The titles of the count of Savoy, and then duke of Savoy, are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the House of Savoy held the county, the ruler of which was originally styled "count," then later as "duke"; several of these rulers were called "king" at one point in history or another.
The origins of the family are obscured by time. The first history of the House of Savoy appeared in 1660 and was written by a Frenchman Samuel Guichenon. At that time, Christine of France, the widow of Duke Victor Amadeus I, had conceived the idea of elevating the house of Savoy to the imperial throne. She was the one who requested Guichenon to write the history of the house, but insisted that Widukind, the famous leader of the Saxons, be its founder. Guichenon, being a courtier and also as a Frenchman always courteous to the fairer sex, promoted the princess's view in his book. Another opinion that gained traction at a certain point was that the Dukes of Savoy descended from the ancient Marquises of Ivrea, from whom descended also the last national kings of Italy, who, fighting for Italian independence against the German emperors were defeated. That opinion was once championed by historian Lodovico della Chiesa. The French authors Nicolas Chorier and Salvaing were, on the other hand, of the opinion, that the Dukes of Savoy had their origins in Burgundy. Therefore, the exact origins of this family, as of many noble families of Europe is unknown.
The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at the beginning of the 15th century, bringing together all the territories of the Savoyard state under Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy. In the 18th century, Victor Amadeus II annexed the Kingdom of Sardinia to the historical possessions of the Duchy, and from then on, the Savoyard dukes also held the title of King of Sardinia. The House of Savoy later went on to rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1946, when the Italian monarchy was abolished after an institutional referendum.
Victor Amadeus II was the longest reigning monarch of Savoy, followed by Charles Emmanuel I, and Charles III or Amadeus VIII.
Rulers of Savoy
House of Savoy
Partitions of Savoy under House of Savoy + County of Savoy(1000–1416)County ofGeneva(1394–1401)Lordship of Nemours(1120–1274)Annexed to FranceRaised to Duchy(1404–1516)Lordshipof Piedmont(1233–1418)Barony of Vaud(1233–1359) Raised to:Duchy of Savoy(1416–1720) County ofGeneva(1440–1724)Duchy ofNemours(1516–1528) Principalityof Carignano(1620–1831)County ofSoissons(1656–1734) In 1652 Nemours returned to France Raised and merged into:Kingdom of Sardinia(1720–1861)(Carignano line since 1831)Raised and unified asKingdom of Italy(1861–1946)
Table of rulers
RulerBornReignRuling partConsortDeathNotes Humbert I the White-Handedc.980MaurienneSon of Amadeus, Count of Belley1003 – 19 July 1048County of SavoyAncillac. 995/1000four children19 July 1048Hermillonaged 67–68 First known member of the family and first owner of the county. Amadeus I of the Tailc.1016First son of Humbert I and Ancilla1048 – 1052County of Savoy Adila1030three childrenc.1052aged 35–36 Known by this nickname after appearing before Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor at Verona with a large "tail" of knights and vassals. Left no surviving descendants, beside his son, , and a daughter who became Countess of Geneva. He was succeeded by his brother. Ottoc.1020Fourth son of Humbert I and Ancilla1052 – 1057County of Savoy Adelaide the Great, Marchioness of Turin1046five childrenc.1057Turinaged 36–37 Through his marriage with Adelaide, their descendants eventually inherited the important March of Turin. Adelaide of Turin the Great c.1020TurinDaughter of Ulric Manfred II, Marquis of Turin and Bertha of Milan1057 – 19 December 1091County of Savoy(with the March