Laura Pescatori () was an influential favorite of the queen of Spain,
Elisabeth Farnese
Elisabeth Farnese ( Italian: ''Elisabetta Farnese'', Spanish: ''Isabel Farnesio''; 25 October 169211 July 1766) was Queen of Spain by marriage to King Philip V. She exerted great influence over Spain's foreign policy and was the ''de facto'' r ...
. Originally the nurse of the queen, she became known as the favorite confidante of the queen as wielded influence as a channel to the queen. She was courted by foreign diplomats, and was reportedly behind the fall of Cardinal Alberoni.
Early years
Laura Pescatori was Elisabeth Farnese's nurse during her childhood in Parma.
She did not accompany her in her retinue when Elisabeth left Italy for her marriage to King
Philip V of Spain
Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...
in 1714. In Spain, Elisabeth quickly became the
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
ruler through the king and by the guidance of the Parmese ambassador,
Cardinal Alberoni
Giulio Alberoni (30 May 1664 OS – 26 June NS 1752) was an Italian cardinal and
statesman in the service of Philip V of Spain.
Early years
He was born near Piacenza, probably at the village of Fiorenzuola d'Arda in the Duchy of Parma.
His fathe ...
.
During the first pregnancy of Queen Elisabeth, the
Duke of Parma consented to send Laura Pescatori to Elisabeth to superintend her first confinement.
Early years in Spain
Laura Pescatori arrived to Spain in September 1715. The queen had promised Alberoni that Pescatori would not be allowed to exert any influence upon the affairs of state.
Pescatori was immediately noted to have a great influence upon the queen. She was described as jovial and good natured and at first did not seem to use her influence for other than menial matters.
She brought with a daughter, whom she married to the adventurer
count Cucurani.
Criticism of Pescatori
Alberoni, however, soon complained about her influence and viewed it as a threat to the queen's reputation and position, and thereby his own power position. He accused her of greed and of trying to undermine his position as the queen's adviser by keeping the queen idle.
Pescatori, in collaboration with the queen's confidante
Countess Somaglia, acted as a medium of communication between the queen and her former
chaplain Maggiali, who she wished to bring to court, a wish Alberoni opposed as she was reputed to be in love with Maggiali.
Laura Pescatori, however, helped the queen secure a stronger power base by assisting her in creating a net of clients by handing out favors.
Funds were raised to finance the return of Pescatori to Parma, but the queen continued to postpone it.
Later years
Laura Pescatori joined in the opposition to Cardinal Alberoni and was instrumental to his fall in 1719. She was inclined to benefit France, and the French ambassador therefore courted her through her son-in-law.
In 1721, the conflict between her and
Marquis Scotti, another Italian confidant of the queen, which was demonstrated through arguments in the presence of the queen, resulted in Scotti almost being sent back to Italy.
She was promoted to the post of the queen's ''
zafaja''. This meant that she could give visitors access to the queen and that she handled the secret correspondence of the queen, and apparently accepted bribes from foreign diplomats. The king treated her with respect, and the queen told the court to put up with her temper, as she had to do so herself.
In 1736, a plot was suspected against
minister Patino created by a cabal consisting of
Minister Montijo, the Italian
doctor Cervi, Marquis Scotti, Laura Pescatori and her protege
Campo Florido
Campo Florido is a Brazilian municipality located in the west of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population was estimated to be 8,269 people living in a total area of 1,261 km². The city belongs to the mesoregion of Triângulo Mineiro and A ...
. In the same year, however, the influence of Pescatori upon the queen appear to have deteriorated in favor of the
Marchioness Las Nieves, who became the most noted female friend of the queen since the departure of the
Duchess of S:t Pierre and the marriage of
La Pellegrina, who had the task of regularly informing the queen of gossip and who by 1736 was said to be the one who should be courted for supplicants to the queen.
[Armstrong, Edward: Elisabeth Farnese, the termagant of Spain (1892)]
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pescatori, Laura
18th-century Italian people
18th-century Spanish people
Spanish royal favourites
Spanish courtiers