Francesco Leonardo of Fidenza

Francesco Leonardo, Duca di Savoia, 1747

Filippo Antonio

Maria Francesca

Amadeo Emmanuele

Maria Benedetta

**Francesco Leonardo** (17th December 1728 - 22nd December 1761) was a member of the House of Visconti who was Crown Prince of Fidenza from his birth until his death at war in 1761, on the same day as his father Francesco VI.

He was well-known for his kind and charitable demeanour, as well as his prowess in military matters. He was also known for his good nature and was beloved across Fidenza. He was, however, also known for his massive ambition and quick temper, leading to coldness toward some and coarse reactions when upset.

## Biography

### **Birth**

Francesco Leonardo was born on December 17th, 1728 at the Palazzo Reale in Rome to King Francesco VI and his wife, Queen Maria Elisabetta. Born the first child of ten, he became the Crown Prince of Fidenza immediately at birth and was given the title of Duke of Savoy, the traditional title of the heir apparent to the Fidenzan throne. The birth of an heir was a joyous occasion for the KIngdom, and bells all across Rome tolled for hours after the birth. Many balls and celebrations were held in the week following the birth of the Prince, and fortresses across the nation gave cannon salutes for the new Crown Prince.

### **Childhood**

He was placed into the care of the governess of the Royal Children, who at the time was the Duchess of Ferrara. Francesco was given everything his heart desired in his childhood, as his father Francesco VI spared no expense on the upbringings of his children. He was given multiple nannies, governesses and tutors to tend to him during his earliest years, so that he would never go wanting for anything. The Duchess of Ferrara commented that, *"the Young Prince was spoilt, clearly. His Majesty wouldn't hear of it, though. Yet, the extravagance never seemed to get to the boy's head. He was a temperate child, diligent and well-meaning. He would always do his work before play, and would always do as he was told".* Francesco would often enjoy walking the halls of the Palazzo Reale and striking up conversation with the first person he saw. He became known around the palace as gregarious and friendly, and many enjoyed the young Prince's company. He developed a strong taste for the art of conversation and courtly etiquette, an important skill in the court of Fidenza.

### **Adolescence and Scandal**

As he grew, Francesco developed a reputation for his charming nature, and he grew into dashing good looks mostly descending from his father's side of the family. His appearance became the envy of the court, and soon he was seen attracting much attention from the young noblewomen of the court. He caused scandal in 1743, when he was 15, where a dalliance was exposed between the Crown Prince and his cousin, Ludovica di Visconti di Napoli, a daughter of the Duke of Napoli. An infuriated Francesco VI ordered the girl seized, and had her banished to a convent in Sicily, as far away from the court as she could be. The Duke of Napoli did not object, as he was equally outraged with the affair. Later, Ludovica delivered a son at the convent, but Francesco VI's agents found out about the delivery and the child was seized by the King's men. Francesco VI ordered the child drowned, and disposed of discreetly. After the ordeal, the relationship between the King and the Crown Prince never fully recovered, and the latter would avoid the former for almost two years afterwards.

### **Marriage**

Following the scandal, Francesco VI had looked to arrange marriages for his son across Princesses in Europe. An agreement was eventually made for Francesco to marry Marie Louise Elisabeth de Bourbon, the eldest daughter of King Louis XV of France. It was a prestigious match to have, and would help cement the Fidenzan-French Alliance once again. As well as the political benefit, the King sought a hasty marriage to help prevent future scandals involving his son. Francesco Leonardo complied with the match, despite still being on unfriendly terms with his father, the King. They were married in St. Peter's Basilica on the 24th of February 1744, in a traditional Catholic ceremony conducted by the then Crown Cardinal, Cosimo de' Medici. The effect of the previous scandal still lingered over the marriage, and as a result Francesco cared little for his new bride. Nonetheless, the marriage was consummated soon after and in 1745, a son was born. He was named Giovanni Amadeo, and was granted the title of Duke of Ferrara at birth. He was followed by two more sons, twins Emmanuele Ludovico (later Emmanuele III) and Filippo Antonio. They'd go on to have three more children afterwards, and would mostly reside in Turin due to the cold relationship between Francesco VI and the Prince.

### **Life at Turin**

After his marriage with Elisabeth, the couple mostly moved away from Francesco VI's court in Rome, and chose to live at the Palazzo Reale di Turin, a relatively large residence in the city of Turin. They would then on make infrequent visits to the court of Rome, and a smaller court circulating around the Crown Prince began to form at Turin. This court, becoming known as *"Piccola Corte di Savoia"* (literally, Small Court of Savoy), was popular among younger nobles seeking to secure their favour with the Crown Prince. A generational split became apparent, with many younger men and women residing at Turin while the older courtiers resided with the King at Rome. At Turin, Francesco ran an elaborate and grandiose court. In comparison to the court of Rome, however, life at Turin was extremely openly licentious and debauched. Nontraditional balls were held almost every week, which usually ended in some sort of scandal or affair. Even Francesco himself was not stranger to the debauchery known at these balls, and openly kept many lovers at Turin. It was said that he fathered dozens of bastard children during his years at Turin, and being far away from the King meant that very little could be done about it. The disgruntled Francesco VI sent many requests for his son to return to Rome, but he'd be met with no response each time.

