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| Ferdinand I | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portrait byJohan Zoffany, 1779 | |||||
| Duke of Parma, Piacenza andGuastalla | |||||
| Reign | 18 July 1765 – 9 October 1802 | ||||
| Predecessor | Philip | ||||
| Successors |
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| Born | (1751-01-20)20 January 1751 Parma,Duchy of Parma | ||||
| Died | 9 October 1802(1802-10-09) (aged 51) Fontevivo, Duchy of Parma | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Carolina, Princess Maximilian of Saxony Louis I, King of Etruria Princess Maria Antonia Princess Maria Carlotta Prince Philip Maria Princess Antonietta Luisa Princess Maria Luisa | ||||
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| House | Bourbon-Parma | ||||
| Father | Philip, Duke of Parma | ||||
| Mother | Louise Élisabeth of France | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Ferdinand I (Ferdinando Maria Filippo Lodovico Sebastiano Francesco Giacomo; 20 January 1751 – 9 October 1802) wasDuke of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla from his father's death on 18 July 1765 until he ceded the duchy toFrance by theTreaty of Aranjuez on 20 March 1801. He was a member of theHouse of Bourbon-Parma.
Born at theDucal Palace of Colorno as the second child and the only son ofPhilip, Duke of Parma and PrincessLouise Élisabeth of France, he was considered to be the favorite grandson of his maternal grandfather KingLouis XV and his popular wife QueenMarie Leszczyńska. As a grandson in the male line of KingPhilip V of Spain, he was created aninfante of Spain upon his father's death. As the heir to one of the largest collections of sovereign duchies, Ferdinand was an attractive candidate for many royal women of Europe.
Possible candidates includedMaria Beatrice d'Este, daughter ofErcole III d'Este, Duke of Modena, and (like Ferdinand) an in law ofMarie Antoinette. She was, throughher mother, heiress to theDuchy of Massa and Carrara, but despite being the last descendant of thehouse of Este, she was not the heiress to theDuchy of Modena and Reggio due to theSalic law that was in force there. Ferdinand's marriage to Princess Maria Beatrice, however, was probably little more than a wishful thinking of Parma's minister,Guillaume du Tillot, considering that she had been engaged from early childhood to the third-born heir of theHouse of Habsburg-Lorraine.[1] Another candidate wasBathilde d'Orléans, who offered a very large dowry; she was the only surviving daughter ofLouis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, and the sister ofPhilippe-Égalité.
The decision of who his future spouse would be was sealed by his mother's close correspondence with the powerful EmpressMaria Theresa of Austria, who had promised Ferdinand's parents the throne of the Netherlands, which had been returned to Austrian rule under theTreaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. This never occurred and, as a result, an alliance with theHabsburg Empire was used to cement the two nations.
At the age of nine, Ferdinand began takingharpsichord lessons with the composerGiuseppe Colla.[2]
Guillaume du Tillot was again used during Ferdinand's reign when he lost his father in 1765 at age 14. Negotiations and ideas were passed from Vienna to Parma, and in 1769 Ferdinand was to marryArchduchess Maria Amalia of Austria; the eighth child of the Empress, and elder sister of theQueen of Naples and Sicily, and also of the futureQueen of France. They had been married by proxy in Vienna on 27 June and Maria Amalia left her home on 1 July. The duchess would meet her husband atMantua on 16 July. His wife was with her brotherJoseph II, Holy Roman Emperor and Ferdinand with members of the Sforza family. On 19 July there was a formal ceremony for all at theDucal Palace of Colorno where Ferdinand had been born. During many festivities, the couple made their official entrance to Parma on 24 July. They had nine children in just under twenty years.
Expelling the Jesuits, abolishing the jurisdiction of the Inquisition within his domains, and suppressing many redundant monasteries, Ferdinand has sometimes been classed among the more minor exponents ofEnlightened absolutism.
Ferdinand ceded the Duchy of Parma to France in theTreaty of Aranjuez. The treaty was signed on 21 March 1801 between France and Spain. The overall accord confirmed the terms presented in theTreaty of San Ildefonso. Moreover, Ferdinand agreed to surrender the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla to France. Ferdinand's son Louis received the territory of theGrand Duchy of Tuscany, which by that point had been named theKingdom of Etruria.Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, had been compensated with secularized territories of thePrince-Archbishopric of Salzburg that became the newElectorate of Salzburg.
Ferdinand I died in Parma at age 51, suspected to be poisoned, although French authorities cited another reason for his death, and was buried in the church ofFontevivo Abbey. On his deathbed, however, he named a regency council with his wife Maria Amalia as its head, clearly still opposing the terms of the Treaty of Aranjuez regarding his duchy. The regency lasted only for a few days and the Duchy of Parma was annexed to France.
Ferdinand and his wife Maria Amalia had nine children:[3]
| Ancestors of Ferdinand I, Duke of Parma[18] |
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| This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Ferdinand I, Duke of Parma" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Ferdinand I, Duke of Parma Cadet branch of theHouse of Capet Born: 20 January 1751 Died: 9 October 1802 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla 1765–1802 | Vacant Annexed byFrench Republic Title next held by Marie Louiseas sovereign duchess |
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