House of Savoy - European Dynasty
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May 03, 2015 House of Savoy - European dynasty HRH Vittorio Emanuele, Duke of Savoy, Prince of Naples, the legitimate heir of the former Italian Crown The House of Savoy (Italian: Casa Savoia) is one of the oldest royal families in the world, being founded in year 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Sardinia in northwestern Italy in 1720. Through its junior branch, the House of Savoy-Carignano, it led the unification of Italy in 1861 and ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II. The House of Savoy ruled unified Italy with Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I, Victor Emmanuel III, and Page 1 of 11 Umberto II as monarchs. The last monarch ruled for a few weeks before being deposed following the Constitutional Referendum of 1946. A republic was then proclaimed. The founder of the house of Savoy was Humbert I the Whitehanded (mid-11th century), who held the county of Savoy and other areas east of the Rhône River and south of Lake Geneva and who was probably of Burgundian origin. His successors during the Middle Ages gradually expanded their territory. Amadeus V (reigned 1285–1323) introduced the Salic Law of Succession and the law of primogeniture to avoid any future partition of the family’s dominions between various members. Amadeus VI (reigned 1343–83) enlarged and further consolidated their territory, and under Amadeus VII(reigned 1383–91) the port of Nice was acquired. Under Amadeus VIII (reigned 1391–1440), Piedmont, on the Italian side of the Alps, was definitely incorporated (after having belonged for nearly two centuries to a branch of the house). Amadeus VIII was granted the title of duke in 1416. During the latter 15th and early 16th centuries, the importance of the house declined under a series of weak rulers, culminating in a French occupation of Savoy (1536–59). In 1559, however, Emmanuel Philibert (reigned 1553–80) was able to recover most of Savoy under the terms of the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis. During the next century, the dukes of Savoy pursued a policy of territorial aggrandizement and, for the most part, maintained an independent role in international affairs by maneuvering between the two major opposing powers, France and the Habsburgs. Although its lands were under French domination during the second half of the 17th century, Savoy emerged from the long period of international wars with major gains. By the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), Victor Amadeus II (reigned 1675–1730) was raised in 1713 from duke to the status of a king as ruler of Sicily; in 1720 he exchanged Sicily for Sardinia. He and his successors also acquired important territory in northeastern Italy. During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1792–1815), only Sardinia remained free of French control, but in 1815,Victor Emmanuel I (reigned 1802–21) added Genoa to the family’s holdings. At the beginning of the Risorgimento, the territory of the house of Savoy, centred on Piedmont, was unique among Italian states for its freedom from foreign influence and for its relative military strength. A liberal revolution in 1821 forced Victor Emmanuel I to abdicate in favour of his brother, Charles Felix. On the death of the latter in 1831, Charles Albert, of the Carignano branch of the family, obtained the throne. He contributed to the cause of unification under Piedmont’s leadership by modernizing his government (granting a constitution in 1848) and fighting against Austrian power in Italy in the First War of Independence of 1848– 49. Under his son Victor Emmanuel II (reigned 1849–1878, king of Italy from 1861), who supported Piedmont’s prime minister, Count Cavour, in the diplomatic Page 2 of 11 maneuvering immediately before unification, the Kingdom of Italy was formed with the house of Savoy at its head. In the new state the role of the monarch lost its former prominence as a parliamentary system of government evolved. The king was in a pivotal position only in times of crisis. Umberto succeeded his father as king of Italy in 1878 and reigned until his own death in 1900. Victor Emmanuel III (reigned 1900–46), who remained as figurehead king during the Fascist regime, abdicated in 1946, at the end of World War II, in favour of his son Umberto II in an attempt to save the monarchy, but the Italian people voted in a referendum of June 2, 1946, for a republic, ending the rule of the house of Savoy. A clause was included in Italy’s constitution banning the Savoy family from returning to Italy. The Savoy family moved abroad, and the monarchist movement, strong in the 1950s, went into decline. At the close of the 20th century, halting moves were made to allow the family back into Italy, and a brief reconciliation occurred in 2002, when the ban was repealed. Two