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The House of Savoia or in Italian, "La Casa di Savoia" (or more commonly, though incorrectly is given a French name, the House of Savoy) is 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.

Their Kingdom 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 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").

The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Turin and the neigbourhood are protected as the World Heritage Site.

List of rulers

Counts of Savoy

Main Branch

Dukes of Savoy

Kings of Sardinia

Savoy-Carignano Branch

Kings of Italy

Rulers of other countries

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:

See also: Lists of incumbents, List of Presidents of the Italian Republic

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 * pact and by religion)
but others suggest:
  • "Fortitudo Eius Rhodum Tenuit" (His Lord's strength preserved Rhodes) or
  • "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.

Titles of the Crown at the time of Vittorio Amedeo III:

VITTORIO AMEDEO III, per la grazia di Dio Re di Sardegna, Cipro, Gerusalemme e Armenia; 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.

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.

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.

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. The Fall of the House of Savoy, The Guardian, June 23, 2006.

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.

Further reading

  • Cox, Eugene L. The Eagles of Savoy: The House of Savoy in Thirteenth-Century Europe. Princeton University Press, 1974.

External links

  1. Official website of the Royal House of Savoy, Dukes of Aosta
  2. Brief history of the House with a picture of coat-of-arm
  3. Genealogy of recent members of the House
  4. House of Savoy fansite
  5. The_Heads_of_House_of_Savoy

Savoy | House of Savoy | Italian nobility | History of Italy

Haus Savoyen | Savoia dünastia | Casa de Saboya | Savoja dinastio | Maison de Savoie | Savojska dinastija | Casa Savoia | Huis Savoye | サヴォイア家 | Huset Savoie | Dynastia sabaudzka | Casa de Sabóia | Savoijin kuningashuone | Huset Savojen | 萨伏依王朝

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "House of Savoy".

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