List of monarchs of Sardinia

Coat of Arms of the kingdom of Sardinia from the 14th century

The following is a list of rulers of Sardinia, in particular, of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica (then only Kingdom of Sardinia), from 1323 to 1861.

Early history

We know nothing about the history of Nuraghic civilization that, in the period from the 18th to the 12th century B.C. realized impressive megalithic constructions, as well as those that followed, due to the absence of written sources. The first news of Sardinia we receive from Greek sources, but relate more to myth than to historical reality. It depends on the ancient authors: an African or Iberian hero, Norax, named the city of Nora. A son of Hercules, Sardo, gave the island its name; one of his nephews, Iolaus, founded the city of Olbia.^[1] Actually, the greek colonization of the city of Olbia has been confirmed by recent archaeological excavations.^[2] Towards the end of the 6th century A.C. Sardinia was conquered by the Carthaginians and, in 238 B.C. it was occupied by the Romans, which belonged to about 1000 years (in the Eastern Roman Empire) a part the brief dominion of Vandals in the 5° and 6° century.

Early medieval rulers

Vandal coin found in Sardinia depicting Godas. Latin legend : REX CVDA.

• Godas, 533–535, As for Procopius,^[3] he was a Vandal governor of Sardinia that rebelled to his king Gelimer, that ruled northern Africa and Sardinia, and asked for help from the romans against his own people. He, wrote Procopius,^[4] behaved like a king but it was a brief kingdom. After two years, an expedition from Carthage, guided by Tzazo, brother of the king Gelimer, defeated and killed him. But in the same days, romans troops, send by emperor Justinianus, and guided by general Belisarius, totally annihilated the vandal kingdom, and Sardinia returned under roman administration

Judges

Before the Kingdom of Sardinia was founded, the rulers of the island were known as archons (ἄρχοντες in Greek) or judges (iudices in Latin, judices in Sardinian, giudici in Italian).^[5][6] The island was organized into one "judicatus" from the 9th century on. After the Muslim conquest of Sicily in the 9th century, the Byzantines, who ruled Sardinia until then, couldn't defend their isolated far western province. In all likelihood a local noble family acceded to the power, still identifying themselves as vassals of the Byzantines, but independent "de facto" as communications with Constantinople were very difficult. We known only two names of those rulers, Salusios (Σαλούσιος) and the protospatharios Turcoturios (Tουρκοτούριος) from two inscriptions ^[7][8][9]), who probably reigned between the 10th and the 11th century. These rulers were still closely linked to the Byzantines, both for a pact of ancient vassalage,^[10] and from the ideological point of view, with the use of the Greek language (in a country of the romance language), and the use of art of Byzantine inspiration.

In the early 11th century an attempt to conquer the island was made by Muslims based in Spain.^[11] The only records of that war are from Pisan and Genoese chronicles.^[12] The Christians won, but after that, the previous Sardinian kingdom was totally undermined and divided into four small judicati: Cagliari, Arborea, Gallura, Torres or Logudoro.

• List of judges of Arborea, c. 1070–1410
• List of judges of Cagliari, c. 1060–1258
• List of judges of Gallura, c. 1070–1288
• List of judges of Logudoro, c. 1060–1259

Some of these rulers occasionally took the style of king (rex):

• 1113–1128 Constantine I, Judge of Torres
• 1128–1150 Gonario II, Judge of Torres

Nominal kings of Imperial appointment

Entius Hohenstaufen coat of arms

Some rulers of the time obtained the title of King of Sardinia (Rex Sardiniae) by grant of the Holy Roman Emperor:

• Barisone II of Arborea,^[13] 1164–1165 (by Emperor Frederick I, who officially renounced in a peace treaty with the other judices in 1165);
• Enzo of Logudoro Hohenstaufen, 1238–1245 (iure uxoris Adelasia of Torres, recognised by Emperor Frederick II, his father, who died in Bologna after a 26 years imprisonment)

None of these rulers had effective authority over the whole island. In 1269, an anti-imperial faction in Logudoro elected Philip of Sicily as king of all Sardinia, but this was never confirmed by emperor or pope and Philip never visited the island.

Kings of Sardinia and Corsica

James II of Aragon received royal investiture from Pope Boniface VIII in 1297 as Rex Sardiniae et Corsicae. The Aragonese did not take actual possession of the isle until 1323, after a victorious military campaign against the Pisans. However, Sardinian royal title never had a specific line of succession, and all kings used their own primary numeral title.

