Napoleon’s mother was only 13 when she married his father. She gave birth to her first child probably already when she was 14 or 15 years old. Napoleon’s father was named Carlo Maria Buonaparte.
The father of the famous Napoleon Bonaparte was born on this day on Corsica. His name was Carlo Maria Buonaparte (his last name was at that time spelled the Italian way, with the letter ‘u’, because Corsica was under the rule of Republic of Genoa). The city in which the Buonapartes lived was called Ajaccio, and their house was located in the city center, in one of the typically narrow Mediterranean streets. They were one of the most prominent families in Ajaccio.
Carlo Buonaparte lost his father at the age of only 17 years. He was left with a substantial inheritance from his father, so he discontinued his law studies and returned to Ajaccio, where he married young Letizia Ramolino. At the time of their marriage he was 18 years old, while she was only 13. She gave birth to their first child probably already when she was 14 or 15 years old, but this child did not live long. Napoleon was born when she was 18 years old.
Carlo and his wife Letizia were a well-off couple. He held his aforementioned father’s legacy, and she received a substantial dowry (she was also from a very well situated family). Apparently, her dowry included land, a mill, and a bakery which yielded a substantial annual income.