The Bourbons

Luciana Myer

The House of Bourbon

• Philip V of Spain was the first Bourbon ruler of Spain

• In the Treaty of utrecht Sicily went to Austria.• Bourbons ruled both in France and Spain and

they desired to rule Italy so there was European balance

• Philip occupied Sicily in 1717 and also tried to gain more Italian territories through the War of the Austrian Succession

The Kingdom of two Sicilies

• Sicily was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before unification

• Cadet branch of the House of Bourbons

• Merger of the Kingdoms of Sicily and Naples

• Both Kingdoms were rules by Bourbon Kings

• One of the most important ruling families in Europe.

• The name Bourbons came from a region in France

• The Bourbons came into power when the ”direct line” of the House of Valois ended

• This established the Salic Law of Succession: the crown is passed down to males based on priomgeniture

The Bourbons In Italy

• Charles of Bourbon was the first Bourbon King of Naples

• Took power of Naples and Sicily from Spain in 1735

• Restored the Kingdom to a independent and sovereign state

• Became King of Sicily in Palermo

Emperor Frederick IIof Sicily

• Grew up in Palermo• Took the crown from his father Henry VI in 1198• Frederick studied and had great knowledge in

Arabic, Greek, Latin, Italian, Sicilian, German and Norman French

• Federalism in Sicily under Frederick's power helped improve from earlier years

• 1230 Crowned King or Jerusalem in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as the only Holy Roman Emperor

Francis II

• Last Bourbon King of two Sicilies

• Took throne in 1859 after his fathers

(Ferdinand II) death Garibaldi invaded southern Italy

• Eventually Garibaldi took over Naples government when Francis II fled

Bibliographia

• http://history-world.org/bourbons.htm

• http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/uk/archiviostorico/cs_04.htm

• http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art57.htm