Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Charles Emmanuel II (20 June 1634 – 12 June 1675) was the Duke of Savoy from 1638 to 1675 and under regency of his mother Christine Marie of France
until 1663. He was also Marquis
of Saluzzo
, Count
of Aosta
, Geneva
, Moriana and Nice
, as well as claimant king of Cyprus and Jerusalem. At his death in 1675 his second wife Marie Jeanne of Savoy acted as Regent for their eleven year old son.
He was born in Turin
to Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
and Christine Marie of France
. His maternal grandparents were Henry IV of France
and his second wife Marie de' Medici
. In 1638 at the death of his older brother Francis Hyacinth, Duke of Savoy
, Charles Emmanuel succeeded to the duchy of Savoy at the age of 4. His mother governed in his place, and even after reaching adulthood, Charles Emmanuel continued a life of pleasure, far away from the affairs of state.
He became notorious for his persecution of the Vaudois
(Waldensians
) culminating in the massacre of 1655. The massacre was so brutal that it prompted the English poet John Milton
to write the sonnet
On the Late Massacre in Piedmont
. Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell
called for a general fast in England and proposed to send the British Navy if the massacre was not stopped while gathering funds for helping the Waldensians
. Sir Samuel Morland
was commissioned with that task. He later wrote The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont (1658).
Only after the death of his mother in 1663, did he really assume power. He was not successful in gaining a passage to the sea at the expense of Genoa
(Second Genoese-Savoyard War
, 1672–1673), and had difficulties in retaining the influence of his powerful neighbour France.
But he greatly improved commerce and wealth in the Duchy, developing the port of Nice
and building a road through the Alps
towards France. He also reformed the army, which until then was mostly composed of mercenaries: he formed instead five Piedmontese regiments and recreated cavalry, as well as introducing uniforms. He also restored fortifications. He constructed many beautiful buildings in Turin
, for instance the Palazzo Reale
. He is buried at Turin Cathedral.
Christine Marie of France
Christine of France was the sister of Louis XIII and the Duchess of Savoy by marriage. At the death of her husband Victor Amadeus I in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648....
until 1663. He was also Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
of Saluzzo
Saluzzo
Saluzzo is a town and former principality in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont region, Italy.The city of Saluzzo is built on a hill overlooking a vast, well-cultivated plain. Iron, lead, silver, marble, slate etc...
, Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Aosta
Aosta
Aosta is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard routes...
, Geneva
Count of Geneva
The County of Geneva, largely corresponding to the later Genevois province, originated in the tenth century, in the Burgundian Kingdom of Arles which fell to the Holy Roman Empire in 1032.-History:...
, Moriana and Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, as well as claimant king of Cyprus and Jerusalem. At his death in 1675 his second wife Marie Jeanne of Savoy acted as Regent for their eleven year old son.
Biography
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
to Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus I was the Duke of Savoy from 1630 to 1637. He was also titular King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was also known as the Lion of Susa-Biography:...
and Christine Marie of France
Christine Marie of France
Christine of France was the sister of Louis XIII and the Duchess of Savoy by marriage. At the death of her husband Victor Amadeus I in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648....
. His maternal grandparents were Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
and his second wife Marie de' Medici
Marie de' Medici
Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici...
. In 1638 at the death of his older brother Francis Hyacinth, Duke of Savoy
Francis Hyacinth, Duke of Savoy
Francis Hyacinth was the Duke of Savoy from 1637 to 1638 under regency of his mother Marie Christine.-Biography:...
, Charles Emmanuel succeeded to the duchy of Savoy at the age of 4. His mother governed in his place, and even after reaching adulthood, Charles Emmanuel continued a life of pleasure, far away from the affairs of state.
He became notorious for his persecution of the Vaudois
Vaudois
Vaudois can refer to:* Waldensians, members of a Christian sect also known as Vaudois;* Vaud#Demographics, people who live in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland....
(Waldensians
Waldensians
Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions, primarily in North-Western Italy. There is considerable uncertainty about the earlier history of the Waldenses because of a lack of extant source...
) culminating in the massacre of 1655. The massacre was so brutal that it prompted the English poet John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
to write the sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
On the Late Massacre in Piedmont
On the Late Massacre in Piedmont
On the Late Massacre in Piedmont is a sonnet by the English poet John Milton inspired by the massacre of Waldensians in Piedmont by the Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy in April 1655.-The sonnet:Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones...
. Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
called for a general fast in England and proposed to send the British Navy if the massacre was not stopped while gathering funds for helping the Waldensians
Waldensians
Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions, primarily in North-Western Italy. There is considerable uncertainty about the earlier history of the Waldenses because of a lack of extant source...
. Sir Samuel Morland
Samuel Morland
Sir Samuel Morland, 1st Baronet , or Moreland, was a notable English academic, diplomat, spy, inventor and mathematician of the 17th century, a polymath credited with early developments in relation to computing, hydraulics and steam power.-Education:The son of Thomas Morland, the rector of...
was commissioned with that task. He later wrote The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont (1658).
Only after the death of his mother in 1663, did he really assume power. He was not successful in gaining a passage to the sea at the expense of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
(Second Genoese-Savoyard War
Second Genoese-Savoyard War
The Second Genoese-Savoyard War was a short war fought between the Duchy of Savoy and the Republic of Genoa.The war was launched by Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, in 1672, but an exiled Genoese named Rafaello della Torre had initially prompted Charles Emmanuel into declaring war...
, 1672–1673), and had difficulties in retaining the influence of his powerful neighbour France.
But he greatly improved commerce and wealth in the Duchy, developing the port of Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
and building a road through the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
towards France. He also reformed the army, which until then was mostly composed of mercenaries: he formed instead five Piedmontese regiments and recreated cavalry, as well as introducing uniforms. He also restored fortifications. He constructed many beautiful buildings in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, for instance the Palazzo Reale
Royal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin or Palazzo Reale, is a palace in Turin, northern Italy. It was the royal palace of the House of Savoy. It was modernised greatly by the French born Madama Reale Christine Marie of France in the seventeenth century. The palace was worked on by Filippo Juvarra...
. He is buried at Turin Cathedral.
Marriage
Charles Emmanuel married twice.- 1. Françoise Madeleine d'OrléansFrançoise Madeleine d'OrléansFrançoise Madeleine d'Orléans was born a Princess of France and was the Duchess of Savoy as the first wife of Charles Emmanuel II. She was a first cousin of Louis XIV as well of her husband...
(b.1648-d.1664), daughter of his maternal uncle Gaston, Duke of OrléansGaston, Duke of OrléansGaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
and younger brother of his mother Christine Marie. The couple had no issue; - 2. Marie Jeanne of Savoy (1644-1724) had issue; was created regent of Savoy in 1675; regency ended in 1680 but Marie Jeanne maintained power till 1684;
Issue
- Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, future King of Sicily and later Sardinia; married Anne Marie d'Orléans and had issue; had illegitimate issue also; married Anna Teresa Canalis di Cumania in a morganatic marriageMorganatic marriageIn the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
; - Charles Emmanuel II also had a number of illegitimate children.
Ancestors
Titles and styles
- 20 June 1634 – 4 October 1638 His Highness Prince Charles Emmanuel of Savoy
- 4 October 1638 – 12 June 1675 His Highness the Duke of Savoy