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King of Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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. Until 1870, however, no “King of Italy” ruled the whole peninsula, 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 483, Ostrogothic leader Theodoric the Great defeated Odoacer, and set up a new dynasty of kings of Italy. Ostrogothic rule ended with the death of Teias (552), when Italy was reconquered by the Byzantine Empire.
This state of affairs did not last long. In 568, the Lombards entered the peninsula under Alboin, who ventured to recreate a barbarian kingdom in opposition to the Byzantines. For the next two centuries, the Lombards and Greeks fought for dominance in the peninsula, with the Lombards establishing their authority over the whole of the region (especially Lombardy) except the duchies of Venetia, Rome, and Naples and the tips of the “heel” and “toe”.
In 774, the Lombards were defeated by the Franks under Charlemagne and their king, Desiderius, deposed. Charlemagne took up the Lombard title, rex Langobardorum, meaning “king of the Lombards,” which was used interchangeably with rex Italiae. The old kingdom of Italy survived within the Frankish Empire as a separate entity until 962, when the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I himself took the title. 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.
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 Italian royal 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 The monarchy was superseded by the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana) after a referendum was held in 1946.
- Theodoric the Great (493–526)
- Athalaric (526–534)
- Theodahad (534–536)
- Witiges (536–540)
- Ildibad (540–541)
- Eraric (541)
- Totila (541–552)
- Teia (552–553)
- Rule of the Dukes (ten year interregnum)
- Authari (584–590)
- Agilulf (591–c.616)
- Adaloald (c.616–c.626)
- Arioald (c.626–636)
- Rothari (636–652)
- Rodoald (652–653)
- Aripert I (653–661)
- Perctarit and Godepert (661–662)
- Grimoald (662–671)
- Perctarit (671–688), restored from exile
- Alahis (688–689), rebel
- Cunincpert (688–700)
- Liutpert (700–701)
- Raginpert (701)
- Aripert II (701–712)
- Ansprand (712)
- Liutprand (712–744)
- Hildeprand (744)
- Ratchis (744–749)
- Aistulf (749–756)
- Desiderius (756–774)
- Charles I the Great (774–814 (as King of the Lombards)
- Pippin (781–810)
- Bernard (810–818)
- Lothair I (818–855)
- Louis II (844–875)
- Charles II the Bald (875–877)
- Carloman (877–879)
- Charles III the Fat (879–887)
- Berengar I (888–924)
Between 888 and 933, there were usually several claimants to the throne of Italy, and on occasion even several living crowned emperors. In 955, the kingdom of Italy was subjected to Otto I.
The numerals of the Holy Roman Emperors are used here.
- Otto I (962–973)
- Otto II (962–983)
- Otto III (983–1002)
- Arduin (1002–1014)
- Henry II (1004–1024)
- Conrad II (1026–1039)
- Henry III (1039–1056)
- Henry IV (1080–1093)
- Conrad (1093–1098)
- Henry V (1099–1125)
- Lothair III (1128–1137)
- Frederick I (1154–1190)
- Henry VI (1191–1197)
- Otto IV (1208–1212)
- Frederick II (1212–1250)
- Henry VII (1308–1313)
- Louis IV (1327–1347)
- Charles IV (1355–1378)
- Wenceslaus (1378–1410)
- Sigismund (1410–1437)
- Albert II (1437–1439)
- Frederick III (1452–1493)
- Maximilian I (1508–1519)
- Charles V (1530–1556 ) (did not formally abdicate until 1558)
- Ferdinand I (1556–1564)
- Maximilian II (1564–1576)
- Rudolf II (1576–1608)
- Matthias (1612–1619)
- Ferdinand II (1619–1637)
- Ferdinand III (1637–1657)
- Leopold I (1658–1705)
- Joseph I (1705–1711)
- Charles VI (1711–1740)
- Charles VII (1742–1745)
- Francis I (1745–1765)
- Joseph II (1765–1790)
- Leopold II (1790–1792)
- Francis II (1792–1806) Last Holy Roman Emperor. Abdicated and the Empire was disbanded.
| Name | Born-Died | King from | King until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vittorio Emmanuel II | 1820–1878 | 17 March 1861 | 9 January 1878 |
| Umberto I | 1844–1900 | 9 January 1878 | 29 July 1900 (assassinated) |
| Vittorio Emmanuel III | 1869–1947 | 29 July 1900 | 9 May 1946 (abdicated) |
| Umberto II | 1904–1983 | 9 May 1946 | 12 June 1946 (removed per 1946 referendum) |