Maria Amalia of Saxony facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maria Amalia of Saxony |
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Maria Amalia overlooking the Neapolitan crown, by Giuseppe Bonito, c. 1745.
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| Queen consort of Spain | |||||
| Tenure | 10 August 1759 – 27 September 1760 | ||||
| Queen consort of Naples | |||||
| Tenure | 19 June 1738 – 10 August 1759 | ||||
| Queen consort of Sicily | |||||
| Tenure | 19 June 1738 - 10 August 1759 | ||||
| Born | 24 November 1724 Dresden Castle, Dresden, Saxony |
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| Died | 27 September 1760 (aged 35) Buen Retiro Palace, Madrid, Spain |
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| Burial | El Escorial, Spain | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue Detail |
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| House | Wettin | ||||
| Father | Augustus III of Poland | ||||
| Mother | Maria Josepha of Austria | ||||
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Maria Amalia of Saxony (born November 24, 1724 – died September 27, 1760) was a powerful queen. She was the Queen consort of Spain from 1759 until her death. Before that, she was the Queen consort of Naples and Queen consort of Sicily. She became queen when she married King Charles III in 1738.
Maria Amalia was born a princess in Poland and Saxony. Her father was Augustus III of Poland, and her mother was Maria Josepha of Austria. Maria Amalia and Charles had thirteen children together. Seven of them lived to be adults. She was a popular queen and helped build many important places. These included the Caserta Palace near Naples. She also had a big impact on how the government was run.
Contents
Biography
Early life and education
Maria Amalia was born at Dresden Castle in Dresden. Her father was Augustus III of Poland, who was also the Elector of Saxony. Her mother was Maria Josepha of Austria. Maria Amalia was one of sixteen children. Her mother was a cousin of Empress Maria Theresa.
Maria Amalia grew up in the royal court of Dresden. She learned French, dancing, and painting. She was also a talented musician. She sang and played the piano from a young age.
Queen of Naples and Sicily
In 1738, Maria Amalia became engaged to Charles. He was the King of Naples and Sicily. He would later become Charles III of Spain. Their marriage was arranged by Charles's mother, Elizabeth Farnese.
Maria Amalia had a special ceremony in Dresden on May 8, 1738. Her brother, Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony, stood in for Charles. This marriage helped improve relations between Charles and the Pope.
On July 4, 1738, Maria Amalia arrived in Naples. She received a very warm welcome. The couple met for the first time on June 19, 1738. This was in a village called Portella. Charles created a special award, the Order of Saint Januarius. This was the most important award in the kingdom.
Even though their marriage was arranged, Maria Amalia and Charles became very close. Charles was very happy when he first met her. Maria Amalia was known for her beauty and her riding skills. She often went hunting with Charles.
As queen, she had a lot of influence on politics. She helped remove several politicians she did not like. After her first son was born in 1747, she even got a seat on the council of state. She worked to reduce Spain's influence over Naples. In 1742, she convinced Charles to keep Naples neutral during the War of the Austrian Succession. This was against Spain's wishes. However, in 1744, they had to declare war. She then preferred Great Britain over France and Austria.
Maria Amalia was also known for her love of culture and building. She played a big part in building the Caserta Palace. Her husband laid the first stone for it in 1752. But they left Naples before it was finished. She also helped build the Palace of Portici and the Teatro di San Carlo. She was also involved in the Palace of Capodimonte. Her husband also renovated the Royal Palace of Naples.
Her apartments at Portici had famous porcelain. This came from the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory. She started porcelain production in Naples in 1743. Maria Amalia also enjoyed tobacco. She supported the composer Gian Francesco Fortunati. He was a favorite at the Neapolitan court.
Queen of Spain
In 1758, Charles's half-brother, Ferdinand VI of Spain, became very ill. He died on August 10, 1759. Charles then became the King of Spain.
That same year, Charles and Maria Amalia moved from Naples to Madrid. They left two of their children behind in Caserta. Their third son became Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. Their older son, Charles IV of Spain, was prepared to become the next King of Spain. Their oldest son, Infante Philip, Duke of Calabria, had a mental disability. He was removed from the line of succession.
Charles officially gave up the crowns of Naples and Sicily on October 6, 1759. This made sure the Spanish and Neapolitan crowns would stay separate. Charles and Maria Amalia arrived in Barcelona on October 7, 1759.
Maria Amalia worked hard to improve the royal palaces in Spain. She had them redecorated. She also helped start a luxury porcelain factory. It was called the Real Fábrica del Buen Retiro. Maria Amalia felt that Spain was not well managed. She blamed Charles's mother, Queen Dowager Elizabeth Farnese. Elizabeth was then asked to leave the Spanish court.
Maria Amalia did not like living in Spain. She complained about the food and the climate. She also did not like the Spanish people. She thought they were passive and uneducated. She described the Spanish court as sad and tense. She had many plans to improve Spain. But she did not have enough time to finish them.
In September 1760, Maria Amalia died suddenly. This was just a year after she arrived in Madrid. She passed away at the Buen Retiro Palace. She was buried at the Royal Crypt in El Escorial. Her husband, Charles, was buried next to her in 1788.
In 1761, Charles asked Giovanni Battista Tiepolo to paint frescoes for the Royal Palace in Madrid. In the Queen's Antechamber, Tiepolo painted the Apotheosis of the Spanish Monarchy. This painting shows Queen Maria Amalia surrounded by Greek gods.
Issue
Maria Amalia and King Charles III had many children:
- Princess Maria Isabel (1740 – 1742) died young.
- Princess Maria Josefa (1742 – 1742) died young.
- Princess María Isabel Ana (1743 – 1749) died young.
- Princess María Josefa (1744 – 1801).
- Princess Maria Luisa (1745 – 1792) married Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor.
- Prince Felipe, Duke of Calabria (1747 – 1777).
- Charles IV of Spain (1748 – 1819) married Maria Luisa of Parma.
- Princess Maria Teresa (1749 – 1750) died young.
- Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (1751 – 1825) married Maria Carolina of Austria.
- Prince Gabriel (1752 – 1788) married Infanta Maria Ana Vitória of Portugal.
- Princess Maria Ana (1754 – 1755) died young.
- Prince Antonio Pascual (1755 – 1817) married Infanta María Amalia of Spain.
- Prince Francisco Javier (1757 – 1771) died young.
Arms
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Coat of Arms of Queen Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Saxony
(1738–1759) -
Coat of Arms of Queen Maria Amalia of Spain, Princess of Saxony (1759–1760)
See also
In Spanish: María Amalia de Sajonia para niños