of Turin) Herman IV, Duke of Swabia1036no childrenHenry, Marquis of Montferrat1041no childrenOtto1046five children19 December 1091Canischioaged 36–37 Initially as regent for her children, she quickly took over the control of the County of Savoy, which ruled alongside her descendants until her death. She was also ruling, since 1034, the March of Turin. In 1078, Adelaide's co-rulers divided her possessions: her granddaughter Agnes and her husband co-ruled with her in Turin, while her second son Amadeus followed (also with her) in Savoy proper. After her death, Turin merged in Savoy. Peter Ic. 1048First son of Otto and Adelaide1057 – 9 July 1078 Agnes of Aquitaine1064two children9 July 1078aged 29–30 Amadeus II c. 1050Second son of Otto and Adelaide9 July 1078 – 26 January 1080County of Savoy(in co-rulership) Joan of Genevac. 1065four children26 January 1080aged 29–30 Agnesc.1070Daughter of Peter I and Agnes of Aquitaine9 July 1078 – 29 June 1091March of Turin(in co-rulership) 1080two childrenc.1115aged 44–45 Frederick of Montbéliardc.1045Bar-le-DucSon of and Sophie, Countess of Bar29 June 1091Turinaged 45–46 Humbert II the Reinforced c. 1065CarignanoSon of Amadeus II and Joan of Geneva26 January 1080 – 14 October 1103 County of Savoy Gisela of Burgundy1090seven children 14 October 1103Moûtiersaged 37–38 Co-ruled with his grandmother until 1091. His nickname may be explained by his unusual height.Regency of Gisela of Burgundy, , and Guy de Miribel (1103-1109) Amadeus III the Crusaderc. 1095CarignanoSon of Humbert II and Gisela of Burgundy14 October 1103 – 30 March 1148County of Savoy Adelaide1120/23no childrenMahaut of AlbonJuly 1134/1135ten children30 March 1148Nicosiaaged 52–53Regency of Amadeus, Bishop of Lausanne (1148-1150) Children of Amadeus III, divided their inheritance. Alix's properties were eventually inherited by her own descendants. Humbert III the Blessed 4 August 1136AviglianaSon of Amadeus III and Mahaut of Albon30 March 1148 – 4 March 1189County of Savoy Faidiva of Toulousec. 1151no childrenGertrude of Flanders1155no childrenClementia of Zähringen1164two children Beatrice of Viennois1175/77one child 4 March 1189Chambéryaged 52 Alix1123Daughter of Amadeus III and Adelaide30 March 1148 – c.1160County of Savoy(at Châteauneuf-en-Valromey, Virieu-le-Grand and Cordon-en-Bugey)ES XI 156 (Das Haus Savoyen I). Humbert III, Lord of Beaujeu1140five children c.1160aged 36–37?Regency of Beatrice of Viennois and Boniface I, Marquis of Montferrat (1189-1191) Thomas I the Friend of the Communes27 May 1178AiguebelleSon of Humbert III and Beatrice of Viennois4 March 1189 – 1 March 1233County of Savoy Margaret of GenevaMay 1196fourteen children1 March 1233Moncalieriaged 54 Amadeus IV 1197MontmélianFirst son of Thomas I and Margaret of Geneva1 March 1233 – 24 June 1253County of Savoy(at Savoy proper) Margaret of Burgundyc 1217two childrenCecile of Baux, Passerose1244four children24 June 1253Montmélianaged 55–56Children of Thomas I, divided their inheritance. Amadeus was the first in the family to call himself Count of Savoy . In 1239, Amadeus gave the lordships of Saint-Maurice and Monthey to his sister Margaret, which may have returned to Savoy after her death. The same may have happened to the properties of Aymon, who died with no descendants. Through marriage, Thomas II became also Count of Flanders. As with Peter, after his nephew's death with no descendants, he inherited the county of Savoy as a separate possession of his original barony, as both were inherited by different individuals after his own death. Aymonc.1200MontmélianThird son of Thomas I and Margaret of Geneva1 March 1233 – 30 August 1237County of Savoy(at Agaune, Chablais, Chillon, Morges and Villeneuve) Unmarried30 August 1237Montmélianaged 36–37 1212Daughter of Thomas I and Margaret of Geneva1239 – September 1273County of