House of Savoy
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The House of Savoy (Italian: Casa Savoia) is the deposed royal house of Italy.
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[edit] History
The house descended from Humbert I, Count of Sabaudia (Umberto I "Biancamano"), (1003–1047 or 1048). Though originally a poor duchy, later heirs to the throne were diplomatically skilled, and gained control over strategic mountain passes in the Alps. For example Humbert's son, Otto of Savoy, the Marchioness Adelaide of Turin, passing the Marquessate of Susa, with the towns of Turin and Pinerolo, into the House of Savoy's possession.[1] This diplomatic skill caused the great powers such as France, England, and Spain to take the dukes' opinions into account.
They once had claims on the modern canton of Vaud in Switzerland, but their access to it was cut by Geneva during the Protestant Reformation, after which it was conquered by Bern.
Piedmont was later joined with Sabaudia, and the name evolved into "Savoy" (Italian "Savoia"). Umberto was probably a native of the area. The people of Savoy were descended from the Celts and Romans. There are many Italians in the area along with French near the French border.
The house of Savoy traditionally had their domain in Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, a state which, in 1861 became, with conquests from other parts of Itay, the Kingdom of Italy. Thus, the house was the Italian reigning house until 1946.
The monarchy ended with the 1946 referendum by which Italians chose the republic as the form of state (see also birth of the Italian Republic). Under the Constitution of the Italian Republic, male descendants of the House of Savoy were forbidden from entering Italy. This provision was removed in 2002.
The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Turin and the neighbourhood are protected as a World Heritage Site.
The house includes the Counts of Savoy, the Dukes of Savoy, the Kings of Sardinia, and the Kings of Italy.
[edit] List of rulers
[edit] Counts of Savoy
Main Branch
- Humbert I "Biancamano" ("White hand") : 1003-1047 or 1048
- Amedeus I : 1048-1051 or 1056
- Otto : 1051 or 1056 - 1060
- Peter I : 1060-1078
- Amedeus II : 1060-1080
- Umbert II : 1080-1103
- Amedeus III : 1103-1148
- Umbert III : 1148-1189
- Thomas I : 1189-1233
- Amedeus IV : 1233-1253
- Boniface : 1253-1263
- Peter II : 1263-1268
- Philip I : 1268-1285
- Amedeus V : 1285-1323
- Edward I : 1323 - 1329
- Aimone : 1329-1343
- Amedeus VI : 1343-1383
- Amedeus VII : 1383-1391
- Amedeus VIII : as Count of Savoy 1391-1416
[edit] Dukes of Savoy
- Amedeus VIII : as Duke of Savoy 1416-1440
- Louis : 1440-1465
- Amedeus IX : 1465-1472
- Philibert I : 1472-1482
- Charles I : 1482-1490
- Charles (II) John Amedeus : 1490-1496
- Philip II : 1496-1497
- Philibert II : 1497-1504
- Charles III : 1504-1553
- Emmanuel Philibert : 1553-1580
- Charles Emmanuel I : 1580-1630
- Victor Amedeus I: 1630-1637
- Francis Hyacinth : 1637-1638
- Charles Emmanuel II : 1638-1675
- Victor Amedeus II : 1675 - 1720, 1730-1732, as 1st king of Sardinia 1720-1730
[edit] Kings of Sardinia
- Victor Amedeus II : 1720-1730
- Charles Emmanuel III : 1730-1773
- Victor Amedeus III : 1773-1796
- Charles Emmanuel IV : 1796-1802
- Victor Emmanuel I : 1802-1821
- Charles Felix : 1821-1831
Savoy-Carignano Branch
[edit] Kings of Italy
- Victor Emmanuel II : 1861-1878
- Humbert I : 1878-1900
- Victor Emmanuel III : 1900-1946
- Humbert II : 1946
[edit] Rulers of other countries
- King Amadeus I of Spain (son of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy) : 1871-1873
- (ostensibly) King Tomislav II of the Independent State of Croatia (grandson of Amadeus I of Spain) : 1941-1943
[edit] Heads of the House of Savoy since 1946:
As of July 7, 2006, the leadership of the House of Savoy is now contested by two cousins:
- Crown Prince Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples, who claimed the title of King of Italy: December 15, 1969-present[2]
- Duke Amedeo of Aosta, who now claims the title of the Duke of Savoy: July 7, 2006-present
See also: Lists of incumbents, List of Presidents of the Italian Republic
[edit] Name, motto, titles
Name of the dynasty: Reale Casa di Savoia
Motto: FERT
- The Motto is believed an acronym of
- "Foedere Et Religione Tenemur" (We will be kept together by the [constitutional] pact and by religion)
- but others suggest:
- "Fortitudo Eius Rhodum Tenuit" (His strength preserved Rhodes). This refers to Duke Amadeo V "the Great" (1249-1323), who fought against the Saracens at the siege of Rhodes in 1310.
- "Fortitudo Ejus Rempublicam Tenet" (His bravery preserves the Republic)
- "Fides Est Regni Tutela" (Faith is the protection of the kingdom)
- The proposed origin from "Femina Erit Ruina Tua" (Woman will be your ruin) is obviously only a satire.
