The
House of Savoy was a dynasty of nobles who traditionally had their domain in
Savoy (a small region between
Piedmont,
Italy, and
France).
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").
Main Branch
Savoy-Carignano Branch
- King Umberto II : 1946-1983
- Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples : 1983-present
See also: Lists of incumbents,
President of Italy
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] strengh 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.
- Brief history of the House with a picture of coat-of-arm (http://www.chivalricorders.org/royalty/gotha/savoyhis.htm)
- Genealogy of recent members of the House (http://www.chivalricorders.org/royalty/gotha/italygen.htm)
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