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{{short description|King of Italy from 1878 to 1900}}
{{Infobox Italian Royalty|monarch
{{Redirect|Umberto I|other uses|Humbert I (disambiguation){{!}}Humbert I}}
| name =Umberto I
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
| title =King of Italy
{{Infobox royalty
| image =Umbertoofitaly.jpg
| reign =9 January 1878 - 29 July 1900 | name = Umberto I
| title =
| coronation =<!--Insert date of ], not date of ]-->
| image = Fratelli Vianelli (Giuseppe e Luigi, flor. 1860-1890 ca) - VE - Umberto I di Savoia 1.jpg
| predecessor =]
| image_size =
| successor =]
| spouse =] | caption = Portrait of Umberto I in 1882
| issue =] | succession = ]
| royal house =] | moretext = (])
| reign = {{nowrap|9 January 1878 – 29 July 1900}}
| royal anthem =]
| full name = Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia
| father =]
| mother =] | predecessor = ]
| successor = ]
| date of birth =14 March 1844
| reg-type = {{nowrap|]}}
| place of birth =], ]
| regent = {{Collapsible list|title=''See list''|1=]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]}}
| date of death ={{death date and age|df=yes|1900|7|29|1844|3|13}}
| spouse = {{marriage|]|1868}}
| place of death =], ]
| issue = ]
| place of burial =], Rome, ]
| house = ]
|}}
| father = ]
| mother = ]
| birth_date = 14 March 1844
| birth_place = ], ]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1900|7|29|1844|3|13}}
| death_place = ], ]
| burial_date =
| burial_place = ]
| religion = ]
| signature = Umberto I signature.svg
| signature_alt =
}}
'''Umberto I''' ({{langx|it|Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di ]}}; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was ] from 9 January 1878 until his assassination in 1900. His reign saw Italy's expansion into the ], as well as the creation of the ] among Italy, ] and ].


The son of ] and ], Umberto took part in the ] as a commander of the ]. He assumed the Italian throne in 1878 on the death of his father. A strong militarist, Umberto approved the alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, which was formalised in 1882. He also encouraged Italy's colonial efforts and oversaw the incorporation of ] and ] into the ].
'''Umberto I, King of Italy''' or '''Humbert I''' of ] (''Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di ]''), English: ''Humbert Ranier Charles Emmanuel John Mary Ferdinand Eugene of Savoy'' (14 March 1844 &ndash; 29 July 1900), nicknamed ''the Good'' (in Italian ''il Buono''), was the ] from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in far-left circles, especially among ], because of his conservatism and support of the ] in ]. He was killed by anarchist ] two years after the incident.


Domestically, Umberto faced increasing social unrest and serious economic difficulties. Tensions mounted as a result of public opposition to Italy's colonial wars, the spread of ] ideas, and crackdowns on ]. He was deeply loathed in ] circles for his ] and his support of the ] in ], in which demonstrations over rising food prices were violently suppressed by the military. He was particularly hated by ], who attempted to assassinate him during the first year of his reign.
==Youth==
]
The son of ] and ], Umberto was born in ], which was then capital of the ], on 14 March 1844. His education was entrusted to, amongst others, ] and ].


In 1900, two years after the Bava Beccaris massacre, Umberto was killed in ] by Italian-American anarchist ]. He was succeeded by his son, ]. Before his killing, he was also one of the recipients of one of ]'s '']'' notes. The ] architecture style was named after him.
From March 1858 he had a military career in the ]n ], beginning with the rank of ]. Umberto took part in the ]: he was present at the ] in 1859, and in 1866 commanded the XVI Division at the Villafranca battle that followed the Italian defeat at ].


==Youth==
On 21 April 1868 Umberto married his first cousin, ]. Their only son was Victor Emmanuel, prince of ]; later ].
], from left to right, ], ], Umberto, and ], {{circa|1850s}}]]
The son of ] and ], Umberto was born in ], which was then capital of the ], on 14 March 1844,<ref name=EB1911>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Humbert, Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio, King of Italy |volume=13 |pages=872–873 |first=Henry Wickham |last=Steed}}</ref> his father's 24th birthday. His education was entrusted to, among others, ], and ].<ref name=EB1911/> As Crown Prince, Umberto was distrusted by his father, who gave him no training in politics or constitutional government. Umberto was brought up with no affection or love.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 71">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=71| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Instead, Umberto was taught to be obedient and loyal; he had to stand at attention whenever his father entered the room. When speaking to his father, Umberto had to get down on his knees to kiss his father's hand first.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 71"/> The fact that Umberto had to kiss his father's hand before being allowed to speak to him (both in public and in private) right up to his father's death contributed much to the tension between the two.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 71"/>


