Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies

THE BOURBONS AND THE TWO SICILIES

The Royal House of Bourbon governed the two kingdoms of Naples and Sicily from 1734 to 1816, and subsequently the two unified kingdoms known as the Two Sicilies, until 1860. One of Europe's oldest and most important dynasties thus ruled over the largest and most populated state in Italy before its unification, which took place during the delicate period of transition from the modern to the contemporary age, when the country had taken its first steps towards industrialization, restoring sovereignty to Naples after many centuries of foreign domination.

The Reign of Charles, 1734-1759

Charles of Bourbon, son of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese, was initially destined to inherit the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, from which his mother originated, and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, governed by Gian Gastone de' Medici who had no direct heirs. The meeting in 1731 between the 19-year-old Bourbon prince and the elderly grand duke was educational for the future king, who three years later would lead the Franco-Spanish troops into battle, expelling the Austrian army to conquer the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. From that moment, King Charles decided not to turn his back on his people, and to gather around his throne all the living forces of the two new kingdoms he was called to govern. The king launched numerous public works, tried to improve the transport system, founded the famous Capodimonte porcelain factory, supported the first archaeological excavations in Pompeii and the construction of the "San Carlo" theatre in Naples. He also commissioned Luigi Vanvitelli to build a sumptuous palace in Caserta, to compete with Versailles. Charles's cautious approach to foreign policy, which helped him remain on the throne during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, along with the policy of secularization implemented in agreement with the other three Bourbon monarchies, were a good example of enlightened absolutism, also marking an era of undeniable progress for Southern Italy. Charles reluctantly left Naples after his elder brother, Ferdinand VI of Spain, died without successors. The king, after promulgating the Pragmatic Sanction of 1759, which regulated hereditary relations between the kingdoms of Spain and Naples, was forced to depart for Madrid with his queen and their first son, also named Charles. Naples and Sicily were left to Ferdinand's third son, only eight years old.

The Long Reign of Ferdinand, 1759-1825

The young King Ferdinand was entrusted to a Regency Council led by Minister Bernardo Tanucci. The reins of government remained in the hands of the Tuscan minister even when the king reached adulthood in 1767, and the work of enlightened reformism continued. The Franco-Spanish influence was mitigated by the creation of ties with Vienna after the marriage between Ferdinand and Maria Carolina of Austria, daughter of the great Maria Theresa. After the French Revolution, in 1799 the kingdom was invaded by the troops of Republican France. The sovereigns fled to Palermo under the protection of the British fleet, while a republic was proclaimed in Naples. The restoration of the monarchy, six months later, was well received by most people in Southern Italy, led by Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo of Calabria. There was a dangerous break between the local bourgeoisie, evidenced by Vincenzo Cuoco's Historical Essay on the Neapolitan Revolution in 1799. The second Sicilian period (1806-1815), caused by a new French invasion in Southern Italy, led to the island being granted a constitution in 1812, thanks to the work of Regent Prince Francis. The constitution was the first of its kind to be granted in Italy outside the Napoleonic system. Ferdinand returned permanently to Naples in 1815, accompanied by his minister Luigi de' Medici, and the following year, he oversaw the merger of the two states into a single one: the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The decision caused resentment among Sicilians, while young officers linked to the "Carbonari" fomented the rebellion of 1820. Ferdinand was able to resolve the situation thanks to the support of European powers, who met at the Congress of Laybach and decided to send the Austrian army south. Ferdinand died on January 4th at the age of 73, after a reign of over sixty years.

