Maria Anna of Savoy

Maria Anna of Savoy
Portrait by Johann Ender
Empress consort of Austria Queen consort of Hungary (more...)
Tenure	2 March 1835 – 2 December 1848
Coronation	12 September 1836, Prague
Born	(1803-09-19)19 September 1803 Palazzo Colonna, Rome, Papal States
Died	4 May 1884(1884-05-04) (aged 80) Prague Castle, Prague, Austria-Hungary
Burial	Imperial Crypt, Vienna
Spouse	Ferdinand I of Austria (m. 1831; died 1875)
Names Italian: Maria Anna Carolina Pia di Savoia
House	Savoy
Father	Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Mother	Maria Theresa of Austria-Este

Maria Anna of Savoy (Italian: Maria Anna Ricciarda Carolina Margherita Pia; 19 September 1803 – 4 May 1884) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary (see Grand title of the Empress of Austria)^[1] by marriage to Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. Born a Princess of Savoy, she was the penultimate child and daughter of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia, and his wife, Maria Theresa of Austria-Este.

Biography

Maria Anna was born on 19 September 1803 in Palazzo Colonna in Rome, the daughter of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia and his wife, Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria-Este. She had a twin sister, Maria Teresa. The two princesses were baptised by Pope Pius VII.^{[citation needed]} Their godparents were their maternal grandparents, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este and his wife Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este. In the Museo di Roma can be seen a painting of the baptism.^{[citation needed]} She was known as "Pia" within the family.^{[citation needed]}

On 12 February 1831, Maria Anna was married by procuration in Turin to King Ferdinand V of Hungary, eldest son and heir apparent of Emperor Francis I of Austria. On 27 February, the couple were married in person in Vienna in the Hofburg chapel by the cardinal archbishop of Olmütz. Maria Anna was selected to marry the future emperor at the age of 27, which was very late for a princess to marry in this time period. However, her age was seen as a sign that she would be more settled, religious, and easier to manage.^[2]

Maria Anna and Ferdinand had no children.

Ferdinand succeeded as emperor of Austria on 2 March 1835; Maria Anna became empress. On 12 September 1836, she was crowned queen of Bohemia in Prague.

Maria Anna never learned to speak German during her tenure as empress but preferred to speak French. She enjoyed some popularity as empress, and a festival was celebrated on her name day 26 July each year.^[3] Minister Metternich managed the Government during the reign of her spouse. Unlike her sister-in-law Sophie of Bavaria, Maria Anna had no influence on policy. She supported Emperor Ferdinand, who was unable to manage state affairs because of his health, was respected for this, and referred to herself as his nurse.^[4]

During the 1848 Revolution, Maria Anna retracted her support from the Metternich Policy with support from Sophie of Bavaria. However, she did voice her opinion that stronger measures should be taken against the revolution. She influenced her spouse's decision to abdicate.^[5]

On 2 December 1848, Ferdinand abdicated,^{[citation needed]} but he and Maria Anna retained their imperial rank. They lived in retirement together, spending the winters at Prague Castle and the summers at Reichstadt (now Zákupy) or at Ploschkowitz (now Ploskovice). Maria Anna was popular in Prague, where she was engaged in a local charity.

Maria Anna died in Prague. She is buried next to her husband in tomb number 63 in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.^{[citation needed]}

Honours

•  Austria-Hungary : Dame of the Order of the Starry Cross^[6]
•  Spain : Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa

Ancestry

Footnotes

Bibliography

• Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich

External links

Media related to Maria Anna of Sardinia at Wikimedia Commons