Amadeo I of Spain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Amadeo |
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| Duke of Aosta | |
The King in 1870
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| King of Spain | |
| Reign | 16 November 1870 – 11 February 1873 |
| Predecessor | Isabella II as Queen of Spain |
| Successor | Estanislao Figueras as President of the Republic |
| Born | Amedeo Ferdinando Maria di Savoia 30 May 1845 Royal Palace, Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia |
| Died | 18 January 1890 (aged 44) Royal Palace, Turin, Kingdom of Italy |
| Burial | Basilica of Superga, Italy |
| Spouse | Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo Maria Letizia Bonaparte |
| Issue | Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi Prince Umberto, Count of Salemi |
| House | Savoy |
| Father | Victor Emmanuel II of Italy |
| Mother | Adelaide of Austria |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
Amadeo (born Amedeo Ferdinando Maria di Savoia; 30 May 1845 – 18 January 1890) was an Italian prince. He became the King of Spain from 1870 to 1873. He was the first and only King of Spain from the House of Savoy, a royal family from Italy.
Amadeo was the second son of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, who later became the first King of a united Italy. For most of his life, Amadeo was known as the Duke of Aosta. This was a special title given to the second son in the Savoy family.
In 1870, the Spanish parliament, called the Cortes Generales, chose him to be their king. This happened after Queen Isabel II was removed from power. Amadeo's time as king was very difficult. Spain faced many problems, including people who wanted a republic (a country without a king) and rebellions. After just three years, he decided to give up his throne and went back to Italy. Spain then became a republic.
Amadeo started the Aosta branch of the Italian royal House of Savoy. This family branch is still important today.
Contents
Early Life and First Marriage
Prince Amedeo of Savoy was born in Turin, a city that was then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. He was the third child and second son of King Victor Emmanuel II. His mother was Archduchess Adelaide of Austria. From birth, he was given the title of Duke of Aosta.
In 1859, he joined the Royal Sardinian Army as a captain. He fought in the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866. He was a major-general and was wounded in a battle. In 1868, after he got married, he became a vice admiral in the Italian Royal Navy. However, he left this position when he became King of Spain.
In 1867, Amadeo married Donna Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo. His father, the King, was not happy about this marriage at first. He thought her family was not royal enough. Even though she had a princely title, Maria Vittoria was not born into a royal family. She was from the nobility of Piedmont. However, she was the only heir to her father's large fortune. This wealth was passed down to the future Dukes of Aosta.
King of Spain
After the Glorious Revolution removed Queen Isabella II, the new Spanish parliament decided to have a king again. They wanted a new royal family. Amadeo's father was related to King Philip II of Spain. His mother was related to King Charles III of Spain.
On 16 November 1870, the Spanish parliament chose Prince Amadeo to be their new king. He became King Amadeo I. He promised to follow the Constitution in Madrid on 2 January 1871. Sadly, the day he was chosen king, General Juan Prim, his main supporter, was killed. Amadeo took his oath while Prim's body was nearby.
King Amadeo faced many challenges. Spanish politics were very unstable. There were groups who wanted a republic. There were also Carlist uprisings in the north. The Cuban independence movement also caused problems. Different political groups in Spain argued a lot.
Amadeo only had the support of the Progressive Party. This party often changed leaders and used tricks to win elections. The progressives themselves split into different groups, making the country even more unstable. In 1872, there was a lot of fighting between political groups.
A major Carlist uprising happened in the Basque and Catalan regions. Later, republican uprisings started in cities across Spain. The army's artillery soldiers went on strike. The government asked Amadeo to deal with them.
On 18 August 1872, Amadeo was warned about a plan to kill him. But he refused to take extra safety steps. While he was returning to Madrid with the queen, people shot at his carriage many times. The carriage was hit by bullets, and the horses were wounded. But Amadeo and the queen were not hurt.
It became very difficult for Amadeo to rule without strong public support. He gave an order against the artillery soldiers. Then, on 11 February 1873, he decided to give up his throne. That same night, Spain was declared a republic. Amadeo appeared before the parliament and said that the Spanish people were impossible to govern.
Later Life
Amadeo was very disappointed. He left Spain and went back to Italy. There, he again used his title of Duke of Aosta. The First Spanish Republic did not last long, less than two years. In November 1874, Alfonso XII, the son of Isabella II, became king of Spain.
Amadeo's first wife, Maria Vittoria, died in 1876. In 1888, he married his niece, Princess Maria Letizia Bonaparte, Duchess of Aosta. She was the daughter of his sister Maria Clotilde of Savoy. They had one child, Umberto (born 1889). Umberto died in 1918 from the flu during World War I.
Amadeo stayed in Turin, Italy, until he died on 18 January 1890. His friend, the famous composer Puccini, wrote a beautiful piece of music called Crisantemi to remember him.
Legacy
The town of Amadeo in the Philippines was named after Amadeo I. The Philippines was a colony of Spain at the time. This town was created on 15 July 1872, during his reign.
A large salt lake in central Australia is also named after Amadeo I. It is called Lake Amadeus. The area around it is known as the Amadeus Basin. An explorer named Ernest Giles found the lake in 1872 and named it after the king.
Issue
By Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo:
- Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta (13 January 1869 – 4 July 1931). He was a Marshal of Italy. He married Princess Hélène of Orléans and had children. One of his sons, Prince Aimone, was briefly King Tomislav II of Croatia.
- Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin (24 November 1870 – 10 October 1946). He never married.
- Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi (29 January 1873 – 18 March 1933). He was a Vice Admiral in the Italian Royal Navy. He never married.
By Maria Letizia Bonaparte:
- Umberto, Count of Salemi (22 June 1889 – 19 October 1918). He died from the Spanish flu during World War I.
Images for kids
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Coat of arms as Duke of Aosta (1845-1890)
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Coat of arms as King of Spain (1871-1873)
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See also
In Spanish: Amadeo I de España para niños
