On July 24, 1759, Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy was born, king of Sardinia and ruler of many estates of the powerful Savoy dynasty. He was born in the royal palace in Turin, and in addition to coming from the Savoy dynasty, among his ancestors was the French King Louis XIV. At first, Victor Emmanuel, as the second oldest son of the King of Sardinia, bore the title of Duke of Aosta.
Namely, while the eldest son from the Savoy royal dynasty was usually given the title of Prince of Piedmont (Italian: Principe di Piemonte), the next oldest son was usually awarded the title of Duke of Aosta (Italian: Duca di Aosta), named after the region of Aosta in the area. of the Italian Alps. Victor Emmanuel I became king in 1802, after the abdication of his older brother Charles Emmanuel IV.
At the time of the accession to the throne of Victor Emmanuel I, his country was largely occupied by Napoleon, so that he could effectively rule only on the island of Sardinia. Since the whole of Piedmont was occupied with the city of Turin (formerly the royal capital of Savoy), Victor Emmanuel I ruled from Cagliari, a city on the island of Sardinia, where he temporarily settled with the courtiers.
Despite such humble beginnings, after the fall of Napoleon, Victor Emmanuel I got back the former possessions of the Savoy dynasty, but also the additional territories annexed to his state. For example, the territory of the former Republic of Genoa was added to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The city of Genoa became the main port of the Sardinian navy, and the royal capital was returned from Cagliari to Turin.
King Victor Emmanuel I died in the castle of Moncalieri near Turin in 1824. He remained known as the founder of the famous Italian Carabinieri, which still exist today.
