Italian Vittorio Amedeo
born May 14, 1666, Turin, Savoy
died Oct. 31, 1732, Moncalieri, near Turin
King of Sicily (171320) and of Sardinia (172030).
The son of Charles Emmanuel II, he inherited his father's title as duke of Savoy in 1675 and grew up under a regency headed by his mother, who pursued a pro-French policy. In the War of the Spanish Succession he sided with France, but in 1703 he shifted to the Habsburg side. With the French defeat at Turin (1706) he secured his position in Italy. The Treaty of Utrecht (1713) gave him the title of king of Sicily, which he was obliged to exchange for Sardinia in 1720. As the first king of Sardinia, which also included Piedmont and Savoy, he established the foundation for the future Italian national state.