Francesco would reopen correspondence with his father in 1750, and the cold terms between them began to slowly melt away. He slowly began to forgive his father for his actions, though the impact of it all would never completely wash away. Though for a time he refused to return to Rome, the King and Crown Prince's bitterness toward each other seemed to subside. He'd visit Rome with his wife and two eldest sons, Ludovico Amadeo and Emmanuele Ludovico in 1753. It was a bittersweet affair, as for the first time in five years the King had seen his grandsons. He hardly recognised the boys at first, but grew to love them over their stay in Rome. It was the first time the King and Francesco had spoken face to face in six years, and their relationship would continue to warm over time. The King expressed his regret over his actions at the time, while Francesco apologised for his brash actions and bitterness toward his father. Francesco would move back to court with his family afterward.

### **Court Life**

Francesco's charm and wit made him immediately popular again at court, though under a different air of a conservative court of devout and pious older noblemen. As Duke of Savoy, he was entitled to sit on the King's council, but he found the council to be full of bitter old men who advised the King badly. He began pushing his father to appoint fresh faces to his council, but by this point the Council had dug their claws into the King and influenced him strongly. Francesco's opinions were not taken seriously by the council, and as a result he eventually lost his temper and resigned his post on the Council. He infamously said to them, *"You'll know the error of your ways when I am crowned",* a faux pas he committed in direct view of the King. Francesco VI had stood to stop him, but the Prince had ripped his papers and stormed out of the room before he could utter a word. He'd once again sink into political obscurity, but had great influence over the court's entertainments and activities. He still got on warmly with his mother, the Queen Elisabetta, who persuaded her husband to force his council to apologise to the Prince, and to have them take him seriously as the heir to their throne.

His father went on a long hunt and left Francesco as his regent in 1756. With the support of his mother, his first act was to remove most of the council, save the Prince of Monaco who was a fond acquaintance of his. He appointed a new council, though he favoured merit over his personal opinion of them. He placed the courtiers he felt were most suited for their positions. His new council, which became known as the Prince's Council, was far more effective than the old Council had been. When the King returned from the hunt, however, he was furious. He demanded an explanation as to why the Council was replaced, to which Francesco replied, *"The old must be removed before we can usher in the new. The council was getting awfully dusty, so it was time for the new."*

### **Seven Years' War and Death**

Francesco Leonardo joined the Fidenzan army on campaign during the Seven Years War. As a renowned military strategist, he was respected on the field of battle more than he was in the field of politics. Although Fidenza did not immediately join the Seven Years' War, but it mobilised in September of 1758, joining the French side of the war. The war was mostly uneventful for Fidenza until they stationed in Austria in 1761. They engaged in small skirmishes with Prussia over time, though most battles were inconclusive. In 1761, however, Francesco's eldest son Ludovico Amadeo died from Tuberculosis at age 16, leaving succession in doubt. Francesco was devastated, but stopped himself from returning home for the sake of the war. In December, the Fidenzan Army engaged in battle with the Prussian Army outside Katowice, Silesia. The battle was long and arduous, and Francesco led a cavalry division. At some point on the 22nd of December, he was struck by the sabre of an opposing cavalryman. He fell immediately from his horse, and began to bleed profusely. The King rode over and jumped from his horse, panicked in his attempt to save his son. As Francesco Leonardo died, the King was shot in the back by a marksman. King Francesco VI died soon after his son, on December 22nd 1761 at Katowice. After the battle, Fidenzan forces scoured the fields and found the bodies. Fidenza abandoned camp in Silesia, and returned home with the bodies of the King and the Crown Prince. The successor to the throne would be Francesco's second son, Emmanuele Ludovico, who became Emmanuele III of Fidenza.

## Issue

With his wife, he'd have six children:

* Giovanni Amadeo, Duca di Ferrara (3rd June 1745 - 12th October 1761)
* Emmanuele III Ludovico, King of Fidenza and Milan (13th July 1747 - Present)
* Filippo Antonio, Duca di Amalfi (13th July 1747 - Present)
* Maria Francesca, Principessa di Fidenza (12th January 1749 - Present)
* Amadeo Emmanuele, Conteggio di Faucigny (19th September 1751 - Present)
* Maria Benedetta, Principessa di Fidenza (13th August 1754 - 2nd February 1757)

## Titles, Styles and Honours:

### **Titles and Styles**

* **17th December 1728 - 22nd December 1761:** Sua Altezza, Il Duca di Savoia
* **17th December 1728 - 22nd December 1761:** *Principe Ereditario di Fidenza*

### **Honours**

* **Knight of the Order of King Francesco V**
* **Knight of the Order of the Golden Crest**