The Reigns of Francis I and Ferdinand II, 1825-1859

King Francis I, during the five years of his reign, continued the foreign policy, under the guidance of Minister Medici. In 1827, he obtained the withdrawal of expeditionary forces stationed in the kingdom. Francis, a passionate scientist and botanist, introduced new cultivation, irrigation, and livestock breeding systems, promoting agriculture, his great passion. Just before his death in 1829, he instituted the Royal Order of Francis I, a precursor to current civil orders of merit, which rewarded those who excelled in culture, science, or public service. Nearly a century later, the kingdom once again had a twenty-year-old sovereign, when Ferdinand II ascended the throne on November 8, 1830. At a time when England and France had begun their industrialization, symbolized by the invention of the railway, King Francis supported the construction of the first Italian railway: the Naples-Portici line, built in 1839. There was a series of records in many different fields, including the inauguration of the Pietrarsa steelworks, the first steamship company in the Mediterranean, and the Vesuvius Observatory. During the revolts of 1848, Ferdinand was the first king of Italy to grant a constitution. However, the Parliament's experiment was not successful, and within a few months, the system had returned to absolutism, and Sicilian independence was suppressed. The king died in the Palace of Caserta on May 22, 1859.

Francis II and Naples Against Italy

The reign of Francis II began amidst a dangerous international crisis, after the Second Italian War of Independence. The end of Austrian influence on the Italian peninsula, the rise of Cavour's Piedmont, and British hostility led to the "Expedition of the Thousand" in 1860, finally supported by an invasion by the House of Savoy army from the north. Faced with such a blatant violation of his neutral kingdom, Francis II appealed to international law at a time when the subject had long been recognized, but not yet well defined, as it would be after the World Wars. The king withdrew to the fortress of Gaeta with his young queen Marie Sophie, defending his right to govern with honor, but in vain. Francis died in 1894, exiled in Austrian Trentino, without any direct descendants and transferring his rights to his brother Alphonse, Count of Caserta (1841-1934). After the Act of Cannes in 1900, the rights of succession passed to Alphonse's son, Rainier, Duke of Castro (1883-1973), and then to the Duke's descendants: his son Ferdinand (1926-2008) and grandson Charles (1963), who is currently committed to continuing the history and legacy of a kingdom and a dynasty, combining tradition and innovation within a modern European monarchy. In this context fits Prince Charles's historic decision in 2016 to disregard Salic law and refer to European law prohibiting discrimination between men and women, by naming his eldest daughter, Princess Maria Carolina, Duchess of Calabria, as his legitimate heir.

HM Charles of Bourbon, Restorer
of the Kingdom of Naples

HM Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies

HM Francis I, King of the Two Sicilies

HM Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies

HM Francis II, King of the Two Sicilies

Dynastic Orders

Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius

History

It was founded on July 3, 1738, by Charles of Bourbon, King of Naples and Sicily, to celebrate his marriage to Princess Maria Amalia Walburga of Poland and Saxony. It is the first order of chivalry of the Royal House of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies and was created in honor of the Patron Saint of Naples. The order includes only one rank of knight and is rarely awarded, comprising only about twenty gentlemen of merit who profess the Catholic faith. Members are traditionally from European royal families and the high nobility of the Two Sicilies, with members of the Bourbon family of the Two Sicilies being considered "supernumerary" knights. The first statutes of the order, promulgated in 1738, established it as a Roman Catholic institution to promote true chivalry and Christian Brotherhood. The primary duty of the Knights was to strengthen the "Most Holy Religion" and "to act virtuously" to be "a heroic example of piety towards God and fidelity towards their Prince." The insignia consists of a four-pointed cross with forked ends, bordered in gold and a white enamel band, with red enamel flames, flanked by four gold fleurs-de-lis. In the center of the front, the image of Saint Januarius with the Ampullae and the Pastoral Staff, in gold and white, red, blue, and green enamels; in the center of the reverse, the Ampullae in gold and red enamel, placed on the Book of Gospels in gold; all surrounded by two green enamel palm trees. The wavy ribbon is red. The motto is "IN SANGUINE FOEDUS".

Insignia

The Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius was founded in 1738 in honor of the patron saint of Naples. It is the foremost Order of Chivalry of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies. The Order is rarely awarded and only to a maximum of twenty worthy gentlemen who profess the Catholic Faith. It is traditionally drawn from the Royal Families of Europe and the high aristocracy of the Two Sicilies. (Princes of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies are considered "supernumerary" knights). Its first statutes, promulgated in 1738, established it as a Roman Catholic institution to promote true chivalry and Christian Brotherhood.

