Isabella of Savoy


Isabella of Savoy was the daughter of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and Catherine Michelle of Spain. Her maternal grandparents were Philip II of Spain and Elisabeth of Valois, and her paternal grandparents were Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, and Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry. She was a Hereditary Princess of Modena who died before her husband became Duke of Modena in 1628.

Life

Isabella was born in Turin to Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and his wife Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain, a daughter of Philip II of Spain and Elisabeth of France.

Marriage

On 22 February 1608, Isabella married Alfonso, Hereditary Prince of Modena in Turin. This was a happy marriage; Alfonso was loving and loyal towards his wife. Within a year and a half, Isabella bore Alfonso a son, Cesare. The couple were more devoted to each other than to their children; the death of their first child and son in 1613 was not even painful for his parents, who did not attend his funeral. Their second son Francesco would one day succeed his father as Duke of Modena and Reggio.
When Isabella died in childbirth on 28 August 1626, Alfonso was heartbroken; he never remarried and died in 1644. Like her mother, Isabella had been constantly pregnant during much of her marriage, giving birth almost once per year. She died before her husband became duke, so she was never a Duchess of Modena.

Issue

Isabella and Alfonso had 14 children in just 17 years, but only nine of them lived to adulthood: