Charlotte Bonaparte Gabrielli
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Filistine Charlotte Bonaparte Gabrielli (born Filistine Charlotte Bonaparte; 22 February 1795 – 13 May 1865) was a French Napoleonic princess and the eldest daughter of
Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to 1800 ...
and
Christine Boyer Catherine Christine Eléonore Boyer (3 July 1771 – 14 May 1800) was a member of the Bonaparte family as the first wife of Lucien Bonaparte, a younger brother of Napoleon. Life Born in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France, Boyer was the daught ...
. She became princess Gabrielli following her marriage to Mario Gabrielli, prince of
Prossedi Prossedi (locally ''Prussedi'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Latina in the Italy, Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about east of Latina, Lazio, Latina. Prossedi borders the following municipalities: ...
and Roccasecca, Duke of
Pisterzo Pisterzo is part of the municipality of Prossedi in Lazio, Italy. Description A classic example of a medieval town, Pisterzo is a small village in the province of Latina located in the mountainous area of the Ausoni Mountains The Monti Aus ...
. In Italy, she was known as ''Carlotta''.


Biography

Filistine Charlotte Bonaparte was born on 22 February 1795 in
Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume (; oc, Sant Maissemin de la Santa Bauma, links=https://www.google.fr/maps/@43.4574354,5.8556205,3a,51.6y,135.48h,69.75t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYHiJO3wua5rplRFJ-jGpTQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) is a commune in the southeastern ...
, the daughter of
Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to 1800 ...
(1775–1840), the first prince of Canino and Musignano, and his first wife
Christine Boyer Catherine Christine Eléonore Boyer (3 July 1771 – 14 May 1800) was a member of the Bonaparte family as the first wife of Lucien Bonaparte, a younger brother of Napoleon. Life Born in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France, Boyer was the daught ...
(1773–1800), herself the daughter of Pierre Boyer. She was the granddaughter of
Carlo Buonaparte Carlo Maria Buonaparte or Charles-Marie Bonaparte (27 March 1746 – 24 February 1785) was a Corsican lawyer and diplomat, best known as the father of Napoleon Bonaparte and grandfather of Napoleon III. Buonaparte served briefly as a personal ...
and his wife
Letizia Ramolino Maria-Letizia Buonaparte (née Ramolino; 24 August 1750 (or 1749) – 2 February 1836), known as Letizia Bonaparte, was a Corsican noblewoman, mother of Napoleon I of France. She became known as “” after the proclamation of the Empire. She ...
, and the niece of the emperor
Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. Her paternal grandmother,
Letizia Ramolino Maria-Letizia Buonaparte (née Ramolino; 24 August 1750 (or 1749) – 2 February 1836), known as Letizia Bonaparte, was a Corsican noblewoman, mother of Napoleon I of France. She became known as “” after the proclamation of the Empire. She ...
(Madame Mère), nicknamed her "Lolotte." When she was six years of age and Christine-Egypta, her younger sister, was two, their mother died at Le Plessis of a pulmonary disease while pregnant with a third sibling. She spent her childhood in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
and from 1804 onwards was educated by nuns in
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. When Napoleon's first marriage to
Joséphine de Beauharnais Josephine may refer to: People * Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer Places *Josephine, Texas, United States *Mount Josephine (disambiguation) * Josephine Count ...
was annulled, the possibility that he might marry Charlotte was suggested by her aunt
Pauline Bonaparte Paula Maria Bonaparte Leclerc Borghese ( French: ''Pauline Marie Bonaparte''; 20 October 1780 – 9 June 1825), better known as Pauline Bonaparte, was an imperial French princess, the first sovereign Duchess of Guastalla, and the princess cons ...
, as this would have consolidated family power. Under pressure from Napoleon, who wished to arrange her marriage, she was sent to Paris stay with his mother, Madame Mère. Marriage arrangements to the Spanish prince Ferdinando of the Asturias (later
Ferdinand VII of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...
) and the grand-duke of Wurzburg (later
Ferdinand III of Tuscany Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
) were planned for her by Napoleon but eventually not concluded. Charlotte continuously wrote letters to her father which complained of the hypocritical French court and the ugliness of her female relatives. She even criticized Napoleon himself, and when these letters were intercepted by his secret police, she was sent home. As a consequence of the increasingly abrasive relationship between Lucien and Napoleon, Charlotte, her father, her stepmother
Alexandrine de Bleschamp Alexandrine Bonaparte, Princess of Canino and Musignano (née Alexandrine de Bleschamp; 23 February 1778 – 12 July 1855) was a French aristocrat. She was first married to the banker Hippolyte Jouberthon, with whom she had one child, Anne, ...
, siblings and household attempted to sail to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
on 5 August 1810. They were captured by the British and forced to reside, first in the British colony of
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, and then in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
until the fall of Napoleon in May 1814. During the restoration of her uncle Napoleon for a period known as the
Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...
, Charlotte was granted the title of French princess (22 March 1815) and the qualification of
Imperial Highness His/Her Imperial Highness (abbreviation HIH) is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote ''imperial'' – as opposed to ''royal'' – status to show that the holder in question is descended from an emperor rather than a king ( ...
. Charlotte was then married on 27 December 1815 to the Roman prince Mario Gabrielli (1773 – 1841). He was the scion of an old Italian Catholic family from
Gubbio Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines. History The city's origins are very ancient. ...
, the son of the Napoleonic
deputy mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments. Duties and functions Many elected dep ...
of
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
and nephew of a former
Cardinal Secretary of State The Secretary of State of His Holiness (Latin: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae, it, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), commonly known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the Holy See's Secretariat of State, which is the ...
. She thus became the Princess Gabrielli until his death in 1841. An outspoken and sincere woman, the Italians referred to Princess Gabrielli as "a true Bonaparte". Even after the fall of Napoleon, she always remained loyal to her uncle's memory, and had a particular affection for her paternal grandmother, Madame Mère, to whom she remained attached until her death at Palazzo Bonaparte-d'Aste, in the Roman
Piazza Venezia Piazza Venezia () is a central hub of Rome, Italy, in which several thoroughfares intersect, including the Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Via del Corso. It takes its name from the Palazzo Venezia, built by the Venetian Cardinal, Pietro Barbo (la ...
, in 1836. She was an avid book collector and the patroness of a literary and intellectual circle that regularly met at her husband's villa on the
Janiculum The Janiculum (; it, Gianicolo ), occasionally the Janiculan Hill, is a hill in western Rome, Italy. Although it is the second-tallest hill (the tallest being Monte Mario) in the contemporary city of Rome, the Janiculum does not figure among th ...
from the years 1820-1840. The "Villa Gabrielli al Gianicolo" was one of the must-see stops of
Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...
travelers because of the magnificent view on the city, and is currently the Roman headquarters of the
Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...
. Charlotte survived her husband as the Dowager Princess Gabrielli (1841–1865) and the following year she quietly remarried to her faithful admirer the Cavaliere Settimio Centamori. With the rise of Emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
, Charlotte was again officially included in the Imperial family and recognized as Princess Bonaparte with the qualification of ''
Highness Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjecti ...
'' (21 February 1853). Princess Gabrielli died on 6 May 1865, aged seventy, at Palazzo Gabrielli in Rome.


