by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

The modern Kingdom of Italy was established in 1861 when the kingdoms of Sardinia and The Two Sicilies (itself made up of the former kingdoms of Sicily and Naples) were united into one new kingdom. Ruled by the House of Savoy, the Kingdom of Italy ceased to exist in 1946 when the country abolished the monarchy and became a Republic. When it came to burial sites, there were several traditional locations, as well as a new site decided upon by the second king, Umberto I.

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Hautecombe Abbey was the traditional burial site of the House of Savoy from the late 1100s until the early 1500s. Located on the shores of Lake Bourget in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille, France, Hautecombe began as a religious community in about 1101, and in 1125 moved to its current location, on land it was gifted by Amedeo III, Count of Savoy. The area, later part of the Duchy of Savoy, was annexed by France in 1792 and returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815. It returned to France in 1860, in part of the agreement which led to the establishment of the modern Kingdom of Italy.

Hautecombe Abbey once again became a Royal burial site in 1983 when the last King of Italy, Umberto II, was interred there. His wife, Queen Marie José, was also buried there in 2001.

The Basilica of Superga, built on a hill in Turin, was another traditional burial site for the House of Savoy. The Basilica was built in the early 1700s, with the crypt inaugurated in 1778 by King Vittorio Amedeo III of Sardinia, who had the remains of several members of the House of Savoy moved there.

The crypt is divided into five rooms, including the Hall of Kings, the Queens Hall, and the Hall of Infants. Traditionally, at the death of the sovereign, his remains were placed in the center of the Hall of Kings. Upon the next death of a sovereign, the previous King’s remains were then moved to one of the niches surrounding the room. The last Sovereign buried there was King Carlo Alberto of Sardinia, whose tomb remains in the center of the Hall. None of the Kings of Italy are buried here, but it is the burial site of the wife and children of King Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of Italy.

The first two Kings of Italy chose The Pantheon, in Rome, as their burial site. Originally a Roman temple built in the 2nd century, The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings in Europe and has been in continual use as a church since at least the 7th century. Upon the death of King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1878, it was decided that The Pantheon should be the burial site for the Italian kings. Vittorio Emanuele II, his son, Umberto I, and Umberto’s wife Margherita, are all buried there.

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The Italian Monarchs

• Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy – reigned March 17, 1861 – January 9, 1878
• Umberto I of Italy – reigned January 9, 1878 – July 29, 1900
• Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy – reigned July 29, 1900 – May 9, 1946
• Umberto II of Italy – reigned May 9, 1946 – June 12, 1946

Unofficial Royalty: Italian Index

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King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy
reigned March 17, 1861 – January 8, 1878

• Unofficial Royalty: King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy

King Vittorio Emanuele II was the first King of Italy, reigning from 1861 until 1878. He was born on March 14, 1820, at the Palazzo Carignano in Turin, the eldest son of Carlo Alberto, Prince of Carignano, and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. In 1831, his father became King Carlo Alberto I of Sardinia, having succeeded a distant cousin. On April 12, 1842, he married Archduchess Adelheid of Austria, and the couple had eight children: Maria Clotilde (1843); King Umberto I (1844); Amedeo (1845); Oddone (1846); Maria Pia (1847); Carlo Alberto (1851); Vittorio Emanuele (1852); and another Vittorio Emanuele (1855). He became King of Sardinia upon his father’s death in 1849. After his wife’s death in 1855, Vittorio Emanuele married a second time – morganatically – to his longtime mistress, Rosa Vercellana, with whom he already had two children: Vittoria (1848) and Emanuele (1851). On March 17, 1861, Vittorio Emanuele proclaimed himself King of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy. After a reign of nearly 17 years, he died at the Quirinal Palace in Rome and is buried at The Pantheon.

Archduchess Adelheid of Austria,
Queen of Sardinia
wife of Vittorio Emanuele II

• Unofficial Royalty: Archduchess Adelheid of Austria, Queen of Sardinia

Adelheid of Austria was born at the Royal Palace of Milan on June 3, 1822, to Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria and Princess Elisabeth of Savoy. She married the future King Vittorio Emanuele II on April 12, 1842, and had eight children. In 1849 she became Queen of Sardinia when her husband succeeded to the throne. Sadly, shortly after giving birth to her youngest child, Adelheid died on January 28, 1855, at the Royal Palace of Turin. She is buried in the royal crypt at the Basilica of Superga.

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Children of King Vittorio Emanuele II and Queen Adelheid

Princess Marie Clotilde of Savoy, Princess Napoléon
(March 2, 1843 – June 25, 1911)

• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie Clotilde of Savoy, Princess Napoléon

Marie Clotilde was born at the Royal Palace of Turin on March 2, 1843, the eldest child of Vittorio Emanuele II and Adelheid of Austria. At just 17 years old, she married Napoléon Joseph Bonaparte and had three children: Napoléon Victor (1862); Louis (1864); and Maria Letizia (1866). After her father’s death, she separated from her husband and spent her remaining years at Moncalieri Castle, just outside of Turin. She died there on June 25, 1911, and is buried in the royal crypt at the Basilica of Superga.

Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta, King of Spain
(May 30, 1845 – January 18, 1890)

• Unofficial Royalty: King Amedeo I of Spain

Amedeo was the second son of Vittorio Emanuele II and Adelheid of Austria, born at the Royal Palace of Turin on May 30, 1845. On his 22nd birthday – May 30, 1867 – he married Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, a member of the Piedmontese nobility. They had three children: Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta (1869); Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin (1870); and Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi (1873). On November 16, 1870, Amedeo was elected as King of Spain. He abdicated the Spanish throne on February 11, 1873, and returned to Italy. After his wife’s death, Amedeo married his niece, Princess Maria Letizia Bonaparte, at the Royal Palace of Turin on September 11, 1888. They had one son: Umberto, Count of Salemi (1889). Amedeo died less than two years later, on January 18, 1890, at the Royal Palace of Turin. He is buried in the royal crypt at the Basilica of Superga.

Prince Oddone of Savoy, Duke of Montferrat
(July 11, 1846 – January 22, 1866)

• Wikipedia: Prince Oddone, Duke of Montferrat

Prince Oddone, born at the Royal Palace of Turin on July 11, 1846, was the third son of Vittorio Emanuele II and Adelheid of Austria. Disabled, he spent much of his life at the Royal Palace in Genoa, where the mild climate was beneficial to his health. Remarkably intelligent, he became an avid promoter of the arts and had a great passion for archeology, natural history, and literature, amassing large collections of items of each. At just nineteen years of age, Oddone died on January 22, 1,866 at the Royal Palace of Genoa. He is buried in the royal crypt at the Basilica of Superga.

Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, Queen of Portugal
(October 16, 1847 – July 5, 1911)

• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

Maria Pia was born at the Royal Palace of Turin on October 16, 1847, the second daughter and fifth child of Vittorio Emanuele II and Adelheid of Austria. On October 6, 1862, she married King Luís I of Portugal. They had two sons: King Carlos I (1863) and Infante Afonso, Prince Royal (1865). She was a much-loved Queen by the Portuguese people. After the assassination of her son and grandson in 1908, and the abolishment of the Portuguese monarchy in 1910, Maria Pia fell into a deep depression. She returned to Italy in 1910 and died on July 5, 1911, at Stupinigi Palace. She is buried in the royal crypt at the Basilica of Superga.

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King Umberto I of Italy
reigned January 8, 1878 – July 29, 1900

• Unofficial Royalty: King Umberto I of Italy

King Umberto I was born March 14, 1,844 in Turin, the eldest son of King Vittorio Emanuele II and Archduchess Adelheid of Austria. In April 1868, he married his first cousin, Princess Margherita of Savoy, and they had one son: King Vittorio Emanuele III (1869). He became King of Italy on January 8, 1,878 upon his father’s death. King Umberto I was assassinated on July 29, 1900, while in the city of Monza. He is buried in The Pantheon in Rome.

Princess Margherita of Savoy,
Queen of Italy

• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy

Margherita of Savoy was born at the Palazzo Chiablese in Turin on November 20, 1851, the daughter of Prince Ferdinand of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, and Princess Elisabeth of Saxony. She married King Umberto I of Italy in April 1868, and the following year gave birth to their only child: King Vittorio Emanuele II (1869). After her husband’s assassination in 1900, Margherita remained an active member of the royal family, supporting her son and his wife and continuing her visits to hospitals and churches throughout Italy. The Dowager Queen died in Bordighera, Italy on January 4, 1926. She is buried beside her husband in The Pantheon in Rome.

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King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy
reigned July 29, 1900 – May 9, 1946

• Unofficial Royalty: King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy

King Vittorio Emanuele III was born in Naples on November 11, 1869, the only child of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. He married Princess Elena of Montenegro on October 24, 1896, at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in Rome. They had five children: Yolanda (1901); Mafalda (1902); King Umberto II (1904); Giovanna (1907); and Maria Francesca (1914). He became King suddenly when his father was assassinated on July 29, 1900. During World War II, he became merely a figurehead under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. In 1944, in his effort to save the monarchy, the King transferred much of his power to his son, Umberto. Then, on May 9, 1946, he formally abdicated in his son’s favor. He went into exile, living in Alexandria, Egypt, using the title Count of Pollenzo. He died there on December 28, 1947, and was buried at St. Catherine’s Cathedral in Alexandria.  In December 2017, his remains were returned to Italy and interred in the San Bernardo Chapel in the Sanctuary of Vicoforte, Italy.

