism]]
}}
}}


[[Dom (title)|Dona]] '''Maria Francisca Isabel of Savoy''' ({{lang-fr|Marie Françoise Élisabeth}}; 21 June 1646{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=17}} &ndash; 27 December 1683) was [[List of Portuguese queens|Queen of Portugal]] during her marriage to King Dom [[Afonso VI]] from 2 August 1666 to 24 March 1668 and, as the wife of Afonso's brother King Dom [[Peter II of Portugal|Peter II]], from 12 September 1683 until her death in December that year. She married Afonso VI at the age of 20; because the marriage was never [[consummate]]d, she was able to obtain an [[annulment]]. On 28 March 1668, she married the King's brother Infante Dom Peter, [[Duke of Beja]], who was appointed [[prince regent]] the same year due to Afonso's perceived incompetence. She became queen a second time when Afonso died and Peter succeeded his brother, but she herself died three months later.
[[Dom (title)|Dona]] '''Maria Francisca Isabel of Savoy''' ({{langx|fr|Marie Françoise Élisabeth}}; 21 June 1646{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=17}} &ndash; 27 December 1683) was [[List of Portuguese queens|Queen of Portugal]] during her marriage to King Dom [[Afonso VI]] from 2 August 1666 to 24 March 1668 and, as the wife of Afonso's brother King Dom [[Peter II of Portugal|Peter II]], from 12 September 1683 until her death in December that year. She married Afonso VI at the age of 20; because the marriage was never [[consummate]]d, she was able to obtain an [[annulment]]. On 28 March 1668, she married the King's brother Infante Dom Peter, [[Duke of Beja]], who was appointed [[prince regent]] the same year due to Afonso's perceived incompetence. She became queen a second time when Afonso died and Peter succeeded his brother, but she herself died three months later.


==Early life and family==
==Family==
⚫
Maria Francisca was born in [[Paris]] as the younger daughter of [[Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours|Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours]], and his wife, [[Élisabeth de Bourbon|Élisabeth de Bourbon-Vendôme]].{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=17}}{{efn|Braga writes that Maria Francisca had a twin brother, born five hours after her, who died at eight months old.{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=167}}}} Elisabeth was a granddaughter of [[Henry IV of France]] and his [[Henry IV of France's wives and mistresses|mistress]] [[Gabrielle d'Estrées]].{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=19}}


Prior to marriage Maria Francisca was styled ''Mademoiselle d'Aumale'', a title derived from the duchy of Aumale which was a property of her father.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=185460|title=Term details|website=British Museum|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref>{{better citation needed |date=April 2024}} She and her only surviving sibling, [[Marie Jeanne of Savoy]], were educated at [[Fontevrault]].{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=167}} Their father died in 1652 and, though their uncle [[Henri II, Duke of Nemours|Henri II]] became the new [[Duke of Nemours]], Maria Francisca and her sister inherited the revenues from the Nemours lands.{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=17}} After their mother died in 1664, they were handed over to their maternal grandfather [[César, Duke of Vendôme]].{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=168}} The sisters remained close their entire lives.{{sfn|Oresko|2004|pages=17, 37}}
⚫
Maria Francisca was born in [[Paris]] as the younger daughter of [[Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours|Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours]], and his wife, [[Élisabeth de Bourbon|Élisabeth de Bourbon-Vendôme]].{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=17}} Elisabeth was a granddaughter of [[Henry IV of France]] and his [[Henry IV of France's wives and mistresses|mistress]] [[Gabrielle d'Estrées]].{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=19}} Her only surviving sibling was [[Marie Jeanne of Savoy]]. Prior to marriage she was styled ''Mademoiselle d'Aumale'', a title derived from the duchy of Aumale which was a property of her father.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=185460|title=Term details|website=British Museum|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref>
==Consort of Afonso VI==

==First marriage==
[[File:Maria Francisca de Saboia, Convento Francesinhas.PNG|thumb|left|Portrait as foundress of the Convent of the Francesinhas, by António de Oliveira de Louredo; 1703, [[National Museum of Ancient Art]]]]
[[File:Maria Francisca de Saboia, Convento Francesinhas.PNG|thumb|left|Portrait as foundress of the Convent of the Francesinhas, by António de Oliveira de Louredo; 1703, [[National Museum of Ancient Art]]]]
In 1581, Portugal and Spain had been united under [[Philip_II_of_Spain#King_of_Portugal|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.{{sfn|Cowans|2003|pp=26–27}}