From March 1858, he had a military career in the ], beginning with the rank of ].<ref name=EB1911/> Umberto took part in the ]. In the ] (1859), Umberto, who was only 14, was present at the ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Newton |first=Michael |title=Famous Assassinations in World History : An Encyclopedia |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-61069-286-1 |location=New York |pages=589 |language=en}}</ref> In the ] (1866), Umberto commanded the XVI Division at the Villafranca battle that followed the Italian defeat at ].<ref name=EB1911/>
==Reign==


Because of the upheaval the ] caused to a number of other royal houses (all the Italian ones, and those related closely to them, such as the ] of Spain and France) in 1859–60, only a minority of royal families in the 1860s were willing to establish relations with the newly founded Italian royal family. It proved difficult to find any royal bride for either of the sons of king Victor Emmanuel II (his younger son Amedeo, Umberto's brother, married a Piedmontese subject, princess ]). Their conflict with the papacy did not help these matters. Not many eligible Catholic royal brides were easily available for young Umberto.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
Ascending the throne on the death of his father (9 January 1878), Umberto adopted the title "Umberto I of Italy" rather than "Umberto IV" (of Savoy), and consented that the remains of his father should be interred at Rome in the ], rather than the royal ] of ].<div style="clear:right;"><div>
] ], {{circa|1868}}]]
At first, Umberto was to marry ], a scion of a remote sideline of the Austrian imperial house; however, she died as the result of an accident at the age of 18. On 21 April 1868, Umberto married his first cousin, ].<ref name=EB1911/> Their only son was ], prince of ].<ref name=EB1911/> While Umberto was to be described by a modern historian as "a colourless and physically unimpressive man, of limited intellect", Margherita's appearance, cultural interests and strong personality were to enhance the popularity of the monarchy.<ref>
{{cite book
| author = Christopher Duggan
| title = The Force of Destiny. A History of Italy Since 1796
| date = 2007
| isbn = 978-0-713-99709-5
| page = 307
| publisher = Allen Lane
}}</ref> Umberto kept many mistresses on the side, and his favourite mistress, Eugenia, the wife of Duke Litta Visconti-Arese, lived with him at his court as his ]. He forced Queen Margherita to accept Eugenia as a ].<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 72">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=72| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref>


] Umberto]]
===First assassination attempt===
{{Css Image Crop|Image = Italy 1891-R 100 Lira.jpg|bSize = 361|cWidth = 175|cHeight = 175|oTop = 5|oLeft = 4|Location = left|Description=Umberto I depicted on a 100 lira gold coin (1891)}}
{|align=right
|
|-
|{{House of Savoy}}
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In 1876, when the British Foreign Secretary, ], visited Rome, he reported to London that King Victor Emmanuel II and Crown Prince Umberto were "at war with each other".<ref>{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=60| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Upon taking the Crown, Umberto dismissed all of his father's friends from the court, sold off his father's racing horse collection (which numbered 1,000 horses) and cut down on extravagances to pay down the debts Victor Emmanuel II had run up.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 71"/> The British historian ] commented that it was a sign of the great wealth of the House of Savoy that Umberto was able to pay off his father's debts without having to ask parliament for assistance.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 71"/>
While on a tour of the kingdom, accompanied by Premier ], he was attacked by an anarchist, ], during a parade in Naples on 17 November 1878. The King warded off the blow with his sabre, but Cairoli, in attempting to defend him, was severely wounded in the thigh. The would-be assassin was ], even though the law only allowed the death penalty if the King was killed. The King commuted the sentence to one of ] for life, which was served in conditions in a cell only 1.4 meters high, without sanitation and with 18 kilograms of chains. Passanante would later die in a psychiatric institution, after ] had driven him insane<ref>Salvatore Merlino, «L'Italia così com'è», 1891 in "Al caffè", by Errico Malatesta, 1922</ref>. The incident upset the health of Queen Margherita for several years{{Fact|date=July 2008}}.


Like his father, Umberto was a poorly educated man without intellectual or artistic interests, never read any books, and preferred to dictate rather than write letters. He found writing to be too mentally taxing.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 71"/> He was said to have been raised with no real plan and was even uncomfortable when writing his signature in front of onlookers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Müller |first=Frank Lorenz |title=Royal Heirs: Succession and the Future of Monarchy in Nineteenth-Century Europe |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-316-51291-3 |location=Cambridge, UK |pages=123 |language=en}}</ref> After meeting him, ] described Umberto as having his father's "gruff, abrupt manner of speaking", but without his "rough speech and manners".<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 71"/> In contrast, Queen Margherita was widely read in all the classics of ], and kept up a ] of intellectuals. Although French was her first language, Margherita was often praised for her beautiful Italian in her letters and when speaking.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 72"/>
===Alliances and colonialism===
In foreign policy Umberto I approved the ] with ] and Germany, repeatedly visiting ] and Berlin. Many in Italy, however, viewed with hostility an alliance with their former Austrian enemies, who were still occupying areas claimed by Italy.


