King of Italy facts for kids

Iron Crown of Lombardy

King of Italy (Latin: Rex Italiae; Italian: Re d'Italia) was the title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a "barbarian" military leader, in the late 5th century, followed by the Ostrogothic kings up to the mid-6th century. With the Frankish conquest of Italy in the 8th century, the Carolingians assumed the title, which was maintained by subsequent Holy Roman Emperors throughout the Middle Ages. The last Emperor to claim the title was Charles V in the 16th century. During this period, the holders of the title were crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy.

Although Napoleon used the title from 1805 to 1814, it was not until the Unification of Italy in the 1860s that a Kingdom of Italy was restored. From 1861 the House of Savoy held the title as monarchs of the entire peninsula until the last King of Italy, Umberto II, exiled in 1946 when Italy became a republic.

History

After the deposition of the last Western Emperor in 476, Heruli leader Odoacer was appointed Dux Italiae ("Duke of Italy") by the reigning Byzantine Emperor Zeno. Later, the Germanic foederati, the Scirians and the Heruli, as well as a large segment of the Italic Roman army, proclaimed Odoacer Rex Italiae ("King of Italy"). In 493, the Ostrogothic king Theoderic the Great killed Odoacer, and set up a new dynasty of kings of Italy. Ostrogothic rule ended when Italy was reconquered by the Byzantine Empire in 552.

In 568, the Lombards entered the peninsula and ventured to recreate a barbarian kingdom in opposition to the Empire, establishing their authority over much of Italy, except the Exarchate of Ravenna and the duchies of Rome, Venetia, Naples and the southernmost portions. In the 8th century, estrangement between the Italians and the Byzantines allowed the Lombards to capture the remaining Roman enclaves in northern Italy. However, in 774, they were defeated by the Franks under Charlemagne, who deposed their king and took up the title "king of the Lombards". After the death of Charles the Fat in 887, Italy fell into instability and a number of kings attempted to establish themselves as independent Italian monarchs. During this period, known as the Feudal Anarchy (888-962), the title Rex Italicorum ("King of the Italians" or "King of the Italics") was introduced. After the breakup of the Frankish empire, Otto I added Italy to the Holy Roman Empire and continued the use of the title Rex Italicorum. The last to use this title was Henry II (1004-1024). Subsequent emperors used the title "King of Italy" until Charles V. At first they were crowned in Pavia, later Milan, and Charles was crowned in Bologna.

In 1805, Napoleon I was crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy at the Milan Cathedral. The next year, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II abdicated his imperial title. From the deposition of Napoleon I (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 to form the modern Kingdom of Italy. The monarchy was superseded by the Italian Republic, after a constitutional referendum was held on 2 June 1946 after the World War II. The Italian monarchy formally ended on 12 June of that year, and Umberto II left the country.

List of kings

Rex Italiae

• Odoacer (476–493)

Ostrogothic Kingdom (493–553)

• Theoderic the Great (493–526)
• Athalaric (526–534)
• Theodahad (534–536)
• Witiges (536–540)
• Ildibad (540–541)
• Eraric (541)
• Totila (541–552)
• Teia (552–553)

Kingdom of the Lombards (568–814)

• Alboin (568–572)
• Cleph (572–574)
• 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)
• Charlemagne (774–814)

Kingdom of Italy (781–963)

Carolingian Dynasty (781–888)

• Pippin (781–810)
• Bernard (810–818)
• Louis I (818–822)
• Lothair I (822–855)
• Louis II (844–875)
• Charles II the Bald (875–877)
• Carloman (877–879)
• Charles the Fat (879–887)

Instability (888–962)

After 887, Italy fell into instability, with many rulers claiming the kingship simultaneously:

• Berengar I (888–896)

vassal of the German King Arnulf of Carinthia, reduced to Friuli 889-894, deposed by Arnulf in 896.

• Guy of Spoleto (889–894)

opponent of Berengar, ruled most of Italy but was deposed by Arnulf.

• Lambert of Spoleto (891–896)

subking of his father Guy before 894, reduced to Spoleto 894–895.

• Arnulf of Carinthia (894–899)
  • Ratold (sub-king 896)

In 896, Arnulf and Ratold lost control of Italy, which was divided between Berengar and Lambert:

• Berengar I (896–924)

seized Lambert's portion upon the latter's death in 898.

• Lambert of Italy (896–898)
• Louis III of Provence (900-905)

opposed Berengar 900-902 and 905.

• Rudolph II of Burgundy (922–933)

defeated Berengar but fled Italy in 926.

• Hugh of Arles (926–947)

elected by Berengar's partisans in 925, resigned to Provence after 945.

• Lothair II (945–950)
• Berengar II of Ivrea (950–961)

jointly with his son:

• Adalbert of Italy (950–963)

In 951 Otto I of Germany invaded Italy and was crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy. In 952, Berengar and Adalbert became his vassals but remained Kings until being deposed by Otto.

