Bonaparte, Carolina |
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BORN 25 Mar 1782, Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud - DIED 18 May 1839, Firenze, Toscana BIRTH NAME Bonaparte, Maria Annunziata Carolina CAUSE OF DEATH cancer GRAVE LOCATION Firenze, Toscana: Chiesa di Ognissanti |
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Carolina Bonaparte was the seventh and youngest child of Carlo Bonaparte and the younger sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. She moved with her family to France in 1793 and was educated at Jeanne Campan's school at St-Germain-en-Laye. Hortense de Beauharnais was a pupil there at the same time. She fell in love with her brother's general Joachim Murat and she married him on 20 January 1800. Napoleon initially opposed the marriage, but his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais made him change his mind. When Joachim Murat became king of Naples on 1 August 1808 she became his Queen consort. She renovated the royal palaces in Naples and founded a school for girls. She was also interested in the archaeological work at Pompeii. She detested Joséphine de Beauharnais and probably sent her friend Eléonore Denuelle to Napoleon to become his mistress. After Eléonore bore Napoleon a son he divorced Joséphine. In 1810 she escorted Marie Louise of Austria to France to marry Napoleon, forcing Marie Louise to leave her Austrian servants behind. She was several times regent of Naples during absences of her husband when he went to war. After Napoleon's fall her husband fled to Corsica. He tried to invade Italy with 600 soldiers, but he was captured and executed in October 1815. Caroline fled to the Austrian empire and lived in exile as Countess of Lipona, an anagram for Napoli. In 1817 she moved to Frohsdorf. Her sons Achille and Lucien both emigrated to the USA in 1822 and 1824. In 1824 she received permission to settle in Trieste, but she was not allowed to enter the rest of Italy. In 1830 king Louis Philippe allowed her to visit France and in 1831 she was allowed to settle in Florence. In 1838 she travelled to Paris, where she was granted a pension of 100,000 francs. She died in 1839 in Florence. Family • Son: Murat, Lucien, 3e Prince Murat • Daughter: Murat, Laetitia Josephine • Husband: Murat, Joachim, king of Naples (1800-1815) Related persons • was a friend of Denuelle, Eléonore • was painted by Gérard, François |
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 The grave of Caroline Bonaparte at the Chiesa di Ognissanti, Florence. Picture by Androom (23 Feb 2018) |
 The chapel of Caroline Bonaparte at the Chiesa di Ognissanti, Florence. Picture by Androom (23 Feb 2018) |
 The grave of Caroline Bonaparte is located under this stone at the Chiesa di Ognissanti, Florence. Picture by Androom (23 Feb 2018) |
Sources • Père Lachaise: grafschriften, Paris, 1993 • Caroline Bonaparte - Wikipedia (EN) |
