Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (1588–1624)

For other uses, see Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (disambiguation).

Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (16 April 1588 – 4 August 1624) was the third son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and was Viceroy of Sicily between 1622 and 1624.

Emmanuel Philibert, painted by Anthony van Dyck

Biography

Born in Turin, Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy was the third son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain.^[1] As the grandson of Philip II of Spain through his mother, he carried Habsburg lineage on his maternal side and adopted the formal designation "of Austria." His roles as Grand Prior of Castile in the Order of Saint John, Admiral of the Mediterranean fleet, and Viceroy of Sicily positioned him at the heart of the Spanish monarchy’s religious and military power.^[2]

He was destined for a career in the Church and entered at the age of 12 in the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, but later he pursued a military career. In 1603 he and his elder brothers, Philip Emmanuel and Victor Amadeus, traveled to Madrid, to complete their education. In that same year, Tomás Fernández de Medrano took care of their affairs from that date forward as their Secretary of State and War, including management of the Grand Prior of Castile.^[3] After the death of Philip Emmanuel, they returned to Savoy in 1606, where the second brother Victor Amadeus became hereditary prince.

In 1610, Emmanuel Philibert returned to Madrid, and entered in the service of King Philip III of Spain, who made him Grand Admiral of Spain. Under the next King Philip IV of Spain, Emmanuel Philibert was appointed in 1622 viceroy of Sicily. His reign came to an end when he died at the age of 36 in the Plague epidemic of 1624.

He was buried in the crypt of the lower church of the palatine chapel of the Norman Palace in Palermo. At his death in 1624, Philip IV ordered that Emmanuel Philibert be buried in the royal pantheon of El Escorial with the ceremonial rites of an infante, affirming his dynastic incorporation. Although some later accounts suggest his burial took place in Palermo, the royal order and honors he received clearly reflect the legitimacy granted to him by the Spanish Crown.^[2]

Anthony van Dyck made a painting of him in 1623, after being invited by the Viceroy to Palermo. The painting is now conserved in the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.^[1]