King of Italy (
rex Italiae in
Latin and
re d'Italia in Italian) is a title adopted by many rulers of the
Italian peninsula after the fall of the
Roman Empire. However, no “King of Italy” ruled the whole peninsula until
Victor Emmanuel in 1870, though some pretended to such authority.
After the deposition of
Western Roman Emperor Romulus Augustulus in 476,
Heruli leader
Odoacer was appointed
dux Italiae (Duke of Italy) by the reigning
Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno. Later, he took the title of
rex (not, as is sometimes said,
rex italiae), though he always presented himself as an officer of the eastern government. In 493,
Ostrogothic king
Theodoric the Great defeated Odoacer, and set up
a new dynasty of kings of Italy. Ostrogothic rule ended when Italy was reconquered by the
Byzantine Empire in 552.
This state of affairs did not last long. In 568, the
Lombards entered the peninsula and ventured to recreate a barbarian kingdom
in opposition to the Empire, establishing their authority over much of Italy (especially
Lombardy) except the
Exarchate of Ravenna and the duchies
Rome,
Venetia,
Naples and the southernmost portions. For the next two centuries, Lombards and Byzantines fought for dominance in the peninsula.
In the 8th century, estrangement between the Italian Romans and the Byzantine Empire allowed the Lombards to capture the remaining Roman enclaves in northern Italy. However, in 774, they were defeated by the
Franks under
Charlemagne, who deposed their king and took up the title
rex Langobardorum ("King of the Lombards"). Within the
Frankish Empire, Italy was ruled by a
rex Italiae. This Kingdom of Italy was integrated into the
Holy Roman Empire by
Otto I. All subsequent emperors used the title and most were crowned at some time in the ancient Lombard capital of
Pavia before their imperial coronation in Rome. However the various emperors ruled only parts of Italy, and many independent states existed on the peninsula over the subsequent centuries, some of which were kingdoms, such as the
Kingdom of Sicily and the
Kingdom of Naples.
By the
Peace of Westphalia in 1648 most of the Italian territories of the
Holy Roman Empire were lost to it and the Italian Crown held no significance thereafter, either
de facto or
de jure. In 1805,
Napoleon Bonaparte endeavoured to attach the Lombard heritage to France again and was crowned with the
Iron Crown of Lombardy in Pavia. The next year, the
Emperor Francis II abdicated his Imperial title. From the deposition of Napoleon (1814) until the
Italian Unification (1861), there was no Italian monarch claiming the overarching title. The
Risorgimento successfully established a dynasty, the
House of Savoy, over the whole peninsula, uniting the kingdoms of
Sardinia and the
Two Sicilies. The monarchy was superseded by the
Italian Republic () after a referendum was held in 1946.
Dux (Italiae)
Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy (493–553)
Kingdom of the Lombards (568–814)
Frankish Kingdom of Italy (781–963)
After 887, Italy fell into instability, with many rulers claiming the Kingship simultaneously:
opponent of Berengar, ruled most of Italy but was deposed by Arnulf.
subking of his father Guy before 894, reduced to
Spoleto 894-895.
In 896, Arnulf and Ratold lost control of Italy, which was divided between Berengar and Lambert:
seized Lambert's portion upon the latter's death in 898.
opposed Berengar 900-902 and 905.
defeated Berengar but fled Italy in 926.
elected by Berengar's partisans in 925, resigned to Provence after 945.
jointly with his son:
In 951
Otto I of Germany invaded Italy and was crowned "King of the Lombards". In 952, Berengar and Adalbert became in vassals but remained Kings until being deposed by Otto.
Kingdom of Italy within the Holy Roman Empire (962–1648)
Ferdinand I and his successor used the title of a
King of Italy, though they were never crowned as such:
The
Peace of Westphalia effectively terminated any imperial claims to an Italian kingdom.
Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy (1805–1814)
|
Napoleon I1805–1814 ||
Napoleon
||15 August 1769
Ajaccioson of
Carlo Buonaparte and
Letizia Ramolino||
Joséphine de Beauharnais1796
No children
Marie Louise of Austria11 March 1810
1 child||5 May 1821
Longwoodaged 51
|}
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
|
Victor Emmanuel II1861–1878 ||
Victor Emmanuel II
||14 March 1820
Turinson of
Charles Albert of Sardinia and
Maria Theresa of Tuscany||
Maria Adelaide of Austria1842
8 children
Rosa Teresa Vercellana Guerrieri1869
2 children||9 January 1878
Rome
aged 57
|-
|
Umberto I1878–1900 ||
Umberto I
||14 March 1844
Turinson of
Victor Emanuele II and
Maria Adelaide of Austria ||
Margherita of Savoy22 April 1868
1 child||29 July 1900
Monzaaged 56
|-
|
Victor Emmanuel III1900–1946 ||
Victor Emmanuel III
||11 November 1869
Naplesson of
Umberto I and
Margherita of Savoy ||
Elena of Montenegro24 October 1896
5 children||28 December 1947
Alexandriaaged 78
|-
|
Umberto II1946 ||
Umberto II of Italy
||15 September 1904
Racconigison of
Victor Emmanuel III and
Elena of Montenegro||
Marie-José of Belgium8 January 1930
4 children||18 March 1983
Genevaaged 78
|-
|}
Full title
Full title of the Kings of Kingdom of Italy was:
[Name],
by the Grace of God, King of Italy, King of Sardinia, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Armenia, Duke of Savoy, count of Maurienne, Marquis (of the Holy Roman Empire) in Italy; prince of Piedmont, Carignano, Oneglia, Poirino, Trino; Prince and Perpetual vicar of the Holy Roman Empire; prince of Carmagnola, Montmellian with Arbin and Francin, prince bailliff of the Duchy of Aosta, Prince of Chieri, Dronero, Crescentino, Riva di Chieri e Banna, Busca, Bene, Brà, Duke of Genoa, Monferrat, Aosta, Duke of Chablais, Genevois, Duke of Piacenza, Marquis of Saluzzo (Saluces), Ivrea, Susa, del Maro, Oristano, Cesana, Savona, Tarantasia, Borgomanero e Cureggio, Caselle, Rivoli, Pianezza, Govone, Salussola, Racconigi con Tegerone, Migliabruna e Motturone, Cavallermaggiore, Marene, Modane e Lanslebourg, Livorno Ferraris, Santhià Agliè, Centallo e Demonte, Desana, Ghemme, Vigone, Count of Barge, Villafranca, Ginevra, Nizza, Tenda, Romont, Asti, Alessandria, del Goceano, Novara, Tortona, Bobbio, Soissons, Sant'Antioco, Pollenzo, Roccabruna, Tricerro, Bairo, Ozegna, delle Apertole, Baron of Vaud e del Faucigni, Lord of Vercelli, Pinerolo, della Lomellina, della Valle Sesia, del marchesato di Ceva, Overlord of Monaco, Roccabruna and 11/12th of Menton, Noble patrician of Venice, patrician of Ferrara.
