Lucia Migliaccio
Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia (19 July 1770, in Syracuse, Sicily – 26 April 1826, in Naples) was the second wife of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. Their marriage was morganatic and Lucia was never a Queen consort.[1]
| Lucia Migliaccio | |
|---|---|
| Princess of Partanna Duchess of Floridia | |
 | |
| Born | 19 July 1770 Syracuse, Kingdom of Sicily |
| Died | 26 April 1826 (aged 55) Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies |
| Spouse | Benedetto Grifeo, Prince di Partanna Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies |
| House | House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies |
| Father | Vincenzo Migliaccio, Duke di Floridia |
| Mother | Dorotea Borgia |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Family
She was a daughter of Vincenzo Migliaccio, Duke di Floridia, and his wife, Dorotea Borgia dei Marchesi del Casale, and inherited her father's dukedom.[1] Her mother came from Syracuse, Sicily.[2] Lucia Migliaccio had several sons, and a daughter, Lucia Borbone, who married Salvatore Sagnelli. Both of them are buried in Maddaloni, near Caserta.
Marriages
She married first Benedetto Grifeo, Prince di Partanna. They had five children:
- Giuseppe Grifeo
- Marianna Grifeo
- Vincenzo Grifeo
- Leopoldo Grifeo
- Luigi Grifeo
On 27 November 1814, Lucia married Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, also known as Ferdinand III of Sicily, in Palermo.[1] The bride was forty-four years old and the groom sixty-three. Their marriage created a scandal as it took place on September 8, 1814, within three months of the death of his first wife Queen Maria Carolina of Austria.[1] Protocol rules required at least one-year period of mourning. By then, Ferdinand had already practically abdicated his power by naming his eldest son Prince Francis as his regent and delegating most decisions to him. His deceased queen, Maria Carolina, herself had been considered the de facto ruler of Sicily until 1812. Lucia after her marriage had very limited influence and little interest in politics.
Ferdinand was restored to the throne of the Kingdom of Naples by right of his victory on the Battle of Tolentino (3 May 1815) over Joachim Murat. On 8 December 1816 he merged the thrones of Sicily and Naples under the name of the throne of the Two Sicilies,[1] with Francis still serving as his regent and Lucia as his morganatic spouse.
Ferdinand continued to rule until his death on 4 January 1825. Lucia survived him by a year and three months. She was buried in the Church of San Ferdinando, Naples.
Notes
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser IV. "Bourbon". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1956, pp. 8-9. (German).
- Anales de la Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía, Volumen III. Imprime Industrias Gráficas Caro, S.L., 1995, Madrid, pp. 158. (Spanish).
