Kingdom of Sardinia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Kingdom of Sardinia

1324–1861

Civil Flag and Ensign of the Savoyard Kingdom (1816-1848)

Coat of arms (1815)

Kingdom of Sardinia, in 1815: the Mainland states (Piedmont, Savoy, Nice) and Sardinia.

Capital

Cagliari
(1324–1720, 1798–1814)
Turin
(1720–1798, 1814–1861)

Government

Absolute monarchy
(1324–1849)
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
(1849–1861)

King

• 1324–1327

James II of Aragon (first)

• 1849–1861

Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy (last)

Prime Minister

• 1848

Cesare Balbo (first)

• 1860–1861

Camillo Benso (last)

Legislature

Parliament

• Upper house

Subalpine Senate

• Lower house

Chamber of Deputies

History

• Papal investiture

1297

• Actual establishment

1324

• Kingdom to Habsburg

1714

• Kingdom to Savoy

1720

• Perfect Fusion

1848

• Loss of Savoy and Nice

1860

• Becomes the new Kingdom of Italy

1861

Area

1859

73,810 km² (28,500 sq mi)

Preceded by

Succeeded by

	Judicate of Arborea
	Republic of Pisa
	Sassari
	Duchy of Savoy
	Republic of Genoa
	United Provinces of Central Italy

Kingdom of Italy
Second French Empire

Today part of

Italy
France
Monaco

The Kingdom of Sardinia was a powerful state in Southern Europe that existed from the early 1300s to the mid-1800s. It started with the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. The leader of the Catholic Church claimed to rule these islands.

In 1324, James II of Aragon and the kings who came after him took control of the island of Sardinia. By 1420, they had bought out the last group that also claimed the island. After the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile joined, Sardinia became part of the huge Spanish Empire.

How the Kingdom Changed Hands
- From Spain to Austria and Savoy
- Napoleon's Influence and Return to Power
Becoming the Kingdom of Italy
- Uniting the Different Regions
Important Rulers of Sardinia
Images for kids
See also

How the Kingdom Changed Hands

From Spain to Austria and Savoy

In 1720, the island of Sardinia was given to the Duke of Savoy, Victor Amadeus II. This happened after a big war where different families, the Habsburgs and the Bourbons, fought over who would rule Spain.

The Savoy family then joined Sardinia with their lands on the Italian mainland. These mainland areas included Piedmont, Savoy, and Nice. Over time, the Kingdom of Sardinia became more known for its mainland parts.

Napoleon's Influence and Return to Power

When Napoleon's France took over the Savoy family's mainland areas, the King of Sardinia had to move. For the first time, a Savoyard king lived on the island of Sardinia itself.

After Napoleon was defeated, European leaders met at the Congress of Vienna (1814–15). They decided to give the Savoy family their mainland lands back.

Becoming the Kingdom of Italy

Uniting the Different Regions

In 1847–48, a big change called the "Perfect Fusion" happened. All the different lands ruled by the Savoy family were brought together under one legal system. The capital city became Turin. They also got a new set of rules for the country called the Statuto Albertino.

By the time of the Crimean War in 1853, the Savoy family had made the kingdom very strong. On March 17, 1861, the Kingdom of Sardinia officially changed its name to the Kingdom of Italy. The capital later moved to Florence and then to Rome.

The Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, led by the Savoy family, was the main state that led to the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. Today, the Italian Republic is the modern country that came from this history.

Important Rulers of Sardinia

Philip V of Spain: He ruled over the huge Spanish Empire, which included Sardinia for a time.
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia: He was the first ruler from the House of Savoy to govern the territory.
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy: He was the last king of Sardinia and later became the first king of a united Italy.

Images for kids

The flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia at the funeral ceremony of Charles V
The Kingdom of Sardinia in a 16th-century map
The Savoyards' Italian possessions in the early 18th century.
19th-century coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sardinia under the Savoy dynasty
A map of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1856, after the fusion of all its provinces into a single jurisdiction
Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour
King Victor Emmanuel II meets Garibaldi in Teano (26 October 1860)
Imperial Eagle of Roman Holy Emperor Charles V with the four Moors of the Kingdom of Sardinia (16th century)
Flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1568
The political situation in Sardinia after 1324 when the Aragonese conquered the Pisan territories of Sardinia, which included the defunct Judicate of Cagliari and Gallura.
The Kingdom of Sardinia from 1368 to 1388 and 1392 to 1409, after the wars with Arborea, consisted of only the cities of Cagliari and Alghero.
The Kingdom of Sardinia from 1410 to 1420, after the defeat of the Arborean Judicate in the Battle of Sanluri (1409).
The Kingdom of Sardinia from 1448 to 1720; the Maddalena archipelago was conquered in 1767–69.
1859: Kingdom of Sardinia Kingdom Lombardy–Venetia Duchies Parma–Modena-Tuscany Papal States Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
1860: Kingdom of Sardinia Kingdom Lombardy–Venetia Papal States Kingdom of the Two Sicilies After the annexation of Lombardy, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Emilian Duchies and Pope's Romagna.
1861: Kingdom of Sardinia Kingdom Lombardy–Venetia Papal States After the Expedition of the Thousand.
maximum expansion of the Kingdom of Sardinia, in 1860