The Principality of Lucca and Piombino was created in July 1805 by

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

for his sister Elisa Bonaparte. It was a state located on the central Italian Peninsula (present-day

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

) and was a

client state A client state in the context of international relations is a State (polity), state that is economically, politically, and militarily subordinated to a more powerful controlling state. Alternative terms for a ''client state'' are satellite state, ...

Napoleonic France The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

Formation

The state was the result of the annexation of the Principality of Lucca (est. 22 June 1805), the former Republic of Lucca and occupied by France since late 1799, and the ancient Principality of Piombino, with Elisa the Princess of Piombino since that March. The combined principalities then were ruled as a single

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

. Elisa was the ruling princess of Piombino and Lucca. Her husband Felice Pasquale Baciocchi became the titular prince of Piombino.

Rule

The Constitution of the principality was written by Napoleon on 22 June (1805), establishing a Council of State to assist the princess and a legislative Senate. The principality adopted the

French franc The franc (; , ; currency sign, sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the (FF), was a currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amoun ...

as its currency, though few special local coins were minted. On 3 March 1809, as part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau, her brother Napoleon created the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

, with Elisa ruling as Grand Duchess of all

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

from

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. The region had been annexed to the French Empire two years before, from the former

Kingdom of Etruria The Kingdom of Etruria ( ; ) was an Italian kingdom between 1801 and 1807 that made up a large part of modern Tuscany. It took its name from Etruria, the old Roman name for the land of the Etruscans. History The kingdom was created by the ...

(1801-1807). Henceforth the Principality of Lucca and Piombino became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and consequently a territory of the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

. It did have special status, and a

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

was appointed (Antoine-Marie-Pierre de Hautmesnil). However, the territory was never named a Department of France.

End

In 1814, the Imperial Austrian Army occupied Lucca, ending French control with the fall of Napoleon. Under the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

Piombino was given to the

, and

Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...

to the exiled Napoleon. Lucca was restored to separate state status as the Duchy of Lucca (1815–1847). The Congress of Vienna (1814–1815) bestowed the duchy upon the Infanta of Spain Maria Louisa, erstwhile Queen of Etruria and the matriarch of the

House of Bourbon-Parma The House of Bourbon-Parma () is a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family, whose members once ruled as King of Etruria and as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Duke of Guastalla, Guastalla, and Duke of Lucca, Lucca. The House descended from the Fre ...

. This was a form of compensation for not having returned their Duchy of Parma to them and instead having granted it to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's wife, Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine. Initially the Infanta stubbornly opposed, refusing to move from Rome where she was in exile, and accepted the new duchy only after the awarded her, her son Charles Louis and his male successors the right of reversion over their eponymous duchy upon the death of Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Bibliography

* Claude Drigon, ''Nouveau traité historique et archéologique de la vraie et parfaite science des armoiries'

*''L'Univers, histoire et description de tous les peuples'

* Marie Nicolas Bouillet, ''Dictionnaire universel d'histoire et de géographie''

* Gérard Hubert, ''La sculpture dans l'Italie napoléonienne''

External links

Flags of Lucca

{{coord missing, Italy Lucca, * *

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

States and territories established in 1805 1805 establishments in Europe 1815 disestablishments in Europe History of Tuscany States and territories disestablished in 1814

Formation

Rule

End

See also

Bibliography

External links