Holy Roman Emperors also crowned kings of Italy (962–1556)

Ottonian dynasty (962–1024)

Image	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
	Otto I	23 November 912 - 7 May 973	962	7 May 973
	Otto II	955 - 7 December 983	c. October 980	7 December 983
	Otto III	980 - 23 January 1002	c. February 996	23 January 1002
	Arduin I of Ivrea	955 - 1015	1002	1014
	Henry II	6 May 973 - 13 July 1024	1004	13 July 1024

Salian dynasty (1027–1125)

Image	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
	Conrad II	990 - 4 June 1039	1026	4 June 1039
	Henry III	29 October 1017 - 5 October 1056	1039	5 October 1056
	Henry IV	11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106	1056	December 1105
	Conrad II of Italy	1074 - 1101	1093	1101
	Henry V	8 November 1086 - 23 May 1125	1106	23 May 1125

Süpplingenburg dynasty (1125–1137)

Image	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
	Lothair III (or II)	9 June 1075 - 4 December 1137	1125	4 December 1137

Hauteville dynasty (1130–1154)

Roger II used the title King of Sicily and Italy until at least 1135; later he used only the title King of Sicily, Apulia and Calabria. Although his realm included the southern Italian mainland, he never exerted any control over the official Kingdom of Italy, and none of his successors claimed the title King of Italy.

Image	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
	Roger II	22 December 1095 - 26 February 1154	25 December 1130	26 February 1154

House of Hohenstaufen (1128–1197)

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Conrad III	1093 - 15 February 1152	1138 (Also crowned in 1128 in opposition to Lothair)	1152
		Frederick I	1122 - 10 June 1190	1154	1186
		Henry VI	November 1165 - 28 September 1197	1186	28 September 1197

House of Welf (1208–1212)

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Otto IV	1175 or 1176 - 19 May 1218	1209	1212

House of Hohenstaufen (1212–1254)

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Frederick II (Friedrich II)	26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250	5 December 1212	13 December 1250
		Henry (Heinrich (VII))	1211 – 12 February 1242	23 April 1220	12 February 1242
		Conrad IV (Konrad IV)	25 April 1228 – 21 May 1254	May 1237	21 May 1254

House of Luxembourg (1311–1313)

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Henry VII	1275 - 24 August 1313	6 January 1311	24 August 1313

House of Wittelsbach (1327–1347)

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Louis IV	1 April 1282 - 11 October 1347	1327	11 October 1347

House of Luxembourg (1355–1437)

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Charles IV	14 May 1316 - 29 November 1378	1355	29 November 1378
		Sigismund	14 February 1368 - 9 December 1437	1431	9 December 1437

House of Habsburg (1437–1556)

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Frederick III	21 September 1415 - 19 August 1493	16 March 1452	19 August 1493
		Charles V	24 February 1500 - 21 September 1558	24 February 1530	16 January 1556

Charles V was the last emperor to be crowned king of Italy, or to use the title. The Peace of Westphalia, in 1648, formally ended with the rule of the Holy Roman Emperors in Italy. However, the empire continued to claim territory in northern Italy until its dissolution in 1806.

Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy (1805–1814), House of Bonaparte

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Coronation	Ceased to be King
		Napoleon I	15 August 1769 - 5 May 1821	17 March 1805	11 April 1814

Full title

This title is present on an Italian law by Napoleon I:

[Name], by the Grace of God and the Constitutions, Emperor of the French and King of Italy.

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946), House of Savoy

Image	Coat of Arms	Name	Life	Became King	Ceased to be King
		Victor Emmanuel II	14 March 1820 - 9 January 1878	17 March 1861	9 January 1878
		Umberto I	14 March 1844 - 29 July 1900	9 January 1878	29 July 1900
		Victor Emmanuel III	11 November 1869 - 28 December 1947	29 July 1900	9 May 1946
		Umberto II	15 September 1904 - 18 March 1983	9 May 1946	12 June 1946

Full title

Up until the dissolution of the monarchy in 1946, full title of the Kings of Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) was:

[Name], by the Grace of God and the will of the Nation, King of Italy, King of Sardinia, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Armenia, Duke of Savoy, count of Maurienne, Marquis (of the Holy Roman Empire) in Italy; Prince of Piedmont, Carignano, Oneglia, Poirino, Trino; Prince and Perpetual Vicar of the Holy Roman Empire; Prince of Carmagnola, Montmellian with Arbin and Francin, Prince bailiff of the Duchy of Aosta, Prince of Chieri, Dronero, Crescentino, Riva di Chieri and Banna, Busca, Bene, Bra, Duke of Genoa, Monferrat, Aosta, Duke of Chablais, Genevois, Duke of Piacenza, Marquis of Saluzzo (Saluces), Ivrea, Susa, of Maro, Oristano, Cesana, Savona, Tarantasia, Borgomanero and Cureggio, Caselle, Rivoli, Pianezza, Govone, Salussola, Racconigi over Tegerone, Migliabruna and Motturone, Cavallermaggiore, Marene, Modane and Lanslebourg, Livorno Ferraris, Santhià, Agliè, Centallo and Demonte, Desana, Ghemme, Vigone, Count of Barge, Villafranca, Ginevra, Nizza, Tenda, Romont, Asti, Alessandria, of Goceano, Novara, Tortona, Bobbio, Soissons, Sant'Antioco, Pollenzo, Roccabruna, Tricerro, Bairo, Ozegna, delle Apertole, Baron of Vaud and of Faucigni, Lord of Vercelli, Pinerolo, of Lomellina, of Valle Sesia, of the Marquisate of Ceva, Overlord of Monaco, Roccabruna and eleven-twelfths of Menton, Noble Patrician of Venice, Patrician of Ferrara.

Images for kids

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  Iron Crown of Lombardy

See also

In Spanish: Rey de Italia para niños