Niccolò Ludovisi

Not to be confused with Cardinal Niccolò Albergati-Ludovisi.
This article is about Niccolò I Ludovisi. For the second, see Niccolò II Ludovisi.
Niccolò I Ludovisi, Prince of Piombino - Lord of Gesualdo

Niccolò I Ludovisi (1610[1] – 25 December 1664) was Prince of Piombino, Marquis of Populonia, Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, Lord di Scarlino, Populonia, Vignale, Abbadia del Fango, Suvereto, Buriano, Cerboli e Palmaiolan, and Lord prince of the Tuscan Archipelago including the islands of Elba, Montecristo, Pianosa, Gorgona, Capraia, and Isola del Giglio from 1634 until his death.

Family

He was the son of Orazio Ludovisi, patrician of Bologna and commander-in-chief of the Papal Army (as well as a brother of Pope Gregory XV), and wife Lavinia Albergati. He was the nephew of later-Cardinal Niccolò Albergati-Ludovisi. He was a brother of Ludovico Ludovisi who was made a cardinal by their uncle the pope.

Marriages and legacy

Ludovisi was married three times.

He married firstly on 30 November 1622 to Isabella Gesualdo (1611–1629), princess of Venosa.[2]

  • Lavinia Ludovisi (1627–1634), died in childhood

In 1632 Niccolò married secondly to Polissena Appiani de Mendoza (?-1642), the daughter and heiress of Giorgio de Mendoza and wife Isabella Appiani, Princess of Piombino.

  • Gregorio Filippo Ludovisi (1633-c. 1637), died in childhood

His third marriage in 1644 was to Costanza Pamphili (1627–1665), niece of Pope Innocent X[3] and the sister of Camillo Pamphili who married Ludovisi's niece, Olimpia Aldobrandini.

  • Giovan Battista Ludovisi (1647–1699), Prince of Piombino, etc, from 1664
  • Olimpia Ludovisi (1656–1700), Princess of Piombino, etc (1700), unmarried
  • Lavinia Ludovisi (1659–1682), married Giangirolamo, Duke of Atri, but had no issue
  • Ippolita Ludovisi (1663–1733), Princess of Piombino, etc (1700–1733), married Don Gregorio II Boncompagni, 5th Duke of Sora, etc, Prince Consort of Piombino, etc, and had issue
  • Nicolina Ludovisi (c. 1664 – 1665), died in infancy

Niccolò Ludovisi died in Cagliari and was succeeded in his state by his son Giovan Battista Ludovisi.

Titles

Niccolò was recognized as the prince in 1634 after paying one million florins. He also inherited his father's titles, becoming marquis of Populonia and duke of Fiano.

He was Spanish viceroy in Aragon (1660–1662) and Sardinia (1662–1664) and in 1657 he was named a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

References

  1. ^ Jaitner, p. 167
  2. ^ Ludwig von Pastor, History of the Popes, vol. 27, London 1938, p. 66.
  3. ^ The Scented Salamander: Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine Prince Niccolò I Ludovisi

Literature

Klaus Jaitner, Die Hauptinstruktionen Gregors XV.: Für die Nuntien und Gesandten an den europäischen Fürstenhöfen, 1621-1623, Bibliothek des Deutsches Historisches Institut in Rom, Max Niemeyer Verlag, 1997, pp. 167–178. ISBN 3-484-80146-8, ISBN 978-3-484-80146-2

Preceded by Prince of Piombino
1634–1664 		Succeeded by