In 1656, [[Afonso_VI_of_Portugal|Afonso VI]] succeeded his father, John IV, at the age of thirteen.{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|page=408}} Because the king was considered mentally unfit for governing, his mother served as regent even after he came of age.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=331}} However, a palace coup de’tat in 1662 transferred power to the king and his conspirators, namely [[Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor|Castelo Melhor]].{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|page=417}}{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=332}}
This allowed Portuguese chief minister, [[Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor|Castelo Melhor]], to focus on securing his own position. [[Afonso_VI_of_Portugal|Afonso VI]] succeeded his father in 1653 but he was physically impaired and mentally unstable, with government controlled by his mother, [[Luisa de Guzmán]]. Guided by Castelo Melhor, Alfonso sent her to a convent in 1662, where she died in February 1666.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p=32}}

Afonso appointed Castelo Melhor his secret notary (escrivão da puridade), a position in which the Count was able to exercise the functions of chief minister.{{sfn|Livermore|1969|p=190}}{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=298}} Melhor was keen on arranging a marriage between Afonso and a French princess, as Portugal had long sought a dynastic marriage with France for support in the ongoing [[Portuguese Restoration War]] against Spain.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p=23}} Louis XIV welcomed the idea of a Portuguese marriage, aiming to increase France's influence in Portugal and weaken Spain by prolonging the Restoration War.{{sfn|Xavier|Cardim|2005|p=19}} The choice ultimately fell on Maria Francisca. Charles II of England, who greatly desired peace between Spain and Portugal, opposed the match but Louis XIV persuaded him to agree by providing him with the unpaid portion of Catherine's dowry.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p=32}} The marriage contract, featuring a generous dowry, was officially signed in Paris on 24 February 1666.{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=429}}{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=170}}

Maria Francisca was [[married by proxy]] to Afonso at [[La Rochelle]] on 27 June.{{sfn|Braga|2012|page=171}} She departed from France on 4 July and arrived in Portugal in early August.{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=429}} The wedding reception for the newlyweds took place in Belém, featuring a grand homage paid by the nobility. The festivities in Lisbon, marked by fireworks and ephemeral art, lasted from August to October.{{sfn|Braga|2012|pages=172}}

Difficulties within the marriage surfaced quickly. Most sources suggest that Afonso, a hemiplegic,{{sfn|Camarão|2017|p=100}} was impotent.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p= 33}} Moreover, he was largely controlled by Castelo Melhor. Melhor wanted a French queen but did not want her to interfere in the government,{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=175}} a stance that clashed with the political ambitions of Maria Francisca.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p= 32}} Tensions peaked when Melhor refused to grant the Queen a place on the council of state,{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=433}} a position previously held by Luisa Guzmán, the former queen consort of Portugal.{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=175}}

[[File:Maria Francisca de Saboia, MNC.jpg|thumb|right|Portrait of Maria Francisca of Savoy by [[Josefa de Óbidos]]]]
Afonso’s brother Peter led a growing faction at court that opposed the excessive power Castelo Melhor wielded over Portuguese affairs.{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=174}} Discontented with her husband and frustrated with Castelo Melhor, Maria Francisca began to conspire with Peter and allegedly began a love affair with him.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p= 33}}{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=434}} In September 1667, Peter orchestrated a palace coup de’tat that dismissed Melhor and forced Afonso to relinquish his power.{{sfn|Marques|1976|p=333}}{{sfn|Dyer|1877|p=342}} While Peter never formally usurped the throne, Afonso was king in name only for the rest of his life.

