In the first half of the nineteenth century when Lucca was still an independent state two remarkable women were chosen to govern it. The first was Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleon’s younger sister and the only woman the emperor deigned to give political power to. Elisa’s good looks, her fiery temperament, her proximity to her elder brother and her love of things Italian are best remembered by Luccan people and visitors to this exquisite city. Indeed, it is easy to mistake the statue in the centre of the city’s main square, the piazza Napoleone, as being one of Elisa. It almost was but by the time the sculptor reached the statue’s head Elisa had been imprisoned to Trieste by the treaty of Fontainebleau which exiled her elder brother to Elba.
In her place came Maria Luisa Borbone, of the Spanish royal family. With a character rather less flamboyant than the flirtatious Elisa and with definitely conservative views (that’s principally why she was chosen) it’s no wonder Maria Luisa has been eclipsed in the popular Luccan imagination by Napoleon’s sister.
(Elisa Bonaparte Bacciochi and Maria Luisa Borbone).
However, in retrospect Maria Luisa has proved to be the one who really cared more for the grand duchy of Lucca and won the approval of its citizens. For Elisa actually became somewhat unpopular with the Lucchesi during her reign here, largely through her efforts to turn Lucca into a Parisian-style city. For example, she created Piazza Napoleone by demolishing two ancient churches containing miraculous images endearing to the locals. She thrust a new neo-classical style gate through the eastern side of the walls – those looking towards Florence. She planned a grand avenue from that gate to reach her city palace which would have utterly changed the character of the city. (Fortunately, only a small part of one side of the avenue was completed before Elisa was ejected from her principality).
On the other hand Maria Louisa commissioned works which truly benefitted Lucca’s citizens. The major one and a great engineering and architectural achievement of the age is the aqueduct ,three kilometres long and with over four hundred arches, designed by Nottolini which brought drinkable water from the Pisan Mountain to the city’s fountains. Another was the founding of a university with over twenty faculties including anatomy and archaeology. Unfortunately this university was disbanded after Lucca became part of the new kingdom of Italy which decided that all of its departments should be transferred to Pisa’s ancient university. Perhaps the most wonderful thing that Maria Luisa gave to the Luccans was the opening up of the city’s walls to the public. These are now transformed into one of the most pleasant promenades of any urban open space.
Sadly the only thing that Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi and Maria Luisa Borbone had in common was their short lives: both died just past their fortieth birthday, Maria Luisa at 41 and Elisa Baciocchi at 43. Yet both ladies proved beyond doubt that they were pioneering modern women who, despite their very different political views, showed the way towards the much greater contribution women are now afforded in the governance of nations throughout the world. I am, in this respect, reminded of two who hold key positions in His Majesty’s government in the UK: Angela Raynsford, deputy leader of the Labour party and Penny Mordaunt, Tory leader of the House of Commons – both with equally divergent views but both agreeing on the importance of upholding LGBQ rights.