Arms of the House of Barcelona

House of Barcelona (Aragon), 1323–1410

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
James II of Aragon 1323–1327		10 August 1267 Valencia son of Peter I and Constance of Sicily	Isabella of Castile 1 December 1291 No children Blanche of Anjou 29 October 1295 10 children Marie de Lusignan 15 June 1315 No children Elisenda de Montcada 25 December 1322 No children	5 November 1327 Barcelona aged 60
Alfonso IV of Aragon 1327–1336		1299 Naples son of James II of Aragon and Blanche of Anjou	Teresa d'Entença 1314 7 children Eleanor of Castile 2 children	27 January 1336 Barcelona aged 37
Peter IV of Aragon 1336–1387		5 October 1319 Balaguer son of Alfonso IV and Teresa d'Entença	Maria of Navarre 1338 2 children Leonor of Portugal 1347 No children Eleanor of Sicily 4 children	5 January 1387 Barcelona aged 68
John I of Aragon 1387–1396		27 December 1350 Perpignan son of Peter IV of Aragon and Eleanor of Sicily	Martha of Armagnac 1 child Yolande of Bar 3 children	19 May 1396 Foixà aged 46
Martin I of Aragon 1396–1410		1356 Girona son of Peter IV of Aragon and Eleanor of Sicily	Maria de Luna 13 June 1372 4 children Margarita of Aragon-Prades 1409 No children	31 May 1410 Barcelona aged 54

Between 1410 and 1412 there was an interregnum.

Arms of the Aragonese House of Trastamara

House of Trastámara, 1412–1516

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Ferdinand I of Aragon 1412–1416		27 November 1380 Medina del Campo son of John I of Castile and Eleanor of Aragon	Eleanor of Alburquerque 1394 8 children	2 April 1416 Igualada aged 36
Alfonso V of Aragon 1416–1458		1396 Medina del Campo son of Ferdinand I and Eleanor of Alburquerque	Maria of Castile 1415 No children	27 June 1458 Naples aged 52

Kings of Sardinia

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
John II of Aragon 1458–1479		29 June 1397 Medina del Campo son of Ferdinand I and Eleanor of Alburquerque	Blanche I of Navarre 6 November 1419 4 children Juana Enríquez 2 children	20 January 1479 Barcelona aged 81
Ferdinand II of Aragon 1479–1516		10 March 1452 son of John II of Aragon and Juana Enriquez	Isabella I of Castile 19 October 1469 5 children Germaine of Foix 1505 No children	23 January 1516 Madrigalejo aged 63
Joanna of Castile 1516–1555		6 November 1479 daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile	Philip IV of Burgundy 1496 6 children	12 April 1555 Madrigalejo aged 75

House of Habsburg (Spanish branch), 1516–1700

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  Flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia in the middle of the 16th century

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  Coat of Arms of Charles V Emperor

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  Coat of arms of the House of Habsburg - Spanish branch

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Charles I of Spain 1516–1556		24 February 1500 Ghent son of Philip I of Castile and Joanna of Castile	Isabella of Portugal 10 March 1526 3 children	21 September 1558 Yuste aged 58
Philip II of Spain 1556–1598		21 May 1527 Valladolid son of Charles IV and Isabella of Portugal	Maria of Portugal 1543 1 child Mary I of England 1554 No children Elisabeth of Valois 1559 2 children Anna of Austria 4 May 1570 5 children	13 September 1598 Madrid aged 71
Philip III of Spain 1598–1621		14 April 1578 Madrid son of Philip I and Anna of Austria	Margaret of Austria 18 April 1599 5 children	31 March 1621 Madrid aged 42
Philip IV of Spain 1621–1665		8 April 1605 Valladolid son of Philip II and Margaret of Austria	Elisabeth of Bourbon 1615 7 children Mariana of Austria 1649 5 children	17 September 1665 Madrid aged 60
Charles II of Spain 1665–1700		6 November 1661 Madrid son of Philip III and Mariana of Austria	Maria Luisa of Orléans 19 November 1679 No children Maria Anna of Neuburg 14 May 1690 No children	1 November 1700 Madrid aged 38

Coat of arms of Philip V of Spain

House of Bourbon (Spanish branch) 1700–1708

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Philip V of Spain 1700–1708		19 December 1683 Versailles son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Anna of Bavaria	Maria Luisa of Savoy 2 November 1701 4 children Elisabeth of Parma 24 December 1714 7 children	9 July 1746 Madrid aged 62

Sardinia was taken over by the Habsburg troops in 1708 during the War of the Spanish Succession in the name of the Habsburg claimant of the Spanish throne, "Charles III". At the end of the war Sardinia remained in the possession of the same ruler, and by the Treaty of Rastatt it was ceded to him.