==Reign==
Umberto was also favorably disposed towards the policy of ] expansion inaugurated in 1885 by the occupation of ] in ]. Italy expanded into ] in the 1880s as well. Umberto I was suspected of aspiring to a vast empire in north-east Africa, a suspicion which tended somewhat to diminish his popularity after the disastrous ] in ] on 1 March 1896.


===Accession to the throne and first assassination attempt===
In the summer of 1900, Italian forces were part of the ] which participated in the ] in ]. Through the ], signed after Umberto's death, the Kingdom of Italy gained a ] in ].
Ascending the throne on the death of his father (9 January 1878), Umberto adopted the title "Umberto I of Italy" rather than "Umberto IV"<ref name=EB1911/> (of Savoy), ignoring his three ancestral namesakes, ], ], and ].<ref name=":0" /> He consented that the remains of his father should be interred at Rome in the ], rather than the royal ] of the ].<ref name=EB1911/> While on a tour of the kingdom, accompanied by Queen Margherita and the Prime Minister ], he was attacked with a dagger by an anarchist, ], during a parade in Naples on 17 November 1878. The King warded off the blow with his sabre, but Cairoli, in attempting to defend him, was severely wounded in the thigh.<ref name=EB1911/> The would-be assassin was ],<ref name=EB1911/> even though the law only allowed the death penalty if the King was killed. The King commuted the sentence to one of ] for life,<ref name=EB1911/> which was served in a cell only {{convert|1.4|meter}} high, without sanitation and with {{convert|18|kilogram}} of chains. Passannante would die three decades later in a psychiatric institution.<ref>Salvatore Merlino, «L'Italia così com'è», 1891 in "Al caffè", by Errico Malatesta, 1922</ref>


===Turmoil=== ===Foreign policy===
]
The reign of Umberto I was a time of social upheaval, though it was later claimed to have been a tranquil ''belle époque''. Social tensions mounted as a consequence of the relatively recent occupation of the ], the spread of ] ideas, public hostility to the ] plans of the various governments, especially ]'s, and the numerous crackdowns on ]. The protesters included the young ], then a member of the socialist party.
]]]
In foreign policy, Umberto I approved the ] with ] and the ], repeatedly visiting ] and ]. Many in Italy, however, viewed with hostility an alliance with their former Austrian enemies, who were still occupying areas claimed by Italy.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Ungari |first=Andrea |title=The Libyan War 1911–1912 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4438-4837-4 |location=Newcastle upon Tyne |pages=23–24 |language=en}}</ref> The Alliance was later renewed with the addition of commercial treaties.<ref name=":1" /> A strong ], Umberto loved Prussian-German militarism.<ref name=":1" /> On his visits to Germany, his favourite activity was to review the ] and he was greatly honoured to be allowed to lead a Prussian hussar regiment on field manoeuvres outside of ].<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 109">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=109| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> ] told him during one visit that he should strengthen the ''Regio Esercito'' to the point that he could abolish parliament and rule Italy as a dictator.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 109"/>


A major criticism of the policies carried out by the Prime Ministers appointed by Umberto was the continued power of ] in the ''Mezzogiorno'' (]), with the ] dominating ] and the ] dominating ].<ref>{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=164| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Both the Mafia and the Camorra functioned as "parallel states" whose existence and power was tolerated by successive governments in Rome as both the Mafia and the Camorra engaged in ] and ] so effective that it was Mafia and Camorra bosses who decided who won elections.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 164–165">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| pages=164–165| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> As it was impossible to win elections in the ''Mezzogiorno'' without the support of organized crime, politicians cut deals with the bosses of the Camorra and Mafia to exchange toleration of their criminal activities for votes.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 164–165"/> The ''Mezzogiorno'' was the most backward region of Italy with high levels of poverty, emigration and an illiteracy rate estimated as high as 70%.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 165">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=165| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> The deputies from the ''Mezzogiorno'' always voted against more schools for the ''Mezzogiorno'', thus perpetuating southern backwardness and poverty as both the Mafia and the Camorra were opposed to any sort of social reform that might threaten their power.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 165"/> However, the king preferred heavy military spending rather than engaging in social reforms and every year, the Italian state spent 10 times more money on the military than on education.<ref>{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=101| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Umberto, an aggressive proponent of militarism, once said that to accept cuts in the military budget would be "an abject scandal and we might as well give up politics altogether".<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 99">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=99| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> At least part of the reason why Umberto was so opposed to cutting the military budget was because he personally promised Emperor Wilhelm II that Italy would send five army corps to Germany in the event of a war with France, a promise that the king did not see fit to share with his prime ministers.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 99"/>
====Bava-Beccaris massacre====
] at ], from left to right, ], ], ], ], ], ], Wilhelm II, ], ], and Umberto I, October 1888]]
Umberto was also favourably disposed towards the policy of ] expansion inaugurated in 1885 by the occupation of ]<ref name=EB1911/> in ]. Italy expanded into ] in the 1880s as well. Umberto's preferred solution to the problems of Italy was to conquer Ethiopia, regardless of overwhelming public opposition. He supported the ultra-imperialist Prime Minister ] who in May 1895 spoke of "the absolute impossibility of continuing to govern through Parliament."<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 115">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=115| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> In December 1893, Umberto appointed Crispi prime minister despite his "shattered reputation" due to his involvement in the ] together with numerous other scandals that the king himself called "sordid".<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 106">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=106| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> As Crispi was heavily in debt, the king secretly agreed to pay off his debts in exchange for Crispi following the king's advice.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 106"/>