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Princess Elena of Montenegro
Queen of Italy

• Unofficial Royalty: Princess Elena of Montenegro, Queen of Italy

Princess Elena of Montenegro was born in Cetinje, Montenegro on January 8, 1873. She was the daughter of the future King Nikola I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić. On April 24, 1896, she married King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and had five children. She served as Queen Consort from July 29, 1900, until her husband’s abdication on May 9, 1946. She lived with her husband in Alexandria, Egypt, and later moved to Montpellier, France, to undergo treatment for cancer. She died there on November 28, 1952, and was buried in the Saint-Lazare Cemetery in Montpellier.  In December 2017, her remains were quietly returned to Italy and interred in the San Bernardo chapel in the Sanctuary of Vicoforte.

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Children of King Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena

Princess Yolanda of Savoy, Countess of Bergolo
(June 1, 1901 – October 16, 1986)

Wikipedia: Princess Yolanda of Savoy
Princess Yolanda, born in Rome on June 1, 1901, was the eldest child of Vittorio Emanuele III and Elena of Montenegro. At the Quirinal Palace on April 9, 1923, she married Giorgio Carlo Calvi, Count of Bergolo and had five children. Yolanda died in Rome on October 16, 1986, and is buried in the Monumental Cemetery in Turin.

Princess Mafalda of Savoy, Landgravine of Hesse
(November 2, 1902 – August 27, 1944)

Wikipedia: Princess Mafalda of Savoy
Princess Mafalda was the second child of Vittorio Emanuele III and Elena of Montenegro, born on November 2, 1902. She married Prince Philipp of Hesse on September 23, 1925, at Racconigi Castle, and had four children: Moritz (1926); Heinrich (1927); Otto (1937); and Elisabeth (1940). During World War II, Mafalda was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp. She was seriously injured with the Allies bombed the camp’s ammunition depot, and died from her injuries three days later, on August 27, 1944. She is buried at Kronberg Castle in Hesse, Germany.

Princess Giovanna of Savoy, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria
(November 13, 1907 – February 26, 2000)

Unofficial Royalty: Giovanna of Italy, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria
Princess Giovanna of Italy, born on November 13, 1907, was the third daughter of Vittorio Emanuele III and Elena of Montenegro. She married Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria on October 25, 1930, and had two children: Marie Louise (1933) and Tsar Simeon II (1937). Following her husband’s death in 1943, and the end of the monarchy in 1946, Giovanna and her children were forced to leave the country, and eventually settled in Spain. Later, she moved to Portugal, living in Estoril for the rest of her life. Tsaritsa Giovanna died in Estoril on February 26, 2000. Per her wishes, she was buried at the Chapel of the Friars at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, located in Assisi, Italy.

Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy, Princess of Bourbon-Parma
(December 26, 1914 – December 7, 2001)

Wikipedia: Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy
Princess Maria Francesca, born December 26, 1914, was the youngest child of Vittorio Emanuele III and Elena of Montenegro. On January 23, 1939, she married Prince Luigi Carlo of Bourbon-Parma and had four children: Guy (1940-1991); Rémy (1942); Chantal (1946); and Jean (1961). She died on December 7, 2001, in Mandelieu, France. She is buried in the Napoule Cemetery in Mandelieu.

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King Umberto II of Italy
reigned May 9, 1946 – June 12, 1946

Unofficial Royalty: King Umberto II of Italy
King Umberto II was born at the Castle of Racconigi on September 15, 1904, the only son of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and Princess Elena of Montenegro, and was given the title Prince of Piedmont. He married Princess Marie José of Belgium on January 8, 1930, in Rome, and had four children: Maria Pia (1934); Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples (1937); Maria Gabriella (1940); and Maria Beatrice (1943). He served during World War II, commanding troops fighting against French forces during the Italian Invasion. In April 1944, his father transferred much of his power to Umberto, hoping to stave off calls for the end of the monarchy. He became the last King of Italy on May 9, 1946, after his father’s formal abdication. However, just weeks later, a referendum was held, and by an overwhelming vote, Italy became a republic. His reign formally ended on June 12, 1946. Umberto lived in exile in Portugal for the rest of his life, having been banned from setting foot on Italian soil. King Umberto II died in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 18, 1983. Unlike his predecessors, he is buried at Hautecombe Abbey, in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille, France.

Princess Marie José of Belgium
Queen of Italy

Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie José of Belgium, Queen of Italy
Princess Marie José was born on August 4, 1906, in Ostend, Belgium, the youngest child of King Albert I of Belgium and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. Her older siblings were King Leopold III of Belgium, and Prince Charles, Count of Flanders. She married the future King Umberto II of Italy on January 8, 1930, and had four children: Maria Pia (1934); Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples (1937); Maria Gabriella (1940); and Maria Beatrice (1943). She became known as ‘the May Queen’, as her husband’s reign only lasted for 35 days before the Italian monarchy was abolished. After the family went into exile, Marie José separated from her husband, living primarily in Switzerland. In 1983, after the death of her husband, as well as both of her brothers, she was permitted to return to Italy and made several visits. The former Queen died in Geneva, on January 27, 2001. Per her wishes, she is buried with her husband at Hautecombe Abbey.

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