On 21 November 1667, the Queen retired to the [[Convent of Esperança (Angra do Heroísmo)|Convent of Esperança]] and officially requested her marriage to Afonso be annulled on the grounds of non-consummation.{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=438}} The annulment was approved by Cardinal Vendôme, her maternal uncle, in March 1668.{{sfn|Braga|2012|pages=179-180}}


==Consort of Peter II==
The Portuguese government was split between pro-French and pro-English factions, respectively led by Castelo Melhor and Alfonso's younger brother, [[Peter_II_of_Portugal|Pedro]]. In 1662, [[Charles II of England]] married Alfonso's sister [[Catherine_of_Braganza|Catherine]]; Castelo Melhor and [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]] saw a marriage between Maria Francisca and Alfonso as a way to offset that. Louis persuaded Charles to agree by providing him with the unpaid portion of Catherine's dowry; Maria arrived in Portugal on 2 August 1666 and the wedding took place the same day.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p=32}}
In January 1668, Pedro's political ascendancy was officially acknowledged by the [[Portuguese Cortes|Cortes]] and he assumed the title of [[prince regent]].{{sfn|Ames|2014|p=35}}{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=439}} On 27 March 1668, just days after her marriage to Afonso was officially annulled, Maria Francisca married Peter.{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=440}} The union was encouraged by the Cortes because if Maria Francisca left Portugal it would be necessary to repay her dowry.{{sfn|Livermore|1969|p= 195}}


⚫
In January 1669, Maria Francisca, then princess regent, gave birth to a daughter, [[Isabel Luísa of Braganza|Isabel Luísa Josefa of Portugal]], [[Princess of Beira]].{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=75}} She suffered a miscarriage in December 1670 that prevented her from conceiving again.{{sfn|Braga|2012|p=187}} The Braganza dynasty was at the brink of extinction, and Peter needed heirs, yet Maria Francisca was unable to produce further issue.{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=76}}
From then on, she became known as Maria Francisca Isabel de Sabóia, although the marriage proved a disappointment.{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=23}} Alfonso 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 Alfonso 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.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p=33}}


Louis XIV had supported the coup against Afonso VI with the expectation that it would increase French influence at court through Maria Francisca. However, Peter disregarded French interests, opting not to uphold the terms of the [[Treaty of Lisbon (1667)|Portugal-France alliance]], and concluded the Portuguese Restoration War in 1668.{{sfn|Ames|2014|p=37}} Later, in 1671, Maria Francisca shocked a French ambassador by declaring that war exhausted Portugal would not serve as an ally to France in the developing [[Franco-Dutch War]].{{sfn|McMurdo|1889|p=443}}
Although Castelo Melhor considered the marriage and the March 1667 [[Treaty_of_Lisbon_(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 Island|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 [[Louis,_Duke_of_Vendôme|Cardinal Vendôme]], and she married Pedro in September 1668.{{sfn|Ames|2014|pp=34-35}}


==Second marriage==
===Illness and death===
Throughout 1683, newspapers and diplomatic correspondence chronicled Maria Francisca's deteriorating health.{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=78}} In September, it was reported that she had become incredibly thin and ill.{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=79}} Her condition oscillated in the next months, offering sporadic signs of recovery.{{sfn|Braga|2017|pages=79-80}} She died on 27 December 1683,{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=82}} three months after the death of Afonso VI.{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=73}}
⚫
Months after her annulment, Maria Francisca married the Infante Peter, now the [[Prince Regent]] of Portugal.{{sfn|Oresko|2004|p=23}} In 1669 she gave birth to a daughter, [[Isabel Luísa of Braganza|Isabel Luísa Josefa of Portugal]], [[Princess of Beira]]. The Braganza dynasty was at the brink of extinction, and Peter needed heirs, yet Maria Francisca was unable to produce further issue.


When Afonso died in 1683, Peter succeeded him as Peter II of Portugal and Maria Francisca became queen again—but died in December of the same year.{{cn|date=July 2021}} Maria Francisca's only child, the [[Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira|Infanta Isabel Luísa]], died unmarried at age 21. Peter remarried to [[Maria Sofia of the Palatinate-Neuburg|Maria Sofia of the Palatinate]], who produced the much-needed heir, the future [[John V of Portugal]].
Maria Francisca's only child, the [[Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira|Infanta Isabel Luísa]], died unmarried at age 21. Peter remarried to [[Maria Sofia of the Palatinate-Neuburg|Maria Sofia of the Palatinate]], who produced the much-needed heir, the future [[John V of Portugal]].