Umberto openly called Parliament a "bad joke" and refused to allow Parliament to meet again lest Crispi faced difficult questions about the Banca Romana scandal. Crispi only avoided indictment because of his parliamentary immunity.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 115"/> When the king was warned that it was dangerous for the crown to support someone like Crispi, Umberto replied that "Crispi is a pig, but a necessary pig", who despite his corruption, had to stay in power for "the national interest, which is the only thing that matters".<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 115"/> With the support of the king, Crispi governed in an ] manner, preferring to pass legislation by having the king issue royal decrees as opposed to getting bills passed by Parliament. On 25 June 1895 Crispi refused to allow a parliamentary inquiry into the bank scandal, saying that as a prime minister, he was above the law because he had "served Italy for 53 years".<ref>{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=116| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Umberto I was suspected of aspiring to a vast empire in ], a suspicion which tended somewhat to diminish his popularity after the disastrous ] in ] on 1 March 1896.<ref name=EB1911/> After the Battle of Adwa, public frustration with the deeply unpopular war with Ethiopia came to the fore, and demonstrations broke out in Rome with people shouting "death to the king!" and "long live the republic!".<ref>{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=122| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref>
{{Main|Bava-Beccaris massacre}}
]'s victory over the Italians at the ]]]
During the colonial wars in Africa, large demonstrations over the rising price of bread were held in Italy and on 7 May 1898 the city of ] was put under military control by General ], who ordered the use of ] on the demonstrators; as a result, about 100 people were killed according to the authorities (some claim the death toll was about 350); about a thousand were wounded. King Umberto sent a telegram to congratulate Bava-Beccaris on the restoration of order and later decorated him with the medal of Great Official of Savoy Military Order, greatly outraging a large part of the ].
]]]


Despite the defeat at Adwa, Umberto still harboured ] towards Ethiopia, saying: "I am what they call a warmonger and my personal wish would be to strike back at Menelik and avenge our defeat."<ref>{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| pages=134–135| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> In 1897, the prime minister, ] tried to sell Eritrea to ] on the grounds that Eritrea was too expensive to hold onto, but was overruled by the king who insisted that Eritrea must stay Italian.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 129">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=129| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Rudinì attempted to reduce military spending, citing a study showing that since 1861 military spending constituted over half the budget every year, but was again blocked by the king.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 129"/> In 1899, Foreign Minister ] dispatched a '']'' squadron to ] with an ultimatum demanding that the ] hand over a coastal city to be ruled as an Italian ] in the same manner as other ].<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 135">{{cite book| author=Denis Mack Smith| title=Italy and Its Monarchy| date=1989| isbn=0300051328| page=135| publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Prime Minister ] and his fellow cabinet ministers stated that Canevaro had acted without informing them, and it was widely believed that the king was the one who had given Canevaro the orders to acquire a concession in China.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 135"/> After the Chinese government refused, Canevaro threatened war, but was forced to back down. He settled for breaking diplomatic relations with China.<ref name="Denis Mack Smith 1989 135"/>
To a certain extent his popularity was enhanced by the firmness of his attitude towards the ], as exemplified in his telegram declaring Rome "untouchable" (20 September 1886), and affirming the permanence of the Italian possession of the "Eternal City".


