Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Savoy-Nemours facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marie Jeanne Baptiste |
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| Duchess consort of Savoy | |||||
| Tenure | 20 May 1665 – 12 June 1675 | ||||
| Regent of Savoy | |||||
| Regency | 12 June 1675 – 14 March 1684 | ||||
| Born | 11 April 1644 Hôtel de Nemours, Paris, France |
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| Died | 15 March 1724 (aged 79) Palazzo Madama, Turin |
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| Burial | Sacra di San Michele, Sant'Ambrogio di Torino | ||||
| Spouse | Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy (m. 1665; died 1675) |
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| Issue | Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia | ||||
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| House | Savoy | ||||
| Father | Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours | ||||
| Mother | Élisabeth de Bourbon | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||
Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Savoy-Nemours (born April 11, 1644 – died March 15, 1724) was a princess from the House of Savoy. She became the Duchess of Savoy when she married.
She first married Charles of Lorraine in 1662, but this marriage was cancelled. In 1665, she married her relative, Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy. She was the mother of Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia, who later became a king. Marie Jeanne Baptiste was known as Madama Reale or Madame Royale.
After her husband died in 1675, she became the Regent of Savoy for her young son, Victor Amadeus II. Her regency officially ended in 1680. However, she kept her power until her son took full control in 1684. She helped build many beautiful buildings in Turin, including her home, the Palazzo Madama. When she died, her son was the King of Sardinia. She was also the great-grandmother of two other kings, Louis I of Spain and Louis XV of France.
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Early Life and Family
Marie Jeanne Baptiste de Savoie was born in Paris, France. She was the oldest of five children. Her parents were Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours and Princess Élisabeth de Bourbon. Through her mother, she was a relative of Henry IV of France. This meant she was also related to many other royal families in Europe.
She belonged to a branch of the House of Savoy family that lived in France. Marie Jeanne Baptiste grew up with her sister, Marie Françoise. Before she married, people called her Mademoiselle de Nemours.
Her father died in 1652. For several years, her uncle, Henri II, looked after her and her family. Even though the duchy of Nemours went back to the crown after her uncle's death in 1659, Marie Jeanne Baptiste still received income from it. Her mother wanted to find good marriages for her two daughters.
Marriage Plans
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Marie Jeanne Baptiste's family wanted her to marry Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy. He was the son of Christine Marie of France, who was a relative of Marie Jeanne Baptiste's mother. In 1659, Christine Marie invited Marie Jeanne Baptiste, her mother, and sister to Turin. Charles Emmanuel liked Marie Jeanne Baptiste.
However, Christine Marie was told that Marie Jeanne Baptiste was very ambitious. So, Christine Marie decided not to let them marry. Instead, she arranged for her son to marry Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans in 1663. Françoise Madeleine was considered more gentle.
Marie Jeanne Baptiste went back to France. There, she met Prince Charles of Lorraine. The court of Portugal had also asked her to marry their prince, but she said no. Charles of Lorraine was a good match, similar to the Duke of Savoy. She got engaged to Charles on February 4, 1662. This engagement was popular in France.
But two days later, a treaty was signed that gave the lands of Lorraine to the King of France. This left Charles of Lorraine without his duchy. Because of this, Charles ended the engagement. Their marriage had not been fully completed, so it was cancelled.
In Turin, Christine Marie died in December 1663. Her daughter-in-law, Françoise Madeleine, died shortly after in January 1664. This meant Charles Emmanuel II was unmarried and had no children. He then decided he wanted to marry Marie Jeanne Baptiste. The King of France, Louis XIV, supported this idea. He didn't want Charles Emmanuel II to marry an Austrian princess, as it might reduce French influence.
After more than a year of talks, Marie Jeanne Baptiste married Charles Emmanuel II on May 20, 1665. The wedding was a big celebration. She brought a large dowry (money and property) with her.
Duchess of Savoy
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In Savoy, her name became Maria Giovanna Battista di Savoia. She was known as Madama Reale, a title used by her husband's mother. Marie Jeanne Baptiste was seen as beautiful and smart. Almost a year after her marriage, she gave birth to a son on May 14, 1666. He was named Victor Amadeus.