She was first buried at the Convent of the Francesinhas, then moved in 1912 to the [[Pantheon of the House of Braganza]] at the [[Monastery of São Vicente de Fora]].
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.{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=86}} Examination of her corpse revealed she had suffered from syphilis.{{sfn|Braga|2017|p=74}}


==Ancestry==
==Ancestry==
Line 58: Line 71:
|3= 3. [[Élisabeth de Bourbon]]
|3= 3. [[Élisabeth de Bourbon]]
|4= 4. [[Henri I, Duke of Nemours]]
|4= 4. [[Henri I, Duke of Nemours]]
|5= 5. [[Anne of Lorraine, Duchess of Nemours|Anne of Lorraine]]
|5= 5. [[Anne of Lorraine, Duchess of Nemours|Anne, Duchess of Aumale]]
|6= 6. [[César, Duke of Vendôme]]
|6= 6. [[César, Duke of Vendôme]]
|7= 7. [[Françoise de Lorraine, Duchess of Vendôme|Françoise of Lorraine]]
|7= 7. [[Françoise of Lorraine]]
|8= 8. [[Jacques, Duke of Nemours]]
|8= 8. [[Jacques, Duke of Nemours]]
|9= 9. [[Anna d'Este]]
|9= 9. [[Anna d'Este]]
Line 68: Line 81:
|13= 13. [[Gabrielle d'Estrées]]
|13= 13. [[Gabrielle d'Estrées]]
|14= 14. [[Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur]]
|14= 14. [[Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur]]
|15= 15. Marie of Luxembourg
|15= 15. [[Marie of Luxembourg, Duchess of Penthièvre|Marie, Duchess of Penthièvre]]
<!-- |16= 16. [[Philip, Duke of Nemours]]
|17= 17. Charlotte d'Orléans
|18= 18. [[Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara]]
|19= 19. [[Renée of France]]
|20= 20. [[Claude, Duke of Aumale]]
|21= 21. Louise de Brézé
|22= 22. [[René, Marquis of Elbeuf]]
|23= 23. Louise de Rieux
|24= 24. [[Antoine of Navarre]]
|25= 25. [[Jeanne III of Navarre]]
|26= 26. [[Antoine d'Estrées]], Marquis of Cœuvres
|27= 27. [[Françoise Babou de La Bourdaisière]]
|28= 28. [[Nicholas, Duke of Mercœur]]
|29= 29. Joanna of Savoy
|30= 30. [[Sébastien, Duke of Penthièvre]]
|31= 31. Marie de Beaucaire -->
}}
}}