In the summer of 1900, Italian forces were part of the ] which participated in suppressing the ] in ]. Through the ], signed after Umberto's death, the Kingdom of Italy gained a ] in ].
===Death===


Umberto's attitude towards the ] was uncompromising. In an 1886 telegram, he declared Rome "untouchable" and affirmed the permanence of the Italian possession of the "Eternal City".<ref name=EB1911/>
], the killer of Umberto I]]


===Turmoil===
]
]
The reign of Umberto I was a time of social upheaval, though it was later claimed to have been a tranquil '']''.{{By whom|date=April 2024}} Social tensions mounted as a consequence of the relatively recent occupation of the ], the spread of ] ideas, public hostility to the ] plans of the various governments, especially ]'s, and the numerous crackdowns on ]. The protesters included the young ], then a member of the ]. On 22 April 1897, Umberto I was attacked again, by an unemployed ironsmith, ], who tried to stab him near Rome.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}


===Bava Beccaris massacre===
Umberto I was attacked again, by an unemployed ironsmith, ], who tried to stab him near Rome on 22 April 1897.
{{Main|Bava Beccaris massacre}}


During the colonial wars in Africa, large demonstrations over the rising price of bread were held in Italy and on 7 May 1898, the city of ] was put under military rule by General ], who ordered rifle-fire and artillery against the demonstrators. As a result, 82 people were killed according to the authorities, with opposition sources claiming that the death toll was 400 dead with 2,000 wounded.<ref>BBC History Magazine, October 2013, p. 91</ref> King Umberto sent a telegram to congratulate Bava Beccaris on the restoration of order and later decorated him with the medal of ], greatly outraging a large part of the ].
Finally, he was murdered with four revolver shots by the Italo-American anarchist ] in ], on the evening of 29 July 1900. Bresci claimed he wanted to avenge the people killed during the ].


==Assassination==
He was buried in the ] in Rome, by the side of his father Victor Emmanuel II, on 9 August 1900. He was the last Savoy to be buried there, as his son and successor ] died in exile.
], killer of Umberto I]]
]


On the evening of 29 July 1900, ] ] ] assassinated Umberto in ] by shooting him four times. Bresci claimed he wanted to avenge the people killed in Milan during the suppression of the ].<ref>{{cite book| author=Christopher Duggan| title=The Force of Destiny. A History of Italy Since 1796| date=2007| isbn=978-0-713-99709-5| page=349| publisher=Allen Lane}}</ref>
A newspaper report of Bresci's attack was carried and frequently read by the American anarchist ]; Czolgosz used the assassination of Umberto I as his inspiration to murder U. S. President ] in September, 1901 under the banner of Anarchism.


Umberto was buried in the ] in Rome, by the side of his father Victor Emmanuel II, on 9 August 1900.<ref name=EB1911/> He was the last Savoy to be buried there, as his son and successor ] died in exile and was buried in ] until his remains were transferred to ] near ] in 2017.
==Titles as King of Italy==
From 1860 to 1946, the following titles were used by the ]:


American anarchist ] claimed that the assassination of Umberto I was his inspiration to ] in September 1901.<ref>{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Kemp|chapter=The Cook, the Blacksmith, the King and the Weaver |title=Bombs, Bullets and Bread: The Politics of Anarchist Terrorism Worldwide, 1866–1926|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J7VqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT60|year=2018|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-3211-7|page=62}}</ref>
Umberto the First, ], ], ], ], ], ], Duke of Savoy, ] of Maurienne, Marquis (of the ]) in Italy; prince of ], ], ], Poirino, ]; Prince and ] of the Holy Roman Empire; prince of Carmagnola, Montmellian with Arbin and Francin, prince bailliff of the Duchy of ], ] of ], ], Crescentino, Riva di Chieri e Banna, Busca, Bene, Brà, ], ], Aosta, ], Genevois, ], ] of ] (Saluces), Ivrea, Susa, del Maro, Oristano, Cesana, Savona, Tarantasia, Borgomanero e Cureggio, Caselle, Rivoli, Pianezza, Govone, Salussola, Racconigi con Tegerone, Migliabruna e Motturone, Cavallermaggiore, Marene, Modane e Lanslebourg, Livorno Ferraris, Santhià Agliè, Centallo e Demonte, Desana, Ghemme, Vigone, Count of Barge, Villafranca, Ginevra, Nizza, Tenda, Romont, Asti, Alessandria, del Goceano, Novara, Tortona, Bobbio, Soissons, Sant'Antioco, Pollenzo, Roccabruna, Tricerro, Bairo, Ozegna, delle Apertole, ] of Vaud e del Faucigni, ] of Vercelli, Pinerolo, della Lomellina, della Valle Sesia, del marchesato di Ceva, Overlord of ], Roccabruna and 11/12th of Menton, Noble ] of ], patrician of Ferrara.


