The story of the Royal House of Savoy stretches back a thousand years. In the Alpine region of Savoy, northwest of Italy, a noble family gradually increased their wealth and power by guarding strategically important mountain passes. Over time the family expanded its territory and influence through well-chosen marriages and international diplomacy. Their influence would eventually come to extend across most of Italy.
The dynasty began with Umberto, who lived from about 980 to 1047. It is said that he was the great grandson of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, but this has never been proven and is perhaps a story spread by his family to give them a more impressive pedigree. What is true is that his grandson Otto married Adelaide of Turin and Susa and thus established the family’s presence in Piedmont.
Emmanuel Philibert (1528- 1580) moved the family’s capital to Turin and initiated a huge building programme in which swathes of medieval Turin were demolished to create palaces worthy of the Savoy dynasty. The family continued to grow in power and also ruled Sicily from 1713 to 1720; this did not last and they had to trade Sicily for Sardinia.
Through a junior branch of the family, the Savoy-Carignano, the House of Savoy led the Unification of Italy in 1860 and ruled the Kingdom of Italy until 1946. The Savoy kings of Italy were Vittorio Emanuele II, Umberto I, Vittorio Emanuele III and
