duchy · Italy
Duchy of Lucca
Origins
The Congress of Vienna gave Lucca to Maria Luisa of Spain, former regent of the Kingdom of Etruria, as compensation for losing Parma, which went to Napoleon's widow Marie Louise. Maria Luisa took possession in 1817 and ruled until her death in 1824.
Rule and society
Maria Luisa revived court life, built roads and the aqueduct of Lucca and encouraged the arts. Her son Charles Louis, Duke Charles I, ruled from 1824, an extravagant and unpredictable prince who spent much time abroad and left government to ministers. The duchy was small, conservative and dependent on Austria.
Decline and legacy
Under the Vienna settlement, the Bourbons were to return to Parma when Marie Louise died. In October 1847, shortly before her death, Charles Louis handed Lucca to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and later became Duke of Parma.
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- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Lucca. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-lucca
- MLA
- “Duchy of Lucca.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-lucca. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Lucca.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-lucca.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Lucca’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-lucca (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