Francesca Maria de Napoleta is a famous personality who at the moment of her marriage with Count Juan de la Luz had become the most eligible member of the nobility. Her title as a “Queen consort” was based on her height, which was thirty-eight inches and the age of her husband when they married. She was twenty-one when she experienced a mental breakdown and was committed to a mental asylum for nearly ten years. After her admission, she was given a new name which was Francesca Maria Polgar.
Although Francesca Maria always remained focused on her profession and the position in which she held, it was obvious that her love for Spain and the people of that nation were still very strong. It is clear that this was a result of her early marriage which ended in divorce because of a love affair between her and the young Countess Adelaide de Balducci. Francesca Maria never forgave the man for their affair and remained a passionate lover of art and culture throughout her life.
Francesca Maria, like many other women of her time, always remained focused on her profession and never lost interest in her Spanish heritage. In fact, she pursued a different career in order to avoid an engagement with Spain’s most famous prince. Francesca Maria de Polgar’s unique perspective on life and love can be seen in the beautiful prose style of her poetry and her lasting love for the country. She became a close friend of Queen Isabella of Spain and remained an ardent supporter of her during the tortures perpetrated by the House of Bourbon during the reign of Henry IV. The national treasure of Spain, her body is now protected and preserved at the Museo de Gracias Caves in Madrid.