| Victor Amadeus I | |
|---|---|
 Anonymous portrait, 17th century | |
| Duke of Savoy | |
| Reign | 26 July 1630 – 7 October 1637 |
| Predecessor | Charles Emmanuel I |
| Successor | Francis Hyacinth |
| Born | (1587-05-08)8 May 1587 Turin,Piedmont,Savoy |
| Died | 7 October 1637(1637-10-07) (aged 50) Vercelli, Piedmont, Savoy |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| House | Savoy |
| Father | Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy |
| Mother | Catherine Micaela of Spain |
| Religion | Catholic Church |
Victor Amadeus I (Italian:Vittorio Amedeo I di Savoia; 8 May 1587 – 7 October 1637) was theDuke of Savoy and ruler of theSavoyard states from 26 July 1630 until his death in 1637. He was also known as theLion of Susa.[1]
He was succeeded by two of his sons;Francis Hyacinth andCharles Emmanuel II. His male-only line became extinct in 1831 with the death ofCharles Felix. Therefore, the Kings of Italy are descended from his younger brother,Thomas Francis.
Victor Amadeus was born inTurin,Piedmont, as the second son and child ofCharles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy andCatherine Micaela of Spain, daughter of KingPhilip II of Spain. He spent much of his childhood inMadrid at the court of his grandfather Philip II. He stayed there until the king's death in 1598, when Victor Amadeus was eleven. As the second son of the Duke, he was not expected to become Duke of Savoy. That changed when his brother, Filippo Emanuele, died in 1605, thus he became heir-apparent to theDuchy of Savoy and received the homage of the court atRacconigi on 21 January 1607.[citation needed]
Victor Amadeus became Duke of Savoy after his father's death in 1630. Charles Emmanuel's policies had brought great instability in the relationships with bothFrance and Spain, and troops were needed to defend the Duchy. As money was lacking to recruit mercenaries or train indigenous soldiers, Victor Amadeus signed a peace treaty with Spain.
With theTreaty of Cherasco, Savoy was forced to givePinerolo to France. This gave France a strategic route into the heart of Savoy territory and on into the rest of Italy. The rulers of Savoy from that point resented this loss and worked for decades with the goal of regaining that loss.[2] Subsequently, under the direction ofCardinal Richelieu, Victor Amadeus attempted to create an anti-Spanish league inItaly. He achieved two victories against the Spanish: In 1636 in theBattle of Tornavento and on 8 September 1637 in the Battle of Mombaldone.[citation needed]
On 25 September 1637, Victor Amadeus fell ill after a dinner offered by theDuke of Créqui. A prominent Savoyard noble (Count Augusto Manfredo Scaglia di Verrua) who attended the dinner also died in the same week, arousing suspicions of poisoning and generating uncertainty in Savoyard-French relations.[3] The duke was carried toVercelli, where he died on 7 October, aged 50.[citation needed] He was first succeeded by his elder son,Francis Hyacinth. However, Francis died the following year, and his younger son, Charles Emmanuel, becameCharles Emmanuel II of Savoy.
In 1619, he marriedChristine Marie of France (1606–1663), a daughter ofHenry IV of France andMarie de' Medici. Following his death, she served as regent of the Duchy from 1637 to 1663. They had children including:
| Ancestors of Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy |
|---|
Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy Born: 8 May 1587 Died: 7 October 1637 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke of Savoy 1630–1637 | Succeeded by |
|  | |
