List of Sardinian monarchs

Sardinia is traditionally known to have been initially ruled by the Nuragic civilization, which was followed by Greek colonization, conquest by the Carthaginians, and occupied by the Romans for around a thousand years, including the rule of the Vandals in the 5th and 6th centuries CE. Before the foundation of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was ruled by judices, and some rulers obtained the title of King of Sardinia by the Holy Roman Emperor but did not gain effective authority to rule it.

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sardinia from the 14th century

The title of as Rex Sardiniae et Corsicae (King of Sardinia and Corsica) was first established in 1297, when Pope Boniface VIII gave a royal investiture to James II of Aragon. The Crown of Aragon started effectively ruling Sardinia in 1323. Until 1479, when Ferdinand II of Aragon acknowledged Corsica as part of the Republic of Genoa, rulers of Sardinia used the nominal title of Rex Corsicae (King of Corsica). Corsica had been effectively ruled by Genoa since 1284 and the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica had been renamed simply Kingdom of Sardinia in 1460, when it was incorporated into a sort of confederation of states, each with its own institutions, called the Crown of Aragon, and united only in the person of the king.

Monarchs of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica from 1323 and then of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1479 to 1861 included the House of Barcelona (1323–1410) and the House of Trastámara (1412–1516), the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg (1516–1700) and the House of Bourbon (1700–1708), and the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg (1708–1720). In 1720, the Kingdom of Sardinia was ceded to the House of Savoy, which ruled Sardinia–Piedmont until 1861, when it changed its name to the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946). During its existence from 1297 to 1861, 24 sovereigns from seven different dynasties succeeded one another on the throne of the kingdom.

Early history

Owing to the absence of written sources, little is known of the history of the Nuraghic civilization, which constructed impressive megalithic structures between the 18th and the 12th centuries BCE. The first accounts of Sardinia are from Greek sources but relate more to myth than to historical reality. An African or Iberian hero, Norax, named the city of Nora; Sardo, a son of Hercules, gave the island its name; and one of his nephews, Iolaus, founded the city of Olbia.^[1] Greek colonization of the city of Olbia has been confirmed by recent archaeological excavations.^[2] Towards the end of the 6th century BC, Sardinia was conquered by the Carthaginians and in 238 BC it was occupied by the Romans for c. 1,000 years, with a period under the dominion of the Vandals in the 5th and 6th centuries CE.

Early medieval rulers

• Godas 533–535

According to Procopius,^[3] Godas was a Vandal governor of Sardinia who rebelled against his king, Gelimer, who ruled northern Africa, Sardinia and Corsica. Procopius wrote that Godas behaved like a king but that it was a short-lived kingdom.^[4] Godas was defeated and killed after two years by an expedition from Carthage led by King Gelimer's brother, Tzazo. Shortly afterwards, Roman troops sent by Emperor Justinianus and led by General Belisarius, totally annihilated the Vandal kingdom and Sardinia returned to Roman administration.

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  Vandal coin found in Sardinia depicting Godas (REX CVDA).

Judges

Main article: Sardinian medieval kingdoms

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. After the Muslim conquest of Sicily in the 9th century, the Byzantines (who ruled Sardinia) could no longer defend their isolated far western province. In all likelihood a local noble family came to power, still identifying themselves as vassals of the Byzantines but in reality independent since communication with Constantinople was very difficult. Of those rulers, only two names are known: Salusios (Σαλούσιος) and the protospatharios Turcoturios (Tουρκοτούριος),^[7][8][9] who probably reigned some time in the 10th and 11th centuries. They were still closely linked to the Byzantines, both by a pact of ancient vassalage^[10] and culturally, with the use of the Greek language (in a country of the Romance language) and Byzantine art. In the early 11th century, Muslims based in Spain attempted to conquer the island.^[11] The only records of that war are from Pisan and Genoese chronicles.^[12] The Christians won but afterwards the previous Sardinian kingdom had been undermined and was divided into four small judicati: Cagliari (Calari), Arborea (Arbaree), 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

Occasionally, these rulers took the style of king (rex):

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

Nominal kings

Some rulers obtained the title King of Sardinia (Rex Sardiniae) by grant of the Holy Roman Emperor, despite the emperor itself not having any sovereignty over the island, which made this a mere title with no effective authority over Sardinia:^[13]

• Barisone II of Arborea,^[14] who was the crowned King of Sardinia (1164–1165) by Emperor Frederick I but officially renounced his title in a peace treaty with the other judices in 1172.^[15]
• Enzo of Sardinia from the Hohenstaufen (1238–1245), who was the illegitimate son of Emperor Frederick II and was appointed by his father as King of Sardinia (1238–1245). In 1249, he was captured by his enemies and imprisoned in Bologna, where he died 23 years later.
• Philip of Sicily, second son of Charles I of Anjou and his first wife Beatrice, was elected king of Sardinia by the local Guelphs in 1269, but without the pope's consent.^[16] He died childless in 1278.^[17]