Grand Master

His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.

Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit

It was established on April 1, 1800, by Ferdinand IV, King of Naples and Sicily, to reward those who had rendered very important services and shown loyalty to the Head of the Royal House and the Royal Family. In 1810, the King reformed its Statutes. The Order is divided into three Classes: Grand Cross Knights, with sash, cross, and plate; Commander Knights, with neck ribbon and cross; Knights, with ribbon and buttonhole cross. There are also those awarded gold and silver medals. The decoration consists of a round gold escutcheon, with the image of Saint Ferdinand, bordered by a blue enamel circle with the words: "FIDEI ET MERITO", surrounded by six gold rays, each radiating with as many white enameled fleurs-de-lis, all surmounted by the Royal Crown. On the reverse, in the center of the round escutcheon, the inscription "FERD.IV INST.ANNO 1800". The ribbon is blue bordered with dark red. The current Grand Master is H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.

Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George

The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is an ancient and internationally recognized Order of Chivalry which, from its distant origins, has committed itself to the glorification of the Cross, the propagation of Faith, and the defense of the Holy Roman Church, to which it is strictly linked by particular merits acquired in the East, and for which multiple proofs of gratitude and benevolence have been expressed by successive Sovereign Pontiffs of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Grand Master and Head of the Royal House of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies is: His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.

To view the Statutes of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George CLICK HERE.

More details here

Royal Military Order of Saint George of the Reunion

It was established by H.M. King Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies, on January 1, 1819, to reward military valor and merit, and it was named thus to celebrate the reunion of the properties near and beyond the Lighthouse (Naples and Sicily) into a single kingdom. King Francis I and King Ferdinand II reformed its statutes. The order is divided into eight ranks: Grand Cross Knights, who wear a sash over the shoulder, the Cross, and the Plate; Grand Officials with a neck ribbon, a cross without the image of Saint George, and a reduced rayed plate; Commanders have a neck ribbon and the cross; Officials have a ribbon, a small breast star, and a cross with buttons; Knights of Right, with a ribbon and a cross with buttons; Knights of Grace wear a ribbon and a cross with buttons; the gold medal and the silver medal. The decoration consists of a ruby-red cross with a fleur-de-lis that has a circular white enamel in the center where the image of Saint George is found. The Saint is depicted on horseback piercing the dragon. It is surrounded by a light blue enamel quoting the motto "IN HOC SIGNO VINCES" and a laurel wreath. The angles of the cross are linked by two crossed swords. The gold image of Saint George leans from the bottom of the cross for the Grand Cross knights. Above it is the Royal Crown. On the reverse, the round word "VIRTUTI" appears with the image of the Saint in the center. The ribbon is light blue with a yellow border. The current Grand Master is H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.

Royal Order of Francis I

Just as with the Sacred Military Constantinian Order, this order was recognized by decree on September 28, 1829, as a Royal Order primarily to reward the civil merit of government members, diplomats, military and religious officials, and those who have achieved great accomplishments in the fields of commerce, science, arts, and letters. The Royal Order of Francis I has never been exclusively Roman Catholic in origin, and its knights and ladies are not obligated to profess the Roman Catholic faith, although they are required to participate in the humanitarian and charitable activities of the dynastic orders of the Royal House of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies.

Today, this Order includes high-ranking figures from all Christian denominations, as well as Muslims and Jews.

The current Grand Master is H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro.

Interfaith Dialogue

The Royal Order of Francis I, along with its related order, the Sacred Military Order of Saint George, continues to set an example among chivalric associations and lay brotherhoods in its commitment to interreligious and interfaith dialogue.

Major initiatives include the dialogue project undertaken with leaders of other Christian churches and leaders of Muslim and Jewish communities.

We also cite financial and charitable support for the Forthspring Community Centre in Belfast, which works to bring together Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.

