The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the new name that the Bourbon King Ferdinand IV of Naples bestowed upon his domain (including Southern Italy and the island of Sicily) after the end of the Napoleonic Era and the full restoration of his power in 1816. The capital city of the kingdom was Naples.
Origin of the Two Sicilies
Before the French invasions of the Napoleonic Era, the Bourbon dynasty ruled over the same lands, but they were formally divided into the "Kingdom of Naples" and the "Kingdom of Sicily". After the change in the name of the kingdom, Ferdinand became known as King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies.
Flags of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
1738-1848; 1849-1860 flag
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History of the name
The name Two Sicilies derived from the splitting of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1282. Though ruled as a unit for a century, the island and mainland parted ways when the Sicilian Vespers rose up and threw off Neapolitan rule, accepting in its stead Aragon. The Angevin Kings of Naples retained the mainland and continued the name Kingdom of Sicily in order to assert their claim; for some time the southern peninsula was known as the Kingdom of Sicily this side of Cape Faro, for the lighthouse on the mainland side of the Strait of Messina, although the Kingdom of Sicily per se did not use the name. The two kingdoms were not under the same ruler until 1735 under Charles (to become later Charles III of Spain), and were not legally reunited until after the 1815 Congress of Vienna.
Kings of the Two Sicilies, 1816-1861
In 1860-1861 the kingdom was conquered by the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the title dropped.
Other people of the House of Two Sicilies include:
Heads of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies, 1861-present
- 1861-1894: Francis II
- 1894-1931: Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta
- 1931-1960: Prince Ferdinando Pio, Duke of Calabria
Upon Ferdinando Pio's death in 1960, there was a dispute about who inherited the headship of the house. Ferdinando's next brother, Carlo, had renounced his rights to the the throne of the Two Sicilies in 1901, when he had married the sister of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and been created an Infante of Spain. However, his son, Don Alfonso, nevertheless claimed the headship of the house, upon his uncle's death, arguing that the renunciation only applied should he or his descendants inherit the Spanish throne, and took the title of pretension of "Duke of Calabria." The descent in the senior line is as follows:
- 1960-1964: Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
- 1964-present: Carlos, Duke of Calabria
Most of the rest of the Bourbon-Two Sicilies family rejected Alfonso's claims, however, and recognized the next surviving brother of Ferdinando Pio, Ranieri, as head of the house. Ranieri took the title of "Duke of Castro" as his title of pretension. The representatives of the junior branch are as follows:
- 1960-1966: Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro (Died 1973)
- 1966-present: Prince Ferdinando Maria, Duke of Castro
Current line of succession
- HRH Prince Carlo Maria Bernardo, Duke of Calabria, Hereditary Prince of the Two Sicilies (born 1963)
- HRH Prince Antonio of the Two Sicilies (born 1929)
- HRH Prince Francesco of the Two Sicilies (born 1960)
- HRH Prince Gennaro of the Two Sicilies (born 1966)
- HRH Prince Giovanni of the Two Sicilies (born 1933)
- HRH Prince Casimiro of the Two Sicilies (born 1938)
- HRH Prince Luigi of the Two Sicilies (born 1970)
- HRH Prince Alessandro of the Two Sicilies (born 1974)
See also
External links
Some cultural websites about the history of Naples and Sicily:
- Associazione culturale neoborbonica - Southern Italian "neo-Bourbonist" site, making a case for a positive view of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Mostly in Italian, some pages in English.
- Brigantino - Il portale del Sud - A massive Italian-language site dedicated to History, Culture and Arts of southern Italy.
- Casa Editoriale Il Giglio - An italian editor, who focuses its production upon History, Culture and Arts in the Two Sicilies (in italian).
- Bookshop Neapolis - The website of a bookshop, located in the heart of the historical center of Naples, specialized in History and Culture of Naples and Southern Italy (mainly in italian).
- Edoardo Spagnuolo website - A websites with many historical documents about the rebellions against invasion in 1860, with particular interest in the region of Irpinia (in italian).
- La Voce di Megaride - A website dedicated to Napoli and Southern Italy, by Marina Salvadore (in italian).
- Associazione culturale "Amici di Angelo Manna" - A website dedicated to the work of volcanic Angelo Manna, historian, poet, deputate (in italian).
- Fora! The e-journal of Nicola Zitara - Large amount of articles about Southern Italy's Culture and History by prof. Nicola Zitara (in italian).
The headship of the house is in dispute between two branches of the family::