In the same year, her sister Marie Françoise married the King of Portugal. The two sisters stayed close throughout their lives. Before her husband's death, Marie Jeanne Baptiste did not take a big part in politics. Her husband made many improvements to royal homes and built churches in Turin.
On June 12, 1675, Charles Emmanuel suddenly died at age forty. On his deathbed, he named his wife as the Regent of Savoy for their son.
Regent of Savoy
Marie Jeanne Baptiste became the Regent for her eleven-year-old son. She took on this role with great interest and ambition. She continued her husband's work on buildings in Savoy. She supported construction projects, art groups, and schools. She also helped expand the city of Turin.
She worked hard to keep good relations with France, which was a powerful neighbor and family. Some people criticized her for wanting to keep power too much. They also thought she was controlled by Louis XIV. However, she also worked to build relationships with the royal families of Spain, England, and the Holy Roman Empire.
Her relationship with her only son was often difficult. This was because she wanted to keep power for herself. Marie Jeanne Baptiste spent most of her time on state business, which she enjoyed. She watched her son closely to make sure he wouldn't try to take power from her.
By 1677, Marie Jeanne Baptiste wanted to arrange a marriage for her son. He would become an adult in May 1680. She first looked to her sister in Portugal. Her sister's only daughter, Infanta Isabel Luísa, was next in line to the Portuguese throne. Marie Jeanne Baptiste started talks with Portugal for her son to marry the Infanta. This important marriage would have kept Marie Jeanne Baptiste in control of Savoy. Victor Amadeus II would have lived in Portugal. But Victor Amadeus II didn't like this idea and delayed the marriage for two years.
Marie Jeanne Baptiste then considered a marriage with Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici from Tuscany. This match would have given Savoy a strong ally in Italy. However, this marriage never happened.
Even though Marie Jeanne Baptiste's regency officially ended in 1680, she did not give up power until 1684. Her son forced her to do so. Louis XIV wanted to keep his influence in Savoy. So, he offered his niece, Anne Marie d'Orléans, as a bride for Victor Amadeus. Anne Marie was the daughter of Philippe of France and Henrietta of England. Victor Amadeus agreed to this marriage. He married Anne Marie on May 6, 1684.
Later Life
Victor Amadeus took full control of the Duchy in early 1684. He removed his mother from all direct influence at court. She moved to the Palazzo Madama in Turin. This building had been the home of her husband's mother. Marie Jeanne Baptiste had it expanded under the direction of Filippo Juvarra.
In 1686, she sold her personal property, the Duchy of Aumale, to Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine. Marie Jeanne Baptiste was also the last Countess of Geneva. This county became part of Savoy after her death.
Her son's marriage resulted in eight children. Marie Jeanne Baptiste was the godmother to her oldest grandchild, Princess Maria Adelaide. She also had a good friendship with her daughter-in-law, Anne Marie. Maria Adelaide and her sister Maria Luisa were close to their grandmother. They visited her weekly at the Palazzo Madama. Marie Jeanne Baptiste's letters with Maria Adelaide show their close bond. Maria Adelaide married Louis of France in 1696. Maria Luisa married Louis's brother, Philip V of Spain, in 1701. These important marriages were planned by Louis XIV to get Savoy's support during the War of the Spanish Succession.
During this war, Marie Jeanne Baptiste had to sell her jewels to support her household. This happened during the Battle of Turin in 1706. She and her grandchildren had to flee to Genoa for safety.
Thanks to the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, her son became the King of Sicily. He was crowned king in December 1713. Victor Amadeus II asked his mother to manage the government while he was away. But she declined. Instead, her grandson, Victor Amadeus, Prince of Piedmont, became regent.
Months later, the family learned that Maria Luisa had died in February 1714. A year later, the Prince of Piedmont died of smallpox. These three deaths in four years brought Marie Jeanne Baptiste and her son closer. After the Prince of Piedmont died, her youngest grandson, Charles Emmanuel, became the next in line to his father's throne.
Marie Jeanne Baptiste died at the Palazzo Madama in March 1724, just before her 80th birthday.
Children
- Victor Amadeus II (born May 14, 1666 – died October 31, 1732) married Anne Marie d'Orléans and had children.
See also
In Spanish: María Juana Bautista de Saboya-Nemours para niños