==Quotes== ==Honours==


===Italian===
*"''Remember to be a king all ] need to know is how to sign your name, read a newspaper and mount a horse''".
* ], ''30 January 1859'';<ref>{{Cite book|title=Notizia storica del nobilissimo ordine supremo della santissima Annunziata. Sunto degli statuti, catalogo dei cavalieri|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2aP6enNFoYC&pg=PA116|publisher=Eredi Botta|date=1869|access-date=4 March 2019|language=it|first=Luigi|surname=Cibrario|page=116}}</ref> Grand Master, ''9 January 1878''<ref name="p47">Justus Perthes, ''Almanach de Gotha'' (1900) </ref>
* ], ''30 January 1859''; Grand Master, ''9 January 1878''
* ], ''1866''<ref name="Decorato"> (in Italian), ''Il sito ufficiale della Presidenza della Repubblica''. Retrieved 14 August 2018.</ref>
* Grand Master of the ]
* Grand Master of the ]
* Grand Master of the ]
* ]
* ]


==Ancestors== ===Foreign===
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
<center>{{ahnentafel-compact5
* {{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} {{flagicon|Kingdom of Hungary|1874}} ]:
|style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%;
** ], ''1869''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiquesatoz.com/sgfleece/knights5.htm |title=Chevaliers de la Toisón d'Or – Knights of the Golden Fleece |last= Boettger|first=T. F.|website=La Confrérie Amicale|access-date=25 June 2019}}</ref>
|border=1
** Grand Cross of the ], ''1875''<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222022855/http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm|date=22 December 2010}}</ref>
|boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
* {{flag|Baden}}:<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden'' (1873), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 60, 74</ref>
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
** Knight of the ], ''1864''
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
** ], ''November 1865''<ref name="augusto.agid.gov.it"/>
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
* {{flag|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: ], ''1869''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Bayern'' (1873), "Königliche Orden" p. </ref>
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
* {{flag|Belgium}}: Grand Cordon of the ] (military), ''17 May 1868''<ref>{{cite book|title=Almanach royal officiel: 1869|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AqFCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA53|year=1869|page=53|author1 = Belgien}}</ref>
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #fcb;
* {{flag|Denmark}}: ], ''19 August 1863''<ref>{{cite book|author=Jørgen Pedersen|title=Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glw-AQAAIAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Syddansk Universitetsforlag|language=da|isbn=978-87-7674-434-2|page=466}}</ref>
|1= 1. '''Umberto I of Italy'''
* {{flagicon|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Altenburg}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Meiningen}} ]: Grand Cross of the ], ''1869''<ref>'''' (1884), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" p. 31</ref>
|2= 2. ]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg}} ]: Grand Cross of the ], ''January 1859''<ref name="augusto.agid.gov.it"></ref>
|3= 3. ]
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|4= 4. ]
* {{flag|Empire of Japan}}: Grand Cordon of the ], ''7 May 1880''<ref>{{cite book|author=刑部芳則|title=明治時代の勲章外交儀礼|url=http://meijiseitoku.org/pdf/f54-5.pdf|year=2017|publisher=明治聖徳記念学会紀要|language=ja|page=143}}</ref>
|5= 5. ]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Mexico (1864-1867).svg}} ]: ], ''October 1866''<ref name="augusto.agid.gov.it"/>
|6= 6. ]
* {{flag|Ottoman Empire}}: ], 1st Class, ''August 1862''<ref name="augusto.agid.gov.it"/>
|7= 7. ]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} ]: Grand Cordon of the ], ''November 1862''<ref name="augusto.agid.gov.it"/>
|8= 8. ]
* {{flag|Kingdom of Portugal}}:<ref name="augusto.agid.gov.it"/>
|9= 9. ]
** Grand Cross of the ], ''September 1862''
|10= 10. ]
** ], ''September 1862''
|11= 11. ]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} ]:<ref name="augusto.agid.gov.it"/>
|12= 12. ]
** ] (military), ''29 May 1872''<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lehmann|first1=Gustaf|title=Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite 1812–1913|year=1913|trans-title=The Knights of the Order of the Pour le Mérite|language=de|url=https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN135808618|page=535|volume=2|location=Berlin|publisher=]}}</ref>
|13= 13. ]
** ], with Collar, ''29 March 1897''
|14= 14. ]
** ], ''29 March 1897''
|15= 15. ]
* {{flag|Russian Empire}}:
}}</center>
** ]<ref name="p47"/>
** ]
* {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: ], ''1885''<ref>'' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906150133/https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00185861/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_16_0245.tif |date=6 September 2020 }}'' (1900), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 16</ref>
* {{flag|Kingdom of Saxony}}: ], ''1872''<ref>{{cite book|title=Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1873|year=1873|publisher=Heinrich|page=}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|Thailand|1855}} ]: Knight of the ], ''15 July 1891''
* {{flagcountry|Restoration (Spain)}}:
** Grand Cross of the ], ''22 August 1871''<ref>{{cite book|url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0000941464&search=&lang=es|chapter=Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1887|access-date=21 March 2019|page=156}}</ref>
** ]<ref>{{cite book|url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0000941464&search=&lang=es|chapter=Caballeros Grandes Cruces Real y Militar Orden de San Fernando|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1887|access-date=21 March 2019|page=387}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Sweden|1844}} {{flagicon|Norway|1844}} ]: ], with Collar, ''14 March 1862''<ref>{{citation|title=Sveriges statskalender|year=1877|page=368|url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1877/0392.html|via=runeberg.org|access-date=6 January 2018|language=sv}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}: ], ''16 March 1878''<ref name=p65>Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) ''The Knights of England'', '''I''', London, </ref>
* {{flag|Württemberg}}: ], ''1878''<ref>'''' (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. 28</ref>
}}