Marriage and children

On 27 December 1815, in Rome, Charlotte Bonaparte married prince Don Mario Gabrielli, prince of Prossedi (6 December 1773 – 17 September 1841), with whom she had eight children: * Donna Letizia Gabrielli (1817–1827); died young. * Donna Cristina Gabrielli (1821–1898); married marchese Antonio Stefanoni (1819–1883) and left children. * Donna Lavinia Gabrielli (1822–1888); married conte Ildefonso Aventi (1802–1857) and left children. * Don Angelo Gabrielli (1824–1826); died in infancy. * Donna Camilla Gabrielli (1828–1829); died in infancy. * Donna Emilia Gabrielli (1830–1911); married conte Giuseppe Parisani (1823–1887) and left children, including the painter
Napoleone Parisani Napoleone Parisani (11 April 1854, Camerino – 20 September 1932, Rome) was an Italian landscape and occasional portrait painter. Biography He was born to Count Giuseppe Parisani (1823-1887), the first mayor of Camerino after Italian unificatio ...
. * Don (1832–1911); married his cousin princess Augusta Bonaparte (daughter of
Charles Lucien Bonaparte Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte, 2nd Prince of Canino and Musignano (24 May 1803 – 29 July 1857), was a French naturalist and ornithologist. Lucien and his wife had twelve children, including Cardinal Lucien Bonaparte. Life and career ...
and his wife,
Zénaïde Bonaparte Zénaïde Laetitia Julie Bonaparte, Princess of Canino and Musignano (8 July 1801 – 8 August 1854) was the elder daughter of Joseph Bonaparte and Julie Clary, and the wife of Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who was also her cousin. She joined her fat ...
). * Donna Francesca Gabrielli (1837–1860); married conte Cesare Parisani (1828–1904) and left children. After Don Mario Gabrielli's death, she married chevalier Settimio Centamori (1812–1889) in 1842. The marriage was childless.


Portraits

She was represented by the French
painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
Jean-Baptiste Wicar Jean-Baptiste Wicar (22 January 1762 – 27 February 1834) was a French Neoclassical painter and art collector. Life The son of a carpenter, Wicar was born in Lille. He studied drawing at the free school in Lille before further honing his t ...
as a young peasant woman in a life-size portrait, today in the collections of the Museo Napoleonico in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. Another life-size portrait by Jean-Pierre Granger is at the
Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 19 ...
.


Further reading

* Yacinthe Saint-German Leca. ''Un aspect meconnu de Lucien Bonaparte''. Paris, Imprimerie Jouve, 2006


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonaparte Gabrielli, Charlotte 1795 births 1865 deaths
Charlotte Bonaparte Gabrielli Filistine Charlotte Bonaparte Gabrielli (born Filistine Charlotte Bonaparte; 22 February 1795 – 13 May 1865) was a French Napoleonic princess and the eldest daughter of Lucien Bonaparte and Christine Boyer. She became princess Gabrielli follo ...
Charlotte Bonaparte Gabrielli Filistine Charlotte Bonaparte Gabrielli (born Filistine Charlotte Bonaparte; 22 February 1795 – 13 May 1865) was a French Napoleonic princess and the eldest daughter of Lucien Bonaparte and Christine Boyer. She became princess Gabrielli follo ...