==Notes==
{{noteslist}}
==References==
==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==Sources==
===Sources===
* {{cite book |last1=Ames |first1=Glenn J |title=Renascent Empire?: Pedro II and the Quest for Stability in Portuguese Monsoon Asia, ca.1640-1682 |date=2014 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |isbn=978-9053563823 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/renascentempireh0000ames }}
* {{cite book |last1=Ames |first1=Glenn J |author-link=Glenn J. Ames|title=Renascent Empire?: Pedro II and the Quest for Stability in Portuguese Monsoon Asia, ca.1640-1682 |date=2014 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |isbn=978-9053563823 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/renascentempireh0000ames }}
*{{cite book |last=Braga |first=Isabel Drumond|title=Portugal e o Piemonte: a Casa Real Portuguesa e os Sabóias Nove Séculos de Relações Dinásticas e Destinos Políticos (XII-XX) |chapter=D. Maria Francisca Isabel de Sabóia (1646-1683), Rainha de Portugal Portugal e o Piemonte: a Casa Real Portuguesa e os Sabóias |location= Coimbra |publisher= Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra |year= 2012 |pages= 167–210 |language=Portuguese}}
*{{cite book |last=Braga |first=Isabel Drumond |title=Donne, Cultura e Società nel Panorama Lusitano e Internazionale (secoli XVI-XXI |chapter=Illnesses and Death of Maria Francisca Isabel of Savoy, Queen of Portugal |pages=73–91 |year=2017 |publisher=Sette Città}}
*{{cite thesis |last=Camarão |first= Lígia Andreia |title=Os confessores de D. Pedro II (1668-1706): os directores de consciência régia |url=https://repositorio.ul.pt/bitstream/10451/28736/1/ulfl234008_tm.pdf |year=2017 |publisher=Universidade de Lisboa |language=Portuguese}}
* {{cite book|last1=Cowans|first1=Jon|title=Modern Spain: A Documentary History|year=2003|publisher=U. of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=0-8122-1846-9}}
* {{cite book|last1=Cowans|first1=Jon|title=Modern Spain: A Documentary History|year=2003|publisher=U. of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=0-8122-1846-9}}
*{{cite book |last1=Dyer |first1=Thomas Henry |title=Modern Europe Vol III |author-link=Thomas Henry Dyer|date=1877 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.110000/page/n5/mode/2up?}}
⚫
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Oresko| first=Robert|editor-first=Clarissa | editor-last=Campbell Orr |encyclopedia=Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 |title=Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours (1644–1724): daughter, consort, and Regent of Savoy |isbn=0-521-81422-7}}
*{{cite book |last=Livermore |first=H.V. |year=1969 |title=A New History of Portugal |url=https://archive.org/details/newhistoryofport0000unse_y9g3/page/n9/mode/2up |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521095716}}
*{{cite book |last1=Marques |first1=Antonio Henrique R. de Oliveira |title=History of Portugal |date=1976 |isbn=978-0-231-08353-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofportuga1976marq/page/n309/mode/2up?}}
*{{cite book |last1=McMurdo |first1=Edward |title=The history of Portugal, from the Commencement of the Monarchy to the Reign of Alfonso III |date=1889 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington|location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/historyportugal05mcmugoog/page/n10/mode/2up? |access-date=25 October 2023}}
⚫
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Oresko| first=Robert|editor-first=Clarissa | editor-last=Campbell Orr |encyclopedia=Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 |title=Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours (1644–1724): daughter, consort, and Regent of Savoy |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0521814227|isbn=0-521-81422-7 |url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book |last1=Pereira |first1=Esteves |last2=Rodrigues |first2=Guilherme |title=Portugal: diccionario historico, chorographico, heraldico, biographico, bibliographico, numismatico e artistico |date=1904 |publisher=J. Romano Torres |location=Lisboa |pages=800–803|url=https://archive.org/details/portugaldicciona04pere/page/836|volume=4 |language=Portuguese}}
*{{cite journal |title=Las fiestas del matrimonio del Rey Alfonso VI de Braganza y María Francisca de Saboya (Lisboa, 1666) |trans-title=The marriage festivities of King Alfonso VI of Braganza and María Francisca of Savoy (Lisbon, 1666)|first1= Angela Barreto |last1=Xavier |first2=Pedro |last2=Cardim |year=2005 |journal= Reales Sitios Revista del Patrimonio Nacional |language=Spanish |pages=18–41 |number=166}}


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[[Category:House of Braganza]]
[[Category:House of Braganza]]
[[Category:Nobility from Paris]]
[[Category:Nobility from Paris]]
[[Category:Portuguese queens consort]]
[[Category:Queens consort of Portugal]]
[[Category:Princesses of Savoy]]
[[Category:Princesses of Savoy]]
[[Category:Remarried royal consorts]]
[[Category:Remarried queens consort]]
[[Category:Burials at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora]]
[[Category:Burials at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora]]

Latest revision as of 23:29, 24 October 2024

Maria Francisca of Savoy
Queen consort of Portugal
Tenure12 September 1683 – 27 December 1683
Tenure2 August 1666 – 24 March 1668
Born(1646-06-21)21 June 1646
Hôtel de Nemours, Paris, France
Died27 December 1683(1683-12-27) (aged 37)
Palhavã, Lisbon, Portugal
Burial
Pantheon of the Braganzas
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1666; ann. 1668)​
​
​
(m. 1668)​
IssueIsabel Luísa, Princess of Beira
Names
English: Mary Frances Elizabeth
French: Marie-Françoise-Élisabeth
Portuguese: Maria Francisca Isabel
HouseSavoy
FatherCharles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours
MotherÉlisabeth de Bourbon

Dona Maria Francisca Isabel of Savoy (French: Marie Françoise Élisabeth; 21 June 1646[1] – 27 December 1683) was Queen of Portugal during her marriage to King Dom Afonso VI from 2 August 1666 to 24 March 1668 and, as the wife of Afonso's brother King Dom Peter II, from 12 September 1683 until her death in December that year. She married Afonso VI at the age of 20; because the marriage was never consummated, she was able to obtain an annulment. On 28 March 1668, she married the King's brother Infante Dom Peter, Duke of Beja, who was appointed prince regent the same year due to Afonso's perceived incompetence. She became queen a second time when Afonso died and Peter succeeded his brother, but she herself died three months later.

