Victor Amadeus, Prince of Piedmont
Encyclopedia
Victor Amadeus of Savoy was the eldest son of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and his French wife Anne Marie d'Orléans. He was the Heir apparent of Savoy from his birth and as such was styled as the Prince of Piedmont. He acted as Regent of Savoy from September 1713 till September 1714 in the absences of his father. He died of smallpox
at the age of 15.
.
From birth he was styled as the Prince of Piedmont, the typical style for the Heir apparent
to the Duke of Savoy
. Piedmont was born at a time when the House of Savoy was in need of a male heir to succeed as the duchy observed the salic law
which forbade females to inherit the throne. His birth was greeted with great celebration and throughout his life, his health would require constant attention.
He was the brother of the Princess Maria Adelaide wife of the Duke of Burgundy and daughter-in-law of Le Grand Dauphin. His other sister was Queen Maria Luisa of Spain
wife of Philip V
. In 1701 his brother Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta
was born and it was he who would later succeed to rule Savoy. During the Battle of Turin
he, his mother, grandmother and younger brother had to flee Turin
for their safety and go to Genoa
. His father took part in the battle which was played out to west of the city. The prince was moved from female care in 1708.
In 1713, at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, by the Treaty of Utrecht
, Sicily was ceded to the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont's father. As such, Piedmont became the heir to a Kingdom rather than a sovereign Duchy. In September his parents set off for Palermo
in Sicily
in order to be crowned officially. Victor Amadeus II asked his mother Marie Jeanne of Savoy to maintain a regency in his absence but she declined and the Piedmont was give the post. Piedmont's regency ended when his father returned in September 1714. Strained relations between Savoy and Austria caused plans for the Prince of Piedmont to wed Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
, a daughter of the late Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
but plans were ignored by his father. There were also negotiations for Piedmont to wed Elisabeth Farnese.
Piedmont died in Turin on 22 March 1715 having caught smallpox
. He was buried at the Cathedral of Saint Giovanni Battista and later moved to the Basilica of Superga
outside Turin. His body is located in the Sala degli Infanti (Hall of the Infantes [children]). He was succeeded as Prince of Piedmont
by his younger brother Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta.
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
at the age of 15.
Biography
The Prince of Piedmont was born in Turin on 6 May 1699. He was the fifth child and first son of his parents and was baptised with the names Vittorio Amadeo Giovanni Filippo. The eldest son he would remain close to his father all his life who in turn adored his son who was named after him. Though his parents were not close he also had a close relationship with his mother Anne Marie d'Orléans, a niece of Louis XIV and grand daughter of the murdered Charles I of EnglandCharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
.
From birth he was styled as the Prince of Piedmont, the typical style for the Heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the Duke of Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
. Piedmont was born at a time when the House of Savoy was in need of a male heir to succeed as the duchy observed the salic law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
which forbade females to inherit the throne. His birth was greeted with great celebration and throughout his life, his health would require constant attention.
He was the brother of the Princess Maria Adelaide wife of the Duke of Burgundy and daughter-in-law of Le Grand Dauphin. His other sister was Queen Maria Luisa of Spain
Maria Luisa of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a Savoyard princess and the first wife of Philip V of Spain. She acted as Regent of Spain and had great influence over her husband...
wife of Philip V
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
. In 1701 his brother Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
was born and it was he who would later succeed to rule Savoy. During the Battle of Turin
Battle of Turin
The Siege of Turin was undertaken by the Duke of Orléans and Marshal de la Feuillade between May and September 1706 against the Savoyard city of Turin during the War of the Spanish Succession...
he, his mother, grandmother and younger brother had to flee Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
for their safety and go to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. His father took part in the battle which was played out to west of the city. The prince was moved from female care in 1708.
In 1713, at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, by the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
, Sicily was ceded to the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont's father. As such, Piedmont became the heir to a Kingdom rather than a sovereign Duchy. In September his parents set off for Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in order to be crowned officially. Victor Amadeus II asked his mother Marie Jeanne of Savoy to maintain a regency in his absence but she declined and the Piedmont was give the post. Piedmont's regency ended when his father returned in September 1714. Strained relations between Savoy and Austria caused plans for the Prince of Piedmont to wed Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
Maria Amalia of Austria
Maria Amalia of Austria was the younger daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I and Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, a daughter of the late Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg....
but plans were ignored by his father. There were also negotiations for Piedmont to wed Elisabeth Farnese.
Piedmont died in Turin on 22 March 1715 having caught smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. He was buried at the Cathedral of Saint Giovanni Battista and later moved to the Basilica of Superga
Basilica of Superga
The Basilica of Superga is a church in the vicinity of Turin.It was built from 1717 to 1731 for Victor Amadeus II of Savoy by Filippo Juvarra, at the top of the hill of Superga, to fulfill a vow the duke had made during the Battle of Turin...
outside Turin. His body is located in the Sala degli Infanti (Hall of the Infantes [children]). He was succeeded as Prince of Piedmont
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
by his younger brother Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 6 May 1699 – 11 April 1713 His Highness the Prince of Piedmont
- 11 April 1713 – 22 March 1715 His Royal Highness the Prince of Piedmont
Sources
- Storrs, Christopher: War, diplomacy and the rise of Savoy, 1690-1720, Cambridge University Press, 1999, ISBN 0521551463
- Symcox, Geoffrey: Victor Amadeus II: absolutism in the Savoyard State, 1675-1730, University of California Press, 1983, ISBN 9780520049741
- Williams. H. Noel: A Rose of Savoy, Marie Adelaide of Savoy, duchesse de Bourgogne, Mother of Louis XV, New York, 1909