Louis of Etruria

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Louis I of Etruria, a.k.a Louis Francis Philibert of Bourbon, Duke of Parma (5 July 1773- 27 May 1803) was the first of only two Kings of Etruria.

He was the son of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma and Maria Amalia of Austria, the second surviving daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. Duchy of Parma had been lost to France in 1796. When Napoleon Bonaparte conquered more Italy, on 21 March 1801 he compensated the House of Bourbon with Etruria, a new kingdom he created from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Louis's reign was short-lived when he died in 1803 at the age of 30, surviving his father, the deposed Duke of Parma only by a year. He was succeeded as King of Etruria by his son, Louis II (Charles Louis), under regency of his mother Marie Louise.

As Hereditary Prince of Parma, on 25 August 1795 he married at Madrid his first cousin Maria Louisa of Spain, Duchess of Lucca, daughter of Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma, becoming at the same time an Infante of Spain.

The couple had two children:

Charles Louis Ferdinand (1799-1883)

Marie Louise Charlotte (1802-57), married to Prince Maximilian of Saxony, widower of her aunt Caroline, as his second wife and remained childless. She was stepmother of Maximilian and Caroline's children, such as kings Frederick August II of Saxony and John I of Saxony

Louis travelled incognito in France under name Count of Livorno and was in Paris elevated to the kingship.

12 April 1801 he was received in his new capital, Florence.

His health was always poor. Possibly he suffered from epilepsia.