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, from the 6th century onwards no “King of Italy” ruled the whole peninsula until Victor Emmanuel finally conquered Rome 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 Roman 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 time of the Renaissance the crown of Italy had little remaining authority, although it continued to exist in attenuated form until the French Revolutionary Wars. 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 (Italian: Repubblica Italiana) after a referendum was held in 1946.
Contents |
After 887, Italy fell into instability, with many rulers claiming the Kingship simultaneously:
In 896, Arnulf and Ratold lost control of Italy, which was divided between Berengar and Lambert:
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.
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otto I | 23 November 912 - 7 May 973 |
2 February 962 | 7 May 973 | |
| Otto II | 955 - 7 December 983 |
c. October 980[2] | 7 December 983 | |
| Otto III | 980 - 23 January 1002 |
c. February 996[3] | 23 January 1002 | |
| Arduin I of Ivrea | 955 - 1015 |
1002 | 1014 | |
| Henry II [4] |
6 May 973 - 13 July 1024 |
14 February 1004 | 13 July 1024 |
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conrad II [5] |
990 - 4 June 1039 |
26 March 1027 | 4 June 1039 | |
| Henry III | 29 October 1017 - 5 October 1056 |
25 December 1046 | 5 October 1056 | |
| Henry IV | 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106 |
31 March 1084 | December 1105 | |
| Henry V [6] |
8 November 1086 - 23 May 1125 |
13 April 1111 | 23 May 1125 |
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conrad III[7][8] | 1093 - 15 February 1152 |
June 1128 | 1135 | |
| Frederick I | 1122 - 10 June 1190 |
1154 | 10 June 1190 | |
| Henry VI | November 1165 - 28 September 1197 |
14 April 1191 | 28 September 1197 |
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otto IV | 1175 or 1176 - 19 May 1218 |
1208 | 1212 |
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry VII | 1275[9] - 24 August 1313 |
6 January 1311[10] | 24 August 1313 |
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis IV | 1 April 1282 - 11 October 1347 |
1327 | 11 October 1347 |
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles IV | 14 May 1316 - 29 November 1378 |
5 April 1355 | 29 November 1378 | |
| Wenceslaus I | 26 February 1361 - 16 August 1419 |
1378 | - | |
| Sigismund | 14 February 1368 - 9 December 1437 |
1410 | 9 December 1437 |
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert II | 10 August 1397 - 27 August 1439 |
1437 | 27 October 1439 | |
| Frederick III | 21 September 1415 - 19 August 1493 |
19 March 1452 | 19 August 1493 | |
| Maximilian I | 22 March 1459 - 12 January 1519 |
- [11] |
12 January 1519 | |
| Charles V | 24 February 1500 - 21 September 1558 |
February 1530 | 16 January 1556 |
Ferdinand I and his successor used the title of a King of Italy, though they were never crowned as such:
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferdinand I | 10 March 1503 - 25 July 1564 |
- [11] |
25 July 1564 | |
| Maximilian II | 31 July 1527 - 12 October 1576 |
- [11] |
12 October 1576 | |
| Rudolph II [12] |
18 July 1552 - 20 January 1612 |
30 June 1575 | 20 August 1612 | |
| Matthias | 24 February 1557 - 20 March 1619 |
23 January 1612 | 20 March 1619 | |
| Ferdinand II | 9 July 1578 - 15 February 1637 |
10 March 1619 | 15 February 1637 | |
| Ferdinand III | 13 July 1608 - 2 April 1657 |
18 November 1637 | 2 April 1657 |
The Peace of Westphalia effectively terminated any imperial claims to an Italian kingdom, although the Holy Roman Emperor had claim to the title up to the dissolution of the Empire.
| Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napoleon I 1805–1814 |
15 August 1769 Ajaccio son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino |
Joséphine de Beauharnais 1796 No children Marie Louise of Austria 11 March 1810 1 child |
5 May 1821 Longwood aged 51 |
| Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Emmanuel II 1861–1878 |
14 March 1820 Turin son of Charles Albert of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Tuscany |
Adelaide of Austria 1842 8 children Rosa Teresa Vercellana Guerrieri 1869 2 children |
9 January 1878 Rome aged 57 |
|
| Umberto I 1878–1900 |
14 March 1844 Turin son of Victor Emanuele II and Adelaide of Austria |
Margherita of Savoy 22 April 1868 1 child |
29 July 1900 Monza aged 56 (assassinated) |
|
| Victor Emmanuel III 1900–1946 |
11 November 1869 Naples son of Umberto I and Margherita of Savoy |
Elena of Montenegro 24 October 1896 5 children |
28 December 1947 Alexandria aged 78 |
|
| Umberto II 1946 |
15 September 1904 Racconigi son of Victor Emmanuel III and Elena of Montenegro |
Marie-José of Belgium 8 January 1930 4 children |
18 March 1983 Geneva aged 78 |
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 and Banna, Busca, Bene, Bra, Duke of Genoa, Monferrat, Aosta, Duke of Chablais, Genevois, Duke of Piacenza, Marquis of Saluzzo (Saluces), Ivrea, Susa, of Maro, Oristano, Cesana, Savona, Tarantasia, Borgomanero and Cureggio, Caselle, Rivoli, Pianezza, Govone, Salussola, Racconigi over Tegerone, Migliabruna and Motturone, Cavallermaggiore, Marene, Modane and Lanslebourg, Livorno Ferraris, Santhià Agliè, Centallo and Demonte, Desana, Ghemme, Vigone, Count of Barge, Villafranca, Ginevra, Nizza, Tenda, Romont, Asti, Alessandria, of Goceano, Novara, Tortona, Bobbio, Soissons, Sant'Antioco, Pollenzo, Roccabruna, Tricerro, Bairo, Ozegna, delle Apertole, Baron of Vaud and of Faucigni, Lord of Vercelli, Pinerolo, of Lomellina, of Valle Sesia, of the Marquisate of Ceva, Overlord of Monaco, Roccabruna and eleven-twelfths of Menton, Noble Patrician of Venice, Patrician of Ferrara.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||