==See also== == Ancestry ==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2020}}
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| 8 = 8. ]
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| 11 = 11. ]
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| 14 = 14. ] (= 8)
| 15 = 15. ] (= 9)
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== References == ==References==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons category|Umberto I of Italy|Umberto I}}
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{{Kings of Italy (1861–1946)}}
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Latest revision as of 18:56, 3 January 2025

King of Italy from 1878 to 1900 "Umberto I" redirects here. For other uses, see Humbert I.

Umberto I
Portrait of Umberto I in 1882
King of Italy (more...)
Reign9 January 1878 – 29 July 1900
PredecessorVictor Emmanuel II
SuccessorVictor Emmanuel III
Prime ministers See list
Born14 March 1844
Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia
Died29 July 1900(1900-07-29) (aged 56)
Monza, Kingdom of Italy
BurialPantheon, Rome
Spouse Margherita of Savoy ​(m. 1868)​
IssueVictor Emmanuel III
Names
Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia
HouseSavoy
FatherVictor Emmanuel II
MotherAdelaide of Austria
ReligionCatholic Church
SignatureUmberto I's signature

Umberto I (Italian: Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination in 1900. His reign saw Italy's expansion into the Horn of Africa, as well as the creation of the Triple Alliance among Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary.

The son of Victor Emmanuel II and Adelaide of Austria, Umberto took part in the Italian Wars of Independence as a commander of the Royal Sardinian Army. He assumed the Italian throne in 1878 on the death of his father. A strong militarist, Umberto approved the alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, which was formalised in 1882. He also encouraged Italy's colonial efforts and oversaw the incorporation of Eritrea and Somalia into the Italian Empire.

Domestically, Umberto faced increasing social unrest and serious economic difficulties. Tensions mounted as a result of public opposition to Italy's colonial wars, the spread of socialist ideas, and crackdowns on civil liberties. He was deeply loathed in left-wing circles for his conservatism and his support of the Bava Beccaris massacre in Milan, in which demonstrations over rising food prices were violently suppressed by the military. He was particularly hated by Italian anarchists, who attempted to assassinate him during the first year of his reign.

In 1900, two years after the Bava Beccaris massacre, Umberto was killed in Monza by Italian-American anarchist Gaetano Bresci. He was succeeded by his son, Victor Emmanuel III. Before his killing, he was also one of the recipients of one of Friedrich Nietzsche's Wahnbriefe notes. The Umbertino architecture style was named after him.

Youth

The children of Victor Emmanuel II, from left to right, Maria Pia, Oddone, Umberto, and Amadeo, c. 1850s

The son of Victor Emmanuel II and Archduchess Adelaide of Austria, Umberto was born in Turin, which was then capital of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, on 14 March 1844, his father's 24th birthday. His education was entrusted to, among others, Massimo Taparelli, Marquess d'Azeglio, and Pasquale Stanislao Mancini. As Crown Prince, Umberto was distrusted by his father, who gave him no training in politics or constitutional government. Umberto was brought up with no affection or love. Instead, Umberto was taught to be obedient and loyal; he had to stand at attention whenever his father entered the room. When speaking to his father, Umberto had to get down on his knees to kiss his father's hand first. The fact that Umberto had to kiss his father's hand before being allowed to speak to him (both in public and in private) right up to his father's death contributed much to the tension between the two.

From March 1858, he had a military career in the Royal Sardinian Army, beginning with the rank of captain. Umberto took part in the Italian Wars of Independence. In the Second War of Italian Independence (1859), Umberto, who was only 14, was present at the battle of Solferino. In the Third War of Italian Independence (1866), Umberto commanded the XVI Division at the Villafranca battle that followed the Italian defeat at Custoza.

Because of the upheaval the House of Savoy caused to a number of other royal houses (all the Italian ones, and those related closely to them, such as the Bourbons of Spain and France) in 1859–60, only a minority of royal families in the 1860s were willing to establish relations with the newly founded Italian royal family. It proved difficult to find any royal bride for either of the sons of king Victor Emmanuel II (his younger son Amedeo, Umberto's brother, married a Piedmontese subject, princess Vittoria of Cisterna). Their conflict with the papacy did not help these matters. Not many eligible Catholic royal brides were easily available for young Umberto.

