Background
Luisa Cristina was born at the Castello del Valentino in Turin. She was the eldest daughter of the future Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy and his wife Christine Marie of France.
Luisa Cristina was born at the Castello del Valentino in Turin. She was the eldest daughter of the future Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy and his wife Christine Marie of France.
She was the owner of the future Villa della Regina. She was a first cousin of Louis XIV of France and Charles II of England. The two brothers conspired against Christine Marie claiming the regency between the two of them causing a war in Savoy.
The war resulted in Thomas Francis and Maurice fleeing to Spain for support which came to nothing.
Returning to Savoy, Luisa Cristina was soon engaged to Maurice as part of a reconciliation between Christine Marie. Luisa Cristina married Maurice in Turin on 18 August 1642.
Maurice had previously been a cardinal and had to receive permission from Pope Urban VIII who consented to the match. The thirteen-year-old bride and forty-nine-year-old Maurice moved to Nice where Maurice was the governor of the city – another part of the reconciliation.
Her husband died in 1657 of a stroke leaving Luisa Cristina a widow aged twenty seven.
Her husband willed her his large art collection as well as his huge debts. In Turin she lived at her husband"s villa outside Turin. She also did much to improve the structure under the direction of Amedeo di Castellamonte.
She also commissioned Guarino Guarini to carry out works on churches in Savoy.