of the few European royals who still found themselves exiled from their country in the year 2001 have finally returned to Italy. Prince Vittorio Emanuele, son and heir of King Umberto II of Italy, accompanied by his son, Prince Emanuele Filiberto, and consort, Princess Marina, visited the Pope briefly during the morning of 23 December 2002. For Vittorio Emanuele, Duke of Savoy, it was his first visit to Italy since 1946. For thirty year-old Emanuele Filiberto, born in Victor Emmanuel at Rome's Ciampino Airport with Italian officials, Exile, it was the first ever. The official Papal invitation ensured that the family's first visit to Italy would permit them the honours normally reserved to heads of state, which the status is granted by the Vatican to the heads of many non-regnant royal families. Of the House of Savoia depend of the order of Nunziata, Order Meritense or Civil Order of Savoy and, mainly, the Order of St. Maurice and Lazarus, who has played a major philanthropic and hospitable value. The original reasons, they were defending the Catholic Church, the Counter Reformation, the protection of the seas and European shores and construction of hospitals, they have been adapting to the current historical reality. Today the purpose is purely humanitarian and philanthropic: to provide assistance to those suffering from disease, war or famine. Belonging to a Dynastic Order and ultra-centennial creates a moral obligation to help others and to comfort those who suffer. The person who holds the insignia has been chosen for their behavior and for their merits in helping humanity, it is reliable men and women, of any creed, with a high moral value and considerable spiritual nobility. Page 3 of 11 Maggio 03, 2015 Casa Savoia - dinastia europea Sua Altezza Reale Vittorio Emanuele, duca di Savoia, Principe di Napoli, l'erede legittimo della ex Corona italiana. Casa Savoia è una delle più antiche dinastie reali europee attestata sin dalla fine del X secolo nel territorio del Regno di Borgogna, dove venne infeudata della Contea di Savoia, elevata poi a Ducato nel XV secolo. Nello stesso secolo, estintasi la linea legittima dei Lusignano, ottenne la Corona titolare dei regni crociati di Cipro, Gerusalemme e Armenia, con il conseguente aumento di prestigio presso le corti europee. Page 4 of 11 Nel XVI secolo circa spostò i suoi interessi territoriali ed economici dalle regioni alpine verso la penisola italiana (come testimoniato dallo spostamento della capitale del ducato da Chambéry a Torino nel 1563). Agli inizi del XVIII secolo, a conclusione della guerra di successione spagnola, ottenne l'effettiva dignità regia, dapprima sul Regno di Sicilia (1713), dopo pochi anni (1720) scambiato con quello di Sardegna. Nel XIX secolo si pose a capo del movimento di unificazione nazionale italiano, che condusse alla proclamazione del Regno d'Italia il 17 marzo 1861. Da questa data, fino al cambiamento istituzionale nel giugno del 1946 con l'esilio, la storia della Casa si confonde con quella d'Italia. Il fondatore della casa di Savoia fu Umberto I (metà del 11 ° secolo), che ha tenuto la contea di Savoia e altre zone ad est del fiume Rodano e il sud del Lago di Ginevra e che era probabilmente di origine borgognona. I suoi successori durante il Medioevo gradualmente ampliato il loro territorio. Amedeo V (regnò 1285-1323) ha introdotto la legge salica di successione e la legge di primogenitura per evitare ogni futura spartizione della domini della famiglia tra i vari membri. Amedeo VI (regnò 1343-1383) ampliato e consolidato ulteriormente il loro territorio, e sotto Amedeo VII (regnò 1383-1391) il porto di Nizza è stata acquisita. Sotto Amedeo VIII (regnato 1391-1440), Piemonte, sul versante italiano delle Alpi, è stata definitivamente costituita (dopo aver appartenuto per quasi due secoli di un ramo della casa). Amedeo VIII è stato concesso il titolo di duca nel 1416. Durante gli ultimi secoli 16 15 e primi anni, l'importanza della casa è sceso sotto una serie di governanti deboli, si conclude con una occupazione francese di Savoia (1536-1559). Nel 1559, però, Emanuele Filiberto (regnò 1553-1580) è stato in grado di recuperare la maggior parte di Savoia sotto i termini della Pace di Cateau- Cambrésis. Nel corso del prossimo secolo, i duchi di Savoia perseguito una politica di ingrandimenti territoriali e, per la maggior parte, ha mantenuto un ruolo indipendente negli affari internazionali manovrando tra le due maggiori potenze opposte, Francia e gli Asburgo. Sebbene le sue terre erano sotto la dominazione francese durante la seconda metà del 17 ° secolo, Savoia emerso dal lungo periodo di guerre internazionali con i maggiori guadagni. Con il trattato di Utrecht (1713), Vittorio Amedeo II (che regnò dal 1675-1730) è stata sollevata nel 1713 dal duca allo status di un re come sovrano di Sicilia; nel 1720 ha scambiato la Sicilia per la Sardegna.