Today we tell the story of a Sicilian noblewoman remembered for her great beauty but also for the significant love story in which she was the protagonist.
We are in Floridia in the 1800s, and the woman in question is Lucia Migliaccio, daughter of the eighth Duke of Floridia and a Spanish noblewoman. At the age of 44, after being widowed from the eighth Prince of Floridia, with whom she had seven children, Lucia married Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies in Palermo, who was 63 years old at the time. No longer young, their love story caused great scandal among both the people and the nobility of the time.

Lucia, despite her age and numerous pregnancies, remained strikingly beautiful, especially because of her captivating gaze that inspired poets and painters: “Ucchiuzzi niuri” (“little black eyes”), as she was described by the Sicilian poet Giovanni Meli, who dedicated a famous ode to her. Michele Palmieri di Miccichè, on the other hand, wrote about the beautiful Duchess Lucia: “no one could boast Lucia’s marvelous eyes, of a classical and velvety charm, moist eyes, as the Greeks call them, black as jet, in which grace, feeling, and sensuality appeared harmoniously fused, with glances that made the deepest fibers tremble and reached the marrow of the bones”.

Rumors, gossip, and the first encounter with Ferdinand I

Gossip, however, attributed to her a relationship with Ferdinand I already from their first meeting, which took place in Palermo during the occupation of the Kingdom of Naples by the French, with rumors claiming that Lucia’s last two children were the king’s sons.

“Idda si fici i so cunti, amante du rre iè!” – “She did well for herself, she is the king’s lover!”
“Si rici cà i dù picciriddi di Donna Lucia, sugnu figghi du re!” – “It is said that Donna Lucia’s two younger children are the king’s sons!”

The marriage to Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies

But the truth is that it was love at first sight between the two, a true lightning strike of love, so much so that Ferdinand I, upon seeing her, exclaimed “benedetta mammeta che t’ha fatta” (“blessed be your mother who made you”), later marrying her on 27 November 1814 in Palermo, shortly after the death of his first wife. Lucia returned his love, respecting her king, who affectionately called her Lùzia, supporting him in his decisions and always offering wise advice, remaining a serious and frugal woman, a respectful mistress of the residences the king built for her.

The royal residences and tokens of love

Capodimonte Palace, where Duchess Lucia hosted European royalty, and Villa Floridiana, with a large park on the Vomero hill called “La Floridiana,” rich in exotic animals such as lions, kangaroos, and tigers, and a smaller villa named Villa Lucia, where the king and his wife spent the peaceful final years of their lives. In addition, the king gave his beloved wife a diamond as big as a bean and, in her honor, elevated Siracusa to “Città Capovalle”; not to mention the hundreds of passionate love letters exchanged throughout their union.

The end of a love story and the birth of Migliaccio Floridiano

It was a happy and loving marriage until the death of King Ferdinand I in 1825, after which, one year and four months later, the beautiful Duchess Migliaccio also passed away.
Lucia, who never became queen despite being treated as one, was also honored with a delicious recipe: the ancient stuffed bread of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Migliaccio Floridiano.

Migliaccio Floridiano: the aristocratic traditional bread

Migliaccio Floridiano originated in the Floridia area, a bread highly appreciated by aristocratic families of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The original recipe included the following ingredients: water, salt, and Sicilian durum wheat flour. The round-shaped bread was filled with chives, strips of peppers, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and sweet local goat cheese. The outer crust was flavored with chives and brushed with a substance similar to butter.

The revival of tradition and the future of the product

Today, although precise documentation of the ancient method is lacking, some bakers from Floridia are trying to bring this traditional local product back to life, reinterpreting the original recipe with the hope of having it recognized soon as a Slow Food Presidia product!

We can only wish them the best of luck for the success of this project.

In the meantime, we recommend trying the original recipe and enjoying this stuffed bread in honor of the beautiful Duchess Lucia Migliaccio of Floridia.

Photo source: from the web