Kings of Sardinia and Corsica

In 1297, James II of Aragon received royal investiture from Pope Boniface VIII and obtained the title King of Sardinia and Corsica (Rex Sardiniae et Corsicae); however, the Aragonese did not take possession of the island until 1323, after a victorious military campaign against the Pisans. The Sardinian royal title did not have a specific line of succession and all kings used their own primary title.^{[citation needed]} The kingdom was initially called Regnum Sardiniae et Corsicae (Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica), changed in 1460 to Regnum Sardiniae (Kingdom of Sardinia), in that it was originally meant to also include the neighbouring island of Corsica, which had been effectively ruled by Genoa since 1284 until its status as a Genoese land was eventually acknowledged by Ferdinand II of Aragon, who dropped the last original bit mentioning Corsica in 1479;^[18] since then, the coinage minted since the establishment of the kingdom also bore the reference to Sardinia only.^[19] From 1297 until 1861, there were 24 kings through seven dynasties that ruled Sardinia.^[20]

House of Barcelona (Aragon), 1323–1410

Main articles: Kings of Aragon and Crown of Aragon

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	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 27 August 1349 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 27 March 1373 1 child Yolande of Bar 1380 3 children	19 May 1396 Foixà aged 46
Martin 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 17 September 1409 No children	31 May 1410 Barcelona aged 54

Coat of arms

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  Arms of the House of Barcelona
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  The king of Aragon in Le grand armorial équestre de la Toison d'or

House of Trastámara, 1412–1516

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	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

Coat of arms

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  Arms of the Aragonese House of Trastámara

Kings of Sardinia

House of Trastámara, 1412–1516

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
John II of Aragon 1458–1479		29 June 1398 Medina del Campo son of Ferdinand I and Eleanor of Alburquerque	Blanche I of Navarre 6 November 1419 4 children Juana Enríquez April 1444 2 children	20 January 1479 Barcelona aged 80
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

Nominally co-monarch of her son Charles, Joanna was kept imprisoned almost during her whole reign.

House of Habsburg (Spanish branch), 1516–1700

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Charles I of Spain co-king with his mother Joanna 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

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  Flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia, middle of 16th century
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  Coat of arms of Emperor Charles V
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  Coat of arms of the House of Habsburg, Spanish branch (Sardinian variant)

House of Bourbon (Spanish branch) 1700–1708

See also: Kingdom of Sardinia (1700–1720)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	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 Habsburg troops in 1708 during the War of the Spanish Succession in the name of the Habsburg claimant to the Spanish throne, "Charles III". At the end of the war, Sardinia remained in Charles' possession and, by the Treaty of Rastatt, was ceded to him.

Coat of arms

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  Coat of arms of Philip V of Spain

House of Habsburg (Austrian branch), 1708–1720

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	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 in turn ceded it to the Duke of Savoy by the Treaty of The Hague.

Coat of arms

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  Coat of arms of Archduke Charles of Austria

House of Savoy, 1720–1861

Main article: Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)

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 their original lesser dignity as Dukes of Savoy; however, their numeral order continued the Savoyard list.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	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 15 March 1722 1 child Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg 20 August 1724 6 children Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine 5 March 1737 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 31 May 1750 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 27 August 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 64
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 30 September 1817 3 children	28 July 1849 Porto aged 50
Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy 23 March 1849 – 17 March 1861		14 March 1820 Turin son of Charles Albert of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Austria	Adelaide of Austria 12 April 1842 8 children Rosa Vercellana 18 October 1869 2 children	9 January 1878 Rome aged 57

In 1861, after the annexation of other states in the Italian peninsula, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia passed a law (Legge n. 4671, 17 marzo 1861) adding to the style of the sovereign the title of King of Italy, although the monarchs retained the designation of King of Sardinia. The Savoy-led Kingdom of Sardinia was thus the legal predecessor state of the Kingdom of Italy, which in turn is the predecessor of the present-day Italian Republic.^[21][22]

Coat of arms

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  Coats of arms of the House of Savoy
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  Coats of arms of the Kingdom of Sardinia until 1848

Kings of Italy

Main article: King of Italy

House of Savoy, 1861–1946

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy 17 March 1861 – 9 January 1878		14 March 1820 Turin son of Charles Albert of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Austria	Adelaide of Austria 12 April 1842 8 children Rosa Vercellana 18 October 1869 2 children	9 January 1878 Rome aged 57
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 21 April 1868 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 24 October 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 8 January 1930 4 children	18 March 1983 Geneva aged 78

The Kingdom of Italy was disestablished by the 1946 Italian institutional referendum, which was held on 2 June 1946, and the Italian Republic was proclaimed.

Coat of arms

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  Coats of arms of the Kingdom of Italy (1890–1929 and 1943–1946)

See also

• List of consorts of the Savoyard monarchs
• List of viceroys of Sardinia