Ancient history

Bonaparte, Marie-Annonciade, known as Caroline

Queen of the Two Sicilies (Ajaccio, March 25, 1782 - Florence, May 18, 1839).

Neapolitan peasant woman by Giuseppe Cammarano

Born Marie-Annonciade Bonaparte in Ajaccio in 1782 and died in Florence (Italy) in 1839.

She is the daughter of Carlo-Maria de Buonaparte and Maria-Létizia Ramolino, and the sister of Napoleon I. In 1800 she married Joachim Murat. They had four children:Louise Murat, Lucien Murat, Achille Murat, Létizia Murat.

She was Grand Duchess of Berg and Cleves in 1806 then Queen of Naples from 1808 to 1814. She showed herself worthy of this high rank:she favored the arts and artists; encouraged the excavations of Pompeii, and created useful establishments at Naples. Declared regent when Murat had left Naples, she ensured public tranquility, moved away only after having stipulated with the English commodore for the interests of her former subjects, then retired to the castle of Baimbourg, near Vienna, where she s exclusively concerned with the education of his children. After 1830, she reunited with her family in Italy. She had taken the title of Countess of Lipona (anagram of Napoli, Italian name for Naples).