Early life and family

[edit]

Maria Francisca was born in Paris as the younger daughter of Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours, and his wife, Élisabeth de Bourbon-Vendôme.[1][a] Elisabeth was a granddaughter of Henry IV of France and his mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées.[3]

Prior to marriage Maria Francisca was styled Mademoiselle d'Aumale, a title derived from the duchy of Aumale which was a property of her father.[4][better source needed] She and her only surviving sibling, Marie Jeanne of Savoy, were educated at Fontevrault.[2] Their father died in 1652 and, though their uncle Henri II became the new Duke of Nemours, Maria Francisca and her sister inherited the revenues from the Nemours lands.[1] After their mother died in 1664, they were handed over to their maternal grandfather César, Duke of Vendôme.[5] The sisters remained close their entire lives.[6]

Consort of Afonso VI

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Portrait as foundress of the Convent of the Francesinhas, by António de Oliveira de Louredo; 1703, National Museum of Ancient Art

In 1656, Afonso VI succeeded his father, John IV, at the age of thirteen.[7] Because the king was considered mentally unfit for governing, his mother served as regent even after he came of age.[8] However, a palace coup de’tat in 1662 transferred power to the king and his conspirators, namely Castelo Melhor.[9][10]

Afonso appointed Castelo Melhor his secret notary (escrivão da puridade), a position in which the Count was able to exercise the functions of chief minister.[11][12] Melhor was keen on arranging a marriage between Afonso and a French princess, as Portugal had long sought a dynastic marriage with France for support in the ongoing Portuguese Restoration War against Spain.[13] Louis XIV welcomed the idea of a Portuguese marriage, aiming to increase France's influence in Portugal and weaken Spain by prolonging the Restoration War.[14] The choice ultimately fell on Maria Francisca. Charles II of England, who greatly desired peace between Spain and Portugal, opposed the match but Louis XIV persuaded him to agree by providing him with the unpaid portion of Catherine's dowry.[15] The marriage contract, featuring a generous dowry, was officially signed in Paris on 24 February 1666.[16][17]

Maria Francisca was married by proxy to Afonso at La Rochelle on 27 June.[18] She departed from France on 4 July and arrived in Portugal in early August.[16] The wedding reception for the newlyweds took place in Belém, featuring a grand homage paid by the nobility. The festivities in Lisbon, marked by fireworks and ephemeral art, lasted from August to October.[19]

Difficulties within the marriage surfaced quickly. Most sources suggest that Afonso, a hemiplegic,[20] was impotent.[21] Moreover, he was largely controlled by Castelo Melhor. Melhor wanted a French queen but did not want her to interfere in the government,[22] a stance that clashed with the political ambitions of Maria Francisca.[15] Tensions peaked when Melhor refused to grant the Queen a place on the council of state,[23] a position previously held by Luisa Guzmán, the former queen consort of Portugal.[22]

Portrait of Maria Francisca of Savoy by Josefa de Óbidos

Afonso’s brother Peter led a growing faction at court that opposed the excessive power Castelo Melhor wielded over Portuguese affairs.[24] Discontented with her husband and frustrated with Castelo Melhor, Maria Francisca began to conspire with Peter and allegedly began a love affair with him.[21][25] In September 1667, Peter orchestrated a palace coup de’tat that dismissed Melhor and forced Afonso to relinquish his power.[26][27] While Peter never formally usurped the throne, Afonso was king in name only for the rest of his life.

