Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the new name that the Bourbon king Ferdinand IV of Naples gave to his domain (including Southern Italy and Sicily) after the end of the Napoleonic Era and the full restoration of his power in 1816. The capital city was Naples.
Overview
Before the French invasions of the Napoleonic Era, the Bourbon dynasty ruled over the same lands, but they were formally divided into the "Kingdom of Naples" and the "Kingdom of Sicily". After the change in the name of the kingdom, Ferdinand became known as King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. The kingdom lasted until 1860, when king Francis II was overthrown by an insurrection led by Garibaldi and sponsored by the kingdom of Sardinia, which absorbed the Bourbons' domains, forming the kingdom of Italy.
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1738-1848; 1849-1860 flag -
1848-49 flag -
1860-61 flag
History of the name
The name Two Sicilies derived from the splitting of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1282. Though ruled as a unit for a century, the island and mainland parted ways when the Sicilian Vespers rose up and threw off Neapolitan rule, accepting in its stead Aragon. The Angevin Kings of Naples retained the mainland and continued the name Kingdom of Sicily in order to assert their claim; for some time the southern peninsula was known as the Kingdom of Sicily this side of Cape Faro, for the lighthouse on the mainland side of the Strait of Messina, although the Kingdom of Sicily per se did not use the name. The two kingdoms were not under the same ruler until 1735 under Charles III of Spain, and were not legally reunited until after the 1815 Congress of Vienna.
Kings of the Two Sicilies, 1816-1860
In 1860 the kingdom is conquered by the kingdom of Sardinia, and the title dropped.
Other people of the House of Two Sicilies include:
- Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1806-1878)
Events
- 1820–21: The Carbonari oblige Ferdinand I to concede a constitution, but later, with the help of Austrian troops, he abolishes it and starts persecutions of liberals and Carbonari.
See also
External links
The Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Head HRH Infante Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria The Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Head HRH Don Ferdinando Maria, Duke of Castro