- Another famous spurious satire is "Frappez, Entrez, Rompez Tout!", roughly translated from the French as "Knock, get in, then break everything!" It is supposedly a French witticism mocking the freebooting foreign policies of Duke Vittorio Amadeo II.
[edit] Titles of the Crown of Sardinia
VITTORIO AMEDEO III, per la grazia di Dio Re di Sardegna, Cipro, Gerusalemme e Armenia; Duca di Savoia, Monferrato, Chablais, Aosta, e Genevese; Principe di Piemonte ed Oneglia; Marchese d'Italia Saluzzo, Susa, Ivrea, Ceva, Maro, Oristano, Sezana; Conte di Moriana, Geneva, Nizza, Tenda, Asti, Alessandria, Goceano; Barone di Vaud e di Faucigny; Signore di Vercelli, Pinerolo, Tarantasia, Lumellino, Val di Sesia; Principe e Vicario perpetuo del Sacro Romano Imperio in Italia.
The English translation is: Victor Amadeus III, by the Grace of God, King of Sardinia, Cyprus, Jerusalem and Armenia, Duke of Savoy, Montferrat, Chablais, Aosta and Genoa, Prince of Piedmont and Oneglia, Marquess in Italy, of Saluzzo, Susa, Ivrea, Ceva, Maro, Oristano, Sezana, Count of Maurienne, Geneva, Nice, Tende, Asti, Alessandria, Goceano, Baron of Vaud and Faucigny, Lord of Vercelli, Pinerolo, Tarantasia, Lumellino, Val di Sesia, Prince and perpetual Vicar of the Holy Roman Empire in Italy.
[edit] Titles of the Crown of Italy
Victor Emmanuel II, by the Grace of God and the Will of the Nation, King of Italy, King of Sardinia, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Armenia, Duke of Savoy, count of Maurienne, Marquis (of the Holy Roman Empire) in Italy; prince of Piedmont, Carignano, Oneglia, Poirino, Trino; Prince and Perpetual vicar of the Holy Roman Empire; prince of Carmagnola, Montmellian with Arbin and Francin, prince bailliff of the Duchy of Aosta, Prince of Chieri, Dronero, Crescentino, Riva di Chieri e Banna, Busca, Bene, Brà, Duke of Genoa, Monferrat, Aosta, Duke of Chablais, Genevois, Duke of Piacenza, Marquis of Saluzzo (Saluces), Ivrea, Susa, del Maro, Oristano, Cesana, Savona, Tarantasia, Borgomanero e Cureggio, Caselle, Rivoli, Pianezza, Govone, Salussola, Racconigi con Tegerone, Migliabruna e Motturone, Cavallermaggiore, Marene, Modane e Lanslebourg, Livorno Ferraris, Santhià Agliè, Centallo e Demonte, Desana, Ghemme, Vigone, Count of Barge, Villafranca, Ginevra, Nizza, Tenda, Romont, Asti, Alessandria, del Goceano, Novara, Tortona, Bobbio, Soissons, Sant'Antioco, Pollenzo, Roccabruna, Tricerro, Bairo, Ozegna, delle Apertole, Baron of Vaud e del Faucigni, Lord of Vercelli, Pinerolo, della Lomellina, della Valle Sesia, del marchesato di Ceva, Overlord of Monaco, Roccabruna and 11/12th of Menton, Noble patrician of Venice, patrician of Ferrara.
These titles were used during the unified Kingdom of Italy which lasted from 1860-1946[1].
[edit] Dynastic orders
The House of Savoy has held two dynastic orders since 1434, which were brought into the Kingdom of Italy as national orders. Although the Kingdom of Italy ceased to exist in 1946, King Umberto II did not abdicate his role as fons honorum over the two dynastic orders over which the family has long held sovereignty and grand mastership. The following are the dynastic orders of the Royal House of Savoy. Today, HRH Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples is hereditary Sovereign and Grand Master of these orders.
- Ordine Supremo della SS. Annunziata (The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation)
- Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro (The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus)
Recently, all three of Victor Emmanuel's sisters (HRH Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma, HRH Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, and HRH Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy) resigned from both of these dynastic orders, alleging that memberships in the orders had been sold to unworthy candidates, a newfound practice they could not abide. [3]
In addition to these, the House of Savoy claims sovereignty over the Civil Order of Savoy, and the Order of Merit of Savoy, which are merit orders of the Royal House.
[edit] See also
- Eugene of Savoy
- Duke of Aosta
- List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility
- Counts of Villafranca
[edit] References
- ^ "Piedmont". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Royal Decree No. 1
- ^ The Fall of the House of Savoy, The Guardian, June 23, 2006.
[edit] Further reading
- Cox, Eugene L. The Eagles of Savoy: The House of Savoy in Thirteenth-Century Europe. Princeton University Press, 1974.
[edit] External links
- Official website of the Royal House of Savoy
- Brief history of the House with a picture of coat-of-arm
- Genealogy of recent members of the House
- House of Savoy fansite
- The Heads of House of Savoy
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