Prince Eugenio Emanuele, Count of Villafranca

Prince Eugene Emmanuel of Savoy-Carignano, Count of Villafranca (Paris, 14 April 1816 – Turin, 15 December 1888) was a statesman and military leader for Piedmont–Sardinia and later for the Kingdom of Italy.

His sister was Princess Maria Filiberta of Savoy and his grandfather was Prince Eugenio, Count of Villafranca.

In 1843, he tried to marry the Austrian princess Maria Carolina, daughter of Archduke Rainer of Austria, but she died the following year, before the marriage was concluded.

The loss of his future bride plunged the prince into complete despair, and for many years after that, he did not want to marry, even when the King offered him advantageous matches.

[1] However, twenty years later he finally married a 19-year-old ballerina of relatively simple origin, named Felicite Crosio (1844–1911).

Eugenio di Savoia-Carignano in 1861.
Eugenio di Savoia-Carignano arrives at the Palazzo Pitti in Firenze as Lieutenant General in 1866.
Eugenio di Savoia-Carignano with his staff at the Siege of Gaeta (1861).