House of Savoy
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The House of Savoy was a dynasty of nobles who traditionally had their domain in Savoy, a region between Piedmont, Italy, France and French-speaking Switzerland. They once had claims on the modern canton of Vaud in Switzerland, but their access to it was cut by Geneva during the Reformation, after which it was conquered by Bern.
They became Kings of Sardinia and later of Italy.
Their Kingdom ended with the 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 house descended from Humbert I, Count of Sabaudia (or "Maurienne") (Italian Umberto I "Biancamano"), (1003-1047 or 1048), and includes the Counts of Savoy, the Dukes of Savoy, the Kings of Sardinia, and the Kings of Italy. Piedmont was later joined with Sabaudia, and the name evolved into "Savoy" (Italian "Savoia").
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List of rulers
Counts of Savoy
Main Branch
- Umberto I Biancamano : 1003-1047 or 1048
- Amedeo I Coda : 1048-1051 or 1056
- Oddone : 1051 or 1056 - 1060
- Pietro I : 1060-1078
- Amedeo II : 1060-1080
- Umberto II : 1080-1103
- Amedeo III : 1103-1148
- Umberto III : 1148-1189
- Tommaso I : 1189-1233
- Amedeo IV : 1233-1253
- Bonifacio : 1253-1263
- Tommaso II : 1253-1259
- Pietro II : 1263-1268
- Filippo I : 1268-1285
- Amedeo V : 1285-1323
- Edoardo : 1323 - 1329
- Aimone : 1329-1343
- Amedeo VI : 1343-1383
- Amedeo VII : 1383-1391
- Amedeo VIII : as Count of Savoy 1391-1416
Stemma_savoia.jpg
House of Savoy
Dukes of Savoy
- Amedeo VIII : as Duke of Savoy 1416-1440
- Lodovico : 1440-1465
- Amedeo IX : 1465-1472
- Filiberto I : 1472-1482
- Carlo I : 1482-1490
- Carlo (II) Giovanni Amedeo : 1490-1496
- Filippo II : 1496-1497
- Filiberto II : 1497-1504
- Carlo III : 1504-1553
- Emanuele Filiberto : 1553-1580
- Carlo Emanuele I : 1580-1630
- Vittorio Amedeo I: 1630-1637
- Francesco Giacinto : 1637-1638
- Carlo Emanuele II : 1638-1675
- Vittorio Amedeo II : 1675 - 1720, 1730-1732, as 1st king of Sardinia 1720-1730
Kings of Sardinia
- Vittorio Amedeo II : 1720-1730
- Carlo Emanuele III : 1730-1773
- Vittorio Amedeo III : 1773-1796
- Carlo Emanuele IV : 1796-1802
- Vittorio Emanuele I : 1802-1821
- Carlo Felice : 1821-1831
Savoy-Carignano Branch
Bandiera_reale.jpg
House of Savoy
Kings of Italy
- Vittorio Emanuele II : 1861-1878
- Umberto I : 1878-1900
- Vittorio Emanuele III : 1900-1946
- Umberto II : 1946
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
Heads of the House of Savoy since 1946:
- Umberto II : 1946-1983
- Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples : 1983-present
See also: Lists of incumbents, President of Italy
Name, motto, titles
Name of the dynasty: Real Casa di Savoja.
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 [Our Lord's] strength preserved Rhodes) or
- "Fides Est Regni Tutela" (Faith is the protection of the kingdom)
- the proposed origin from "Foemina Erit Ruina Tua" (Woman will be your ruin) is obviously only a satire.
Titles of the Crown at the time of Vittorio Amedeo III:
- VITTORIO AMEDEO III, per la grazia di Dio Re di Sardegna, Cipro e Gerusalemme; Duca di Savoja, 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.
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 the family has long held sovereignty and grand mastership over. 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 dela SS. Annunziata (The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation)
- Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro (The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus)
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.
External links
- Brief history of the House with a picture of coat-of-arm
- Genealogy of recent members of the House
- House of Savoy fansite