On 21 November 1667, the Queen retired to the Convent of Esperança and officially requested her marriage to Afonso be annulled on the grounds of non-consummation.[28] The annulment was approved by Cardinal Vendôme, her maternal uncle, in March 1668.[29]

Consort of Peter II

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In January 1668, Pedro's political ascendancy was officially acknowledged by the Cortes and he assumed the title of prince regent.[30][31] On 27 March 1668, just days after her marriage to Afonso was officially annulled, Maria Francisca married Peter.[32] The union was encouraged by the Cortes because if Maria Francisca left Portugal it would be necessary to repay her dowry.[33]

In January 1669, Maria Francisca, then princess regent, gave birth to a daughter, Isabel Luísa Josefa of Portugal, Princess of Beira.[34] She suffered a miscarriage in December 1670 that prevented her from conceiving again.[35] The Braganza dynasty was at the brink of extinction, and Peter needed heirs, yet Maria Francisca was unable to produce further issue.[36]

Louis XIV had supported the coup against Afonso VI with the expectation that it would increase French influence at court through Maria Francisca. However, Peter disregarded French interests, opting not to uphold the terms of the Portugal-France alliance, and concluded the Portuguese Restoration War in 1668.[37] Later, in 1671, Maria Francisca shocked a French ambassador by declaring that war exhausted Portugal would not serve as an ally to France in the developing Franco-Dutch War.[38]

Illness and death

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Throughout 1683, newspapers and diplomatic correspondence chronicled Maria Francisca's deteriorating health.[39] In September, it was reported that she had become incredibly thin and ill.[40] Her condition oscillated in the next months, offering sporadic signs of recovery.[41] She died on 27 December 1683,[42] three months after the death of Afonso VI.[43]

Maria Francisca's only child, the Infanta Isabel Luísa, died unmarried at age 21. Peter remarried to Maria Sofia of the Palatinate, who produced the much-needed heir, the future John V of Portugal.

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.[44] Examination of her corpse revealed she had suffered from syphilis.[45]

Ancestry

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Notes

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  1. ^ Braga writes that Maria Francisca had a twin brother, born five hours after her, who died at eight months old.[2]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Oresko 2004, p. 17.
  2. ^ a b Braga 2012, p. 167.
  3. ^ Oresko 2004, p. 19.
  4. ^ "Term details". British Museum. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  5. ^ Braga 2012, p. 168.
  6. ^ Oresko 2004, pp. 17, 37.
  7. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 408.
  8. ^ Marques 1976, p. 331.
  9. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 417.
  10. ^ Marques 1976, p. 332.
  11. ^ Livermore 1969, p. 190.
  12. ^ Marques 1976, p. 298.
  13. ^ Ames 2014, p. 23.
  14. ^ Xavier & Cardim 2005, p. 19.
  15. ^ a b Ames 2014, p. 32.
  16. ^ a b McMurdo 1889, p. 429.
  17. ^ Braga 2012, p. 170.
  18. ^ Braga 2012, p. 171.
  19. ^ Braga 2012, pp. 172.
  20. ^ Camarão 2017, p. 100.
  21. ^ a b Ames 2014, p. 33.
  22. ^ a b Braga 2012, p. 175.
  23. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 433.
  24. ^ Braga 2012, p. 174.
  25. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 434.
  26. ^ Marques 1976, p. 333.
  27. ^ Dyer 1877, p. 342.
  28. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 438.
  29. ^ Braga 2012, pp. 179–180.
  30. ^ Ames 2014, p. 35.
  31. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 439.
  32. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 440.
  33. ^ Livermore 1969, p. 195.
  34. ^ Braga 2017, p. 75.
  35. ^ Braga 2012, p. 187.
  36. ^ Braga 2017, p. 76.
  37. ^ Ames 2014, p. 37.
  38. ^ McMurdo 1889, p. 443.
  39. ^ Braga 2017, p. 78.
  40. ^ Braga 2017, p. 79.
  41. ^ Braga 2017, pp. 79–80.
  42. ^ Braga 2017, p. 82.
  43. ^ Braga 2017, p. 73.
  44. ^ Braga 2017, p. 86.
  45. ^ Braga 2017, p. 74.

Sources

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Maria Francisca of Savoy
Born: 21 June 1646 Died: 27 December 1683
Portuguese royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Luisa de Guzmán 		Queen consort of Portugal and the Algarves
1666–1668
1683 		Vacant
Title next held by
Maria Sophia of Neuburg
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