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| Emmanuel Philibert | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byGiacomo Vighi, 1568–1573 (17th-century copy) | |
| Duke of Savoy | |
| Reign | 17 August 1553 –30 August 1580 |
| Predecessor | Charles III |
| Successor | Charles Emmanuel I |
| Born | (1528-07-08)8 July 1528 Chambéry,Savoy |
| Died | 30 August 1580(1580-08-30) (aged 52) Turin, Savoy |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy |
| House | Savoy |
| Father | Charles III of Savoy |
| Mother | Beatrice of Portugal |
| Religion | Catholic Church |
| Signature | .PNG) |
Emmanuel Philibert (Italian:Emanuele Filiberto;Piedmontese:Emanuel Filibert; 8 July 1528 – 30 August 1580), known asTesta di ferro (Piedmontese:Testa 'd fer; "Ironhead", because of his military career), wasDuke of Savoy and ruler of theSavoyard states from 17 August 1553 until his death in 1580. He is notably remembered for restoring the Savoyard state, which had been occupied by France since his youth, following his triumph at theBattle of St. Quentin in 1557, and for transferring the capital toTurin.
Born inChambéry, Emmanuel Philibert was the only child ofCharles III, Duke of Savoy, andBeatrice of Portugal to reach adulthood. His mother was sister-in-law toCharles V,Holy Roman Emperor, and the future duke served in Charles's army during the war againstFrancis I of France, distinguishing himself by capturingHesdin in July 1553.
A month later, his father died, and he became Duke of Savoy on the death of his father, but this was a nearly empty honour, as the vast majority of his hereditary lands had been occupied and administered by the French since 1536. Instead, he continued to serve theHabsburgs in hopes of recovering his lands, and served his cousinPhilip II of Spain asGovernor of the Netherlands from 1555 to 1559.[1]
In this capacity, he personally led theSpanish invasion of northern France and won a brilliant victory atSaint-Quentin on 10 August 1557.[2] He was also a suitor toLady Elizabeth Tudor (the future queen Elizabeth I), daughter ofHenry VIII of England. Emmanuel Philibert finally recovered his lands following thePeace of Cateau Cambrésis signed between France and Spain in 1559, and he married his first cousin once removed,Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry, the sister of KingHenry II of France.[3] Their only child wasCharles Emmanuel I of Savoy.[4]
After the death of his uncle,Henry I of Portugal, on 31 January 1580, Emmanuel Philibert fought to impose his rights as aclaimant to the Portuguese throne. However, he soon realized that he had quite a fragile position due to the claims of Philip II, who gained control of the country, thusuniting Spain and Portugal.
Emmanuel Philibert spent his rule regaining what had been lost in the costly wars with France. A skilled political strategist, he took advantage of various squabbles in Europe to slowly regain territory from both the French and the Spanish, including the city ofTurin. He also purchased two territories. Internally, he moved his political capital fromChambéry to Turin and replacedLatin as the official language withFrench in theDuchy of Savoy and theDuchy of Aosta and withItalian in thePrincipality of Piedmont and theCounty of Nice. He was attempting to acquire the marquisate ofSaluzzo when he died in Turin.[5] Later, he was buried in theChapel of the Holy Shroud of theTurin Cathedral, to which he had moved theSindone in 1578.
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| Ancestors of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy |
|---|
Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy Born: 8 July 1528 Died: 30 August 1580 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke of Savoy 1553–1580 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of the Netherlands 1555–1559 | Succeeded by |
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