Maria Luisa was born at the
Palace of Caserta. She was baptised with the names
Maria Luisa Immacolata; her godmother was
Princess Maria Luisa Carlota of Parma. Her father died when she was only four years old and she was raised primarily by her mother. In 1860, when Maria Luisa was five, her half-brother King
Francis II of the Two Sicilies was defeated by the
Expedition of the Thousand. She and her family fled to
Rome where they resided briefly at the
Quirinal Palace at the invitation of the
Pope Pius IX. Her mother rented the Palazzo Nipoti in Rome, and it was there that she lived for the next seven years. Even as a child Maria Luisa was known for her piety. She was particularly devoted to her namesake patrons, the
Immaculate Heart of Mary and Saint
Aloysius Gonzaga. On 24 December 1865, she made her
first communion in the chapel in the
Roman College where Saint Aloysius made his vows. In the summer of 1867 Maria Luisa and her family were vacationing at
Albano Laziale when
cholera broke out. Her mother died on 8 August, followed by her youngest brother
Gennaro on 13 August. Following their mother's death, Maria Luisa and her siblings moved into the
Palazzo Farnese, the residence of her half-brother King Francis II. She was taught Italian, French, and German. She became a competent artist in both oil and watercolour. In October 1867 Rome was attacked by the forces of
Giuseppe Garibaldi. Maria Luisa and her sister
Maria Pia were given refuge in the
Apostolic Palace in
Vatican City until the papal victory at the
Battle of Mentana. In 1870 Rome was again attacked by the armies of the King of Italy. Maria Luisa and her sister Maria Pia fled to
Bolzano and then to
Cannes in
France. ==Marriage==