Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
A shrewd and stubborn monarch, he clung to his throne through two depositions, navigating the violent tides of the Napoleonic era.
1751–1825 (age 74)·King of Naples and Sicily (r. 1759–1799; 1799–1806; 1815–1825)·Birthday: January 12
Biography
Ferdinand I became King of Naples and Sicily as a child in 1759, then survived revolutions and exile to preserve his crown. Born in 1751, his early reign was dominated by regents. His conservative rule clashed with Enlightenment ideas sweeping Europe. In 1799, a republican uprising inspired by the French Revolution briefly drove him from Naples. He returned with a bloody counter-revolution. Napoleon's forces invaded in 1806, forcing Ferdinand to flee to Sicily, where he ruled under British navy protection for nearly a decade. His wife, Maria Carolina, wielded significant influence during fractious years in Palermo. After Napoleon's defeat, Ferdinand restored his throne in 1815 and formally united the two kingdoms as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. His final decade suppressed liberal dissent, defining him as a reactionary but resilient figure.
#1 When Ferdinand Was Born
The biggest hits of 1751
Ferdinand's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1751Born
1756Started school
1764Became a teenager
1767Could drive
1769Could vote
1772Turned 21
1781Turned 30
1791Turned 40
1801Turned 50
1811Turned 60
1821Turned 70
1825Died at 74
Key Achievements
- He unified the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816.
- He survived two separate depositions from the throne of Naples, in 1799 and 1806, and was restored both times.
- He maintained his rule in Sicily for nearly a decade (1806-1815) under British protection during the Napoleonic Wars.
- He founded the Royal Order of the Two Sicilies, a chivalric order, in 1808.
Did You Know?
He was given the unflattering nickname 'Re Nasone' (King Big Nose) by his subjects.
His wife, Queen Maria Carolina, was a sister of the French queen Marie Antoinette.
He had a total of 18 children with his wife Maria Carolina.
The city of Foggia in Italy has a famous statue of him astride a horse in the main piazza.
“A king's first duty is to preserve his throne and the true faith.”
