Vittorio
Amedeo II
King of Sardinia
(1666-1732)
Other names: Vittorio Amedeo Francesco[1]
Other Titles and Honours
King of Sicily, 1713-20 (exchanged for Sardinia)[1]
Titular King of Cyprus, 1675-1732†[2]
Titular King of Jerusalem, 1675-1732†[2]
Titular King of Armenia, 1675-1732†[2]
15th Duca di Savoia, 1675-1732[3]
Biographical
Victor spent his youth under the regency of his mother, the Madama Reale,
an able but ambitious and overbearing woman. He assumed the reins of
government at the age of sixteen, and married Princess Anne d'Orléans,
the niece of Louis XI of France, the king who was determined to dominate
the young duke of Savoy. In 1685, Victor was forced by Louis to
persecute his Waldensian subjects, because they had given shelter to the
French Huguenot refugees after the revocation of the edict of Nantes.
With the unwelcome help of a French army under Marshal Catinat, he
invaded the Waldensian valleys, and after a difficult campaign,
characterised by great cruelty, he subjugated them. Nevertheless, he
became more anxious than ever to emancipate himself from French
thraldom, and his first sign of independence was his visit to Venice in
1687, where he conferred on political affairs with Prince Eugene of
Savoy and other personages, without consulting Louis.[4]
About this time the duke plunged into a whirl of dissipation, and chose
the beautiful but unscrupulous Contessa di Verrua as his mistress,
neglecting his faithful and devoted wife. Louis having discovered
Victor's intrigues with the emperor, tried to precipitate hostilities by
demanding his participation in a second expedition against the
Waldensians. The duke unwillingly complied, but when the French entered
Piedmont and demanded the cession of the fortresses of Turin and Verrua,
he refused, and while still professing to negotiate with Louis, joined
the league of Austria, Spain and Venice. War was declared in 1690, but
at the battle of Staffarda in 1691, Victor, in spite of his great
courage and skill, was defeated by the French under Catinat. Other
reverses followed, but the attack on Cuneo was heroically repulsed by
the citizens. The war dragged on with varying success, until the severe
defeat of the allies at Marsiglia and their selfish neglect of Victor's
interests induced him to open negotiations w/ith France once more. Louis
agreed to restore most of the fortresses he had captured and to make
other concessions. A treaty was signed in 1696, and Victor was appointed
generalissimo of the Franco-Piedmontese forces in Italy operating
against the imperialists. By the treaty of Ryswick of 1697, a general
peace was concluded.[4]
On the outbreak of the war of the Spanish Succession in 1700, the duke
was again on the French side, but the insolence of Louis and of Philip V
of Spain towards him induced him, at the end of the two years for which
he had bound himself to them, to go over to the imperialists in 1704. At
first the French were successful and captured several Piedmontese
fortresses, but after besieging Turin, which was skilfully defended by
the duke, for several months, they were completely defeated by Victor
and Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1706, and eventually driven out of the
other towns they had captured.[4]
By the peace of Utrecht of 1713, the Powers conferred the kingdom of
Sicily on Victor Amedeus, whose government proved efficient and at first
popular. But after a brief stay in the island, he returned to Piedmont
and left his new possessions to a viceroy, which caused much discontent
among the Sicilians. When the Quadruple Alliance decreed in 1718 that
Sicily should be restored to Spain, Victor was unable to offer any
opposition, and had to content himself with receiving Sardinia in
exchange.[4]
The last years of Victor Amedeus' life were saddened by domestic
troubles. In 1715 his eldest son died, and in 1728 he lost his queen.
After her death, much against the advice of his remaining son and heir,
Charles Emmanuel, he married the Contessa di San Sebastiano, whom he
created Marchesa di Spigno, abdicated the crown and retired to Chambéry
to end his days in 1730. But his second wife, an ambitious schemer, soon
tired of her quiet life, and induced him to return to Turin and attempt
to revoke his abdication. This led to a quarrel with his son, who, with
quite unnecessary harshness, partly due to his minister the Marquis d'Ormea, arrested his father and confined him at Rivoli and later at
Moncalieri, and there, Victor, overwhelmed with sorrow, died in 1732.[4]
Victor Amedeus, although accused not without reason of bad faith in his
diplomatic dealings and of cruelty, was undoubtedly a great soldier and
a still greater administrator. He not only won for his country a high
place in the council of nations, but he doubled its revenues and
increased its prosperity and industries, and he also emphasised its
character as an Italian state. His infidelity to his wife and his
harshness towards his son Carlino are blemishes on a splendid career,
but he more than expiated these faults by his tragic end.[4]
Place of birth: Turin[1]
Place of first marriage: Chambéry[1]
Place of second marriage: Turin[1]
Place of death: Montcalieri[1]
Place of burial: Superga[1]
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Sources
1. H. Montgomery-Massingberd, ed. Burke's Royal Families of the World. Volume I: Europe & Latin America. London: Burke’s Peerage Ltd., 1977.
2. K.M. Setton, ed. A History of the Crusades, vol. 2. Wisconsin: Princeton University of Wisconsin Press, 1969.
3. G. Oliva. I Savoia. Novecento anni di una dinastia. Milan: Mondadori Editore S.p.A., 1998.
4. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information, 11th edn, vol. 28. New York: Encyclopaedia Britannica Co., 1911.
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