Ferdinand II becomes King of the Two Sicilies (1830)

Ferdinand II ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies on 8 November 1830, following the death of his father, Francis I. Born in Palermo, Ferdinand immediately issued an edict promising judicial impartiality, financial reform, and the healing of long-standing wounds within the kingdom. This succession occurred against the backdrop of the Bourbon-Two Sicilies dynasty, which had consolidated its power over Naples and Sicily in 1816.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861, under the control of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Bourbons. Francis I was King of the Two Sicilies from 1825 to 1830 and had earlier served as regent of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1806 to 1814. He died on 8 November 1830, having previously visited Paris, where he witnessed the 1830 revolution. His son Ferdinand II, born in Palermo in 1810, was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death in 1859.

Accession and Initial Edict. Upon succeeding to the throne in 1830, Ferdinand II published an edict promising to give his most anxious attention to the impartial administration of justice, to reform the finances, and to use every effort to heal the wounds which had afflicted the Kingdom for so many years. This marked the beginning of his reign, which lasted until his death in 1859.

Dynastic Context. Ferdinand II was the son of Francis I and Maria Isabella of Spain. His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand I and Queen Maria Carolina of Austria. The succession followed the consolidation of the two kingdoms into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816, following the restoration of Ferdinand IV to the throne of Naples and Sicily.

People involved

Sources

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