Coat of Arms of Archduke Charles of Austria

House of Habsburg (Austrian branch), 1708–1720

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Emperor Charles VI 1708–1720		1 October 1685 Vienna son of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleonore-Magdalena of Pfalz-Neuburg	Elisabeth Christine 1 August 1708 4 children	20 October 1740 Vienna aged 55

Spanish forces invaded the kingdom in 1717 during the War of the Quadruple Alliance. The island was under Spanish military occupation until 1720 when it was given back to Emperor Charles VI who ceded it to the Duke of Savoy by the Treaty of The Hague.

Coats of arms of Savoy House

House of Savoy, 1720–1946

The monarchs of the House of Savoy ruled from their mainland capital of Turin but styled themselves primarily with the royal title of Sardinia as superior to the original lesser title of Duke of Savoy. However, their numeral order continued the Savoyard list.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Victor Amadeus II of Savoy 17 February 1720 – 3 September 1730		14 May 1666 Turin son of Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy and Marie Jeanne of Savoy	Anne Marie d'Orléans, Princess of France 10 April 1684 6 children	31 October 1732 Moncalieri aged 66
Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy 3 September 1730 – 20 February 1773		27 April 1701 Turin son of Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia and Anne Marie d'Orléans, Princess of France	Anne Christine of Sulzbach 1 child Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg 6 children Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine 3 children	20 February 1773 Turin aged 72
Victor Amadeus III of Savoy 20 February 1773 – 16 October 1796		26 June 1726 Turin son of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg	Maria Antonietta of Spain 12 children	16 October 1796 Moncalieri aged 70
Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy 16 October 1796 – 4 June 1802		24 May 1751 Turin son of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and Maria Antonietta of Spain	Marie Clotilde of France 1775 No children	6 October 1819 Rome aged 68
Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy 4 June 1802 – 12 March 1821		24 July 1759 Turin son of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and Maria Antonietta of Spain	Maria Teresa of Austria-Este 21 April 1789 7 children	10 January 1824 Moncalieri aged 65
Charles Felix of Savoy 12 March 1821 – 27 April 1831		6 April 1765 Turin son of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and Maria Antonietta of Spain	Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily 7 March 1807 No children	27 April 1831 Turin aged 66
Charles Albert of Savoy 27 April 1831 – 23 March 1849		2 October 1798 Turin son of Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Carignan and Maria Cristina of Saxony	Maria Theresa of Austria 1817 3 children	28 July 1849 Porto aged 50
Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy 23 March 1849 – 9 January 1878		14 March 1820 Turin son of Charles Albert of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Austria	Adelaide of Austria 1842 8 children Rosa Vercellana 1869 2 children	9 January 1878 Rome aged 57

In 1861, after the annexation of all the others states of the Italian peninsula, the parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia voted a bill (Legge N° 4671 of 17 marzo 1861) to change the name of the state to the Kingdom of Italy. The Kings of Italy retained their old title of King of Sardinia as part of their full title until the dissolution of the monarchy in 1946.

Coats of arms of the Kingdom of Sardinia until 1848

Kings of Italy

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Umberto I of Italy 9 January 1878 – 29 July 1900		14 March 1844 Turin son of Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy and Adelaide of Austria	Margherita of Savoy 1869 1 child	29 July 1900 Monza aged 56
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy 29 July 1900 – 9 May 1946		11 November 1869 Naples son of Umberto I of Italy and Margherita of Savoy	Elena of Montenegro 1896 5 children	28 December 1947 Alexandria aged 78
Umberto II of Italy 9 May 1946 – 12 June 1946		15 September 1904 Racconigi son of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Elena of Montenegro	Marie José of Belgium 1930 4 children	18 March 1983 Geneva aged 78

The Kingdom of Italy was abolished by a constitutional referendum on 2 June 1946 and the Italian Republic was established (the region of Sardinia itself voted for the continuation of the monarchy with 60.9% majority).

Coats of arms of the Kingdom of Italy between 1890–1929 and 1943–1946.

Presidents of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia

Official flag of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (since 1999)

Official coat of arms of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia

Since 1949, Sardinia is an Autonomous Region^[14] as part of the Italian Republic. Its statute^[15] is a constitutional law of the Italian State, and is therefore an integral part of the Constitution of the Italian Republic.

Notes

Kings of Sardinia Victor Amadeus I (1720–1730) Charles Emmanuel I (1730–1773) Victor Amadeus II (1773–1796) Charles Emmanuel II (1796–1802) Victor Emmanuel I (1802–1821) Charles Felix (1821–1831) Charles Albert (1831–1849) Victor Emmanuel II (1849–1861)