Savoy(at Saint-Maurice and Monthey) 1 June 1218Moudonno childrenNovember 1264no childrenSeptember 1273aged 60–61 Thomas II 1199MontmélianFifth son of Thomas I and Margaret of Geneva1 March 1233 – 7 February 1259Lordship of Piedmont Joan, Countess of Flanders2 April 1237no children1251six children7 February 1259Chambéryaged 21–22 Peter II the Little Charlemagne1203SusaSeventh son of Thomas I and Margaret of Geneva1 March 1233 – 15 May 1268Barony of Vaud Agnes, Lady of Faucigny1236one child15 May 1268Château de Chillon or Pierre-Châtelaged 64–65June 1263 – 15 May 1268County of SavoyRegency of Cecile of Baux (1253-1260) and Thomas II, Lord of Piedmont (1253-1259)Mortally wounded, died with no descendants. The county was inherited by his uncle Peter (then baron of Vaud). BonifaceDecember 1244ChambérySon of Amadeus IV and Cecile of Baux24 June 1253 – June 1263County of Savoy UnmarriedJune 1263Turinaged 18 Thomas III 1246First son of Thomas II and 7 February 1259 – 16 May 1282Lordship of Piedmont Guyonne of Burgundy(d.1316)May 1274five children16 May 1282Saint-Genix-sur-Guiersaged 37–38 Philip I1207AiguebelleEighth son of Thomas I and Margaret of Geneva15 May 1268 – 15 August 1285County of Savoy(with Barony of Vaud from 1271) Adelaide, Countess of Burgundy12 June 1267no issue16 August 1285Roussillonaged 78Heirs of Peter II, redivided the inheritance. Beatrice abdicated of her father's barony to her uncle Philip, which determined the (brief) re-absorption of Vaud into her uncle's county of Savoy. She kept, however, her mother's lordship of Faucigny until her death, after which it passed to her descendants. Philip was the last count of the main line of Savoyard counts; after his own death also with no children, the county was inherited by the Piedmont branch. Beatrice1237Daughter of Peter II and Agnes, Lady of Faucigny15 May 1268 – April 1310Barony of Vaud(with Lordship of Faucigny; in Faucigny only since 1271) Guigues VII, Dauphin of ViennoisApril 1253three childrenGaston VII, Viscount of Béarn2 April 1273no childrenApril 1310Faucignyaged 72–73Vaud returned (briefly) to Savoy; Faucigny inherited by the Dauphiné of ViennoisRegency of Guyonne of Burgundy and Otto IV, Count of Burgundy (1282-1292), with (1282-1283) Philip 1278SusaSon of Thomas III and Guyonne of Burgundy16 May 1282 – 25 September 1334Lordship of Piedmont Isabella of Villehardouin, Princess of Achaea12 February 1301Romethree childrenCatherine de la Tour du Pin1312eleven children25 September 1334Pineroloaged 55–56 Amadeus V the Great 1252Le Bourget-du-LacSecond son of Thomas II, Lord of Piedmont and 15 August 1285 – 16 October 1323County of Savoy Sybille of Bâgé5 July 1272eight childrenMarie of Brabant1297four children16 October 1323Avignonaged 73–74Heirs of their uncle Philip I of Savoy, divided the gained inheritance. Louis I 1253Third son of Thomas II, Lord of Piedmont and 15 August 1285 – 13 January 1302Barony of Vaud Adeline of Lorraine(1245–1278)c.1270one childJeanne of Montfort-Chambéon1283eleven childrenIsabelle d'Aulnay(1270-30 October 1341)1 May 1301no children13 January 1302Naplesaged 48–49 Louis II 1283Son of Louis I and Jeanne of Montfort-Chambéon13 January 1302 – February 1349Barony of Vaud Isabelle de Chalon-Arlay(d.1359)1309three childrenFebruary 1349aged 48–49 Edward the Liberal 8 February 1284BaugéSecond son of Amadeus V and Sybille of Bâgé16 October 1323 – 4 November 1329County of Savoy Blanche of Burgundy18 October 1307Château de Montbardone daughter4 November 1329Gentillyaged 45Left no male descendants. He was succeeded by his brother. Aymon the Peaceful 15 December 1291ChambéryThird son of Amadeus V and Sybille of Bâgé4 November 1329 – 22 June 1343County of Savoy Yolande Palaeologina of Montferrat1 May 1330Casalefive children22 June 1343Montmélianaged 51During his reign, he had his rule contested by his niece: