King of Italy Facts for Kids

The famous Iron Crown of Lombardy

The title King of Italy (in Latin: Rex Italiae; in Italian: Re d'Italia) was given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy. This happened after the Western Roman Empire fell apart.

The first person to use this title was Odoacer, a "barbarian" military leader, in the late 400s. After him, the Ostrogothic kings held the title until the mid-500s. When the Franks conquered Italy in the 700s, the Carolingian family took over the title. Later, Holy Roman Emperors continued to use it throughout the Middle Ages. The last Emperor to claim this title was Charles V in the 1500s. During this time, the kings were crowned with the special Iron Crown of Lombardy.

Even though Napoleon used the title from 1805 to 1814, a true Kingdom of Italy was only brought back in the 1860s. This was during the Unification of Italy. From 1861, the House of Savoy family ruled as kings of the whole Italian peninsula. The last King of Italy was Umberto II. He went into exile in 1946 when Italy became a republic.

History of the Kings of Italy
Important Kings of Italy
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History of the Kings of Italy

Early Kings and Empires

After the last Western Roman Emperor was removed from power in 476, a leader named Odoacer was made "Duke of Italy" by the Byzantine Emperor Zeno. Soon after, Germanic tribes and parts of the Roman army declared Odoacer the "King of Italy."

In 493, the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great killed Odoacer. Theodoric then started a new line of kings in Italy. The Ostrogothic rule ended when the Byzantine Empire took back Italy in 552.

Lombards and Franks

In 568, the Lombards entered Italy. They wanted to create their own kingdom against the Byzantine Empire. They took control of most of Italy, except for a few areas like Ravenna and Rome. In the 700s, the Lombards captured more Roman areas in northern Italy.

However, in 774, the Lombards were defeated by the Franks, led by Charlemagne. Charlemagne removed their king and took the title "King of the Lombards." After Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Fat, died in 887, Italy became unstable. Many rulers tried to become independent kings. During this time, the title "King of the Italians" was used.

Holy Roman Emperors and Italy

Later, Otto I the Great added Italy to the Holy Roman Empire. He continued to use the title "King of the Italians." The last ruler to use this specific title was Henry II (1004-1024). After him, later emperors used the title "King of Italy" until Charles V. These kings were crowned in different cities, like Pavia, Milan, and Bologna.

Napoleon and Modern Italy

In 1805, Napoleon I was crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan Cathedral. The next year, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II gave up his imperial title.

After Napoleon was defeated in 1814, there was no single King of Italy until the Italian Unification in 1861. This period, called the Risorgimento, successfully united Italy under the House of Savoy family. They combined the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to form the modern Kingdom of Italy.

The monarchy in Italy ended after World War II. A vote was held on June 2, 1946, and the people chose to have a republic instead of a king. The Italian monarchy officially ended on June 12, 1946, and Umberto II left the country.

Important Kings of Italy

Over the centuries, many different rulers held the title of King of Italy. Here are some of the most notable ones:

Early Kings (476–553)

Odoacer (476–493)
Theodoric the Great (493–526) - A famous Ostrogothic king.

Lombard Kings (568–814)

Alboin (568–572) - The first Lombard king in Italy.
Charlemagne (774–814) - The Frankish king who conquered the Lombards.

Kings of Italy under the Carolingian Empire (781–888)

Pippin (781–810) - Charlemagne's son, made King of Italy.
Louis II (844–875) - A powerful Carolingian king.

Kings during Instability (888–962)

This was a time when many different rulers fought for control of Italy.

Berengar I (888–924)
Otto I the Great (951) - He invaded Italy and was crowned with the Iron Crown. He later became Holy Roman Emperor.

Holy Roman Emperors as Kings of Italy (962–1556)

Many Holy Roman Emperors were also crowned Kings of Italy. They often ruled from Germany but claimed authority over Italy.

Otto I the Great (962–973) - The first Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned King of Italy.
Frederick I (1154–1186) - Also known as Frederick Barbarossa.
Frederick II (1212–1250) - A very powerful and influential emperor.
Charles V (1530–1556) - The last emperor to be crowned King of Italy.