House of Savoy

House of Savoy, north Italian dynasty that became the royal family of Italy. The house was founded by a Burgundian nobleman, Humbert the Whitehanded (died about 1048). Humbert's son Oddone succeeded to the title of Count of Savoy, and by his marriage to Adelaide, heiress of Turin in Piedmont, he greatly extended his dominions. In the succeeding three centuries the possessions of the family were greatly enlarged in France, Italy, and Switzerland. In the 13th century Nice was secured, giving Savoy an outlet to the sea. Amadeus VIII, Count of Savoy, secured the creation of the duchy of Savoy and became (1416) its first Duke by his support of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. In 1434 he handed over much of his authority to his son Louis and founded a religious order. He was elected (1440) pope as Felix V by the Council of Basel, but resigned in 1449.

By 1536 the authority of the dukes of Savoy over Geneva had ended, and they were dispossessed of their Swiss territories. Francis I, king of France, then seized (1536) the dominions of the House of Savoy. In 1559, however, most of the duchy was restored to Emmanuel Philibert, 10th duke of Savoy, by the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis.

Victor Amadeus II was compelled for a time to submit to various French demands but finally joined the Grand Alliance against France. By the Treaty of Turin in 1696, Savoy made a separate peace with France and detached itself from the Grand Alliance. After Victor Amadeus joined (1703) Austria in the War of the Spanish Succession, the French overran and devastated Piedmont, but were defeated (1706) by Victor Amadeus and his cousin, the Austrian general Eugene, Prince of Savoy, at the siege of Turin. By the Peace of Utrecht, Victor Amadeus was accorded (1713) possession of Sicily with the title of king. The alliance with Austria also added to Savoy the remainder of Montferrat, part of the region having already been ceded (1631) to the duchy. Sicily was given (1720) to Austria in exchange for Sardinia, and Victor Amadeus became king of Sardinia. In 1831 Charles Albert of Savoy Carignan became king of Sardinia. In 1849 he abdicated in favour of his son Victor Emmanuel II, who ceded (1860) Savoy and Nice to France and later assumed (1861) the title of king of Italy. He was succeeded (1878) by Humbert I, who was assassinated in 1900. The latter's son, Victor Emmanuel III, abdicated in May 1946 in favour of the Crown prince, Humbert II, who ruled until June 1946, when Italy became a republic. Victor Emmanuel III, Humbert, and Humbert's heir Victor Emmanuel moved to Portugal soon afterwards.