In 2004, the Royal Order of Francis I, along with its sister order the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, led a delegation of great importance for interfaith dialogue in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. This delegation, at the time led by Grand Prefect H.R.H. the Duke of Castro, undertook a series of exchanges and interreligious seminars between Christian and Muslim religious leaders, as well as visits to places of worship of both religious confessions.

Charity, Humanitarian Aid, and the Arts

Currently, the Royal Order of Francis I is launching a series of initiatives that will involve Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders from Europe and Arab countries, as well as the organization of interfaith seminars in major European capitals. This includes recent events in Serbia and Montenegro and a conference in London bringing together Bulgarian and British religious leaders.
Like the Order of Saint Januarius and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, the Royal Order of Francis I remains an ancient and internationally recognized dynastic institution. This order, which is neither a title of the Italian Republic nor of the Holy See, has continued to be awarded long after Francis II lost his throne. Nowadays, this title is granted by H.R.H. the Duke of Castro, Head of the Royal House of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies and great-great- great-great-grandson of the order's founder.
Many states and dynasties around the world recognize the order's activities and its leading contributions to numerous charitable and humanitarian initiatives.

Furthermore, this recognition by states and dynasties extends to the order's involvement in developing interreligious and interfaith dialogue throughout Europe and the world.

The Royal Palace of Caserta

The Bourbons beautified and modernized the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies with splendid works and constructions; but its crown jewel is the Palace of Caserta, universally known and appreciated, designed and largely built by the Dutch architect Ludwig Van Wittel, who Italianized his name to Vanvitelli.

King Charles, great-grandson of the Sun King, wanted a new Royal Palace in Naples, a worthy "residence" for the Bourbon sovereigns and their Court.

He wished the Palace to be near Naples but not within the city, always in reference to Versailles. He wished the new construction to be the most beautiful and largest in the world, after Versailles, in order to honor the new kingdom he had conquered and to affirm his will for an independent and sovereign reign.

King Charles and the Queen personally oversaw all the works and were the inspiring guides for Vanvitelli, but they always respected the great architect's initial design.

It was an excellent "union of souls": Vanvitelli himself wrote periodic letters to his brother where he expressed his joy for the attention the Sovereigns paid to his work and for the harmonious understanding they shared, which allowed the work to progress rapidly.

Even when the Sovereigns left for Madrid in 1759, Vanvitelli regretted the happy days of the Fifties. Sometimes, he bitterly expressed the absence of the "Catholic King" and especially whenever he finished a new part of the Palace, such as the gardens.

One day, he declared: «the factory gives a good impression, but what good is it? If the Catholic King were here it would make perfect sense, but for now it has none» [Ref. The Royal Palace of Caserta, edited by G.M. LACOBITTI and A.M.ROMANO, Electra Napoli 1994, p.8. our explanations refer to this work. On another occasion, he said that the Palace was beginning to have beautiful proportions but that without the presence of King Charles, it was like offering «Margaritas ad porcos»].

When Tanucci [Vanvitelli called him «Bad creature» idem] took definite control of the kingdom, the situation became serious and the funds allocated to Vanvitelli were sharply reduced. Of the 2000 workers who worked in the factory during the fifties, only half remained in the sixties.

Despite these changes, Vanvitelli continued to work with passion and diligence. In 1766, the Secretary of the Neapolitan Embassy, Monsieur Galiani, came to Caserta and, seeing the almost completed works, openly paid compliments; he declared that the gardens were more beautiful and more fragrant than those of Versailles!

I don't need to tell you how happy Vanvitelli was, who was now 65, ill and already thinking of leaving the completion of the work to his son Carlo.
In 1767, a violent eruption of Vesuvius came to Vanvitelli's aid. The young King Ferdinand IV decided to change his place of residence, moving from the ‘Portici’ to Caserta, and so work was actively resumed until his death in 1773. His work continued under the direction of his son, but in fact the Palace underwent modifications until 1920.