Principality of Pontecorvo

Principality of Ponte Corvo
Principato di Ponte Corvo
Client of the First French Empire
1806–1815
Flag Coat of Arms
Capital		Ponte Corvo
Government		Monarchy
Historical era		Napoleonic Wars
•	Creation	28 August 1806
•	restored to papal control	28 August 1815
Preceded by Succeeded by Papal States Papal States

The Principality of Pontecorvo was a principality in Italy created by Napoleon after he became King of Italy in 1805. It consisted of the Italian commune of Pontecorvo, an enclave of the Papal States from 1463 within the territory of the Kingdom of Naples.

The principality was created by Napoleon for his General Jean Baptiste Bernadotte. It was nominally sovereign, but the prince did have to take an oath to the king.

The principality was short-lived. In 1815, after the Napoleonic Wars, the town was ceded back to the Papal States.

In 1820 the 'Republic' of Pontecorvo seceded from the Papal States, but Papal rule was restored in March 1821.

In 1860 it joined Benevento, the other southern Italian papal enclave, in being united with the new Kingdom of Italy.

Princes of Pontecorvo

Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (1806–10)

Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte was the first Prince of Pontecorvo. He was subsequently elected Crown Prince of Sweden and he gave up Pontecorvo. He was compensated with the French colony of Guadeloupe. Later he gave up Guadeloupe for a payment which established the Guadeloupe Fund. Since his accession as King of Sweden in 1818, the arms of Pontecorvo have been a part of the Swedish Greater Coat of Arms.

Prince Napoleon Lucien Charles Murat (1812–15)

Prince Napoleon Lucien Charles Murat was the son of Joachim Murat, King of Naples. Though the reign of the Murat family over Pontecorvo lasted only three years and ended in 1815, the descendants of Prince Lucien still unofficially use "Prince of Pontecorvo" as the courtesy title of the heir to the Prince Murat. It is currently used by Joachim Murat who was born in 1973.