Counts and dukes of Savoy

The titles of the count of Savoy, and then duke of Savoy, are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the House of Savoy held the county, the ruler of which was originally styled "count," then later as "duke"; several of these rulers were called "king" at one point in history or another.

The origins of the family are obscured by time. The first history of the House of Savoy appeared in 1660 and was written by a Frenchman Samuel Guichenon. At that time, Christine of France, the widow of Duke Victor Amadeus I, had conceived the idea of elevating the house of Savoy to the imperial throne. She was the one who requested Guichenon to write the history of the house, but insisted that Widukind, the famous leader of the Saxons, be its founder. Guichenon, being a courtier and also as a Frenchman always courteous to the fairer sex, promoted the princess's view in his book. Another opinion that gained traction at a certain point was that the Dukes of Savoy descended from the ancient Marquises of Ivrea, from whom descended also the last national kings of Italy, who, fighting for Italian independence against the German emperors were defeated. That opinion was once championed by historian Lodovico della Chiesa. The French authors Nicolas Chorier and Salvaing were, on the other hand, of the opinion, that the Dukes of Savoy had their origins in Burgundy. Therefore, the exact origins of this family, as of many noble families of Europe is unknown.

The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at the beginning of the 15th century, bringing together all the territories of the Savoyard state under Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy. In the 18th century, Victor Amadeus II annexed the Kingdom of Sardinia to the historical possessions of the Duchy, and from then on, the Savoyard dukes also held the title of Kings of Sardinia. The House of Savoy later went on to rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1946 when the monarchy was abolished.

Victor Amadeus II was the longest reigning monarch of Savoy, followed by Charles Emmanuel I, and Charles III or Amadeus VIII.