Umberto as Prince of Piedmont, c. 1868

At first, Umberto was to marry Archduchess Mathilde of Austria, a scion of a remote sideline of the Austrian imperial house; however, she died as the result of an accident at the age of 18. On 21 April 1868, Umberto married his first cousin, Margherita Teresa Giovanna, Princess of Savoy. Their only son was Victor Emmanuel, prince of Naples. While Umberto was to be described by a modern historian as "a colourless and physically unimpressive man, of limited intellect", Margherita's appearance, cultural interests and strong personality were to enhance the popularity of the monarchy. Umberto kept many mistresses on the side, and his favourite mistress, Eugenia, the wife of Duke Litta Visconti-Arese, lived with him at his court as his common-law wife. He forced Queen Margherita to accept Eugenia as a lady-in-waiting.

Crown Prince Umberto
Umberto I depicted on a 100 lira gold coin (1891) Umberto I depicted on a 100 lira gold coin (1891)

In 1876, when the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Salisbury, visited Rome, he reported to London that King Victor Emmanuel II and Crown Prince Umberto were "at war with each other". Upon taking the Crown, Umberto dismissed all of his father's friends from the court, sold off his father's racing horse collection (which numbered 1,000 horses) and cut down on extravagances to pay down the debts Victor Emmanuel II had run up. The British historian Denis Mack Smith commented that it was a sign of the great wealth of the House of Savoy that Umberto was able to pay off his father's debts without having to ask parliament for assistance.

Like his father, Umberto was a poorly educated man without intellectual or artistic interests, never read any books, and preferred to dictate rather than write letters. He found writing to be too mentally taxing. He was said to have been raised with no real plan and was even uncomfortable when writing his signature in front of onlookers. After meeting him, Queen Victoria described Umberto as having his father's "gruff, abrupt manner of speaking", but without his "rough speech and manners". In contrast, Queen Margherita was widely read in all the classics of European literature, and kept up a salon of intellectuals. Although French was her first language, Margherita was often praised for her beautiful Italian in her letters and when speaking.

Reign

Accession to the throne and first assassination attempt

Ascending the throne on the death of his father (9 January 1878), Umberto adopted the title "Umberto I of Italy" rather than "Umberto IV" (of Savoy), ignoring his three ancestral namesakes, Umberto I, Umberto II, and Umberto III. He consented that the remains of his father should be interred at Rome in the Pantheon, rather than the royal mausoleum of the Basilica of Superga. While on a tour of the kingdom, accompanied by Queen Margherita and the Prime Minister Benedetto Cairoli, he was attacked with a dagger by an anarchist, Giovanni Passannante, during a parade in Naples on 17 November 1878. The King warded off the blow with his sabre, but Cairoli, in attempting to defend him, was severely wounded in the thigh. The would-be assassin was condemned to death, even though the law only allowed the death penalty if the King was killed. The King commuted the sentence to one of penal servitude for life, which was served in a cell only 1.4 meters (4 ft 7 in) high, without sanitation and with 18 kilograms (40 lb) of chains. Passannante would die three decades later in a psychiatric institution.

Foreign policy

The royal family of King Umberto I
Wearing the robes of the Order of the Garter

In foreign policy, Umberto I approved the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and the German Empire, repeatedly visiting Vienna and Berlin. Many in Italy, however, viewed with hostility an alliance with their former Austrian enemies, who were still occupying areas claimed by Italy. The Alliance was later renewed with the addition of commercial treaties. A strong militarist, Umberto loved Prussian-German militarism. On his visits to Germany, his favourite activity was to review the Prussian Army and he was greatly honoured to be allowed to lead a Prussian hussar regiment on field manoeuvres outside of Frankfurt. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany told him during one visit that he should strengthen the Regio Esercito to the point that he could abolish parliament and rule Italy as a dictator.

A major criticism of the policies carried out by the Prime Ministers appointed by Umberto was the continued power of organized crime in the Mezzogiorno (Southern Italy), with the Mafia dominating Sicily and the Camorra dominating Campania. Both the Mafia and the Camorra functioned as "parallel states" whose existence and power was tolerated by successive governments in Rome as both the Mafia and the Camorra engaged in electoral fraud and voter intimidation so effective that it was Mafia and Camorra bosses who decided who won elections. As it was impossible to win elections in the Mezzogiorno without the support of organized crime, politicians cut deals with the bosses of the Camorra and Mafia to exchange toleration of their criminal activities for votes. The Mezzogiorno was the most backward region of Italy with high levels of poverty, emigration and an illiteracy rate estimated as high as 70%. The deputies from the Mezzogiorno always voted against more schools for the Mezzogiorno, thus perpetuating southern backwardness and poverty as both the Mafia and the Camorra were opposed to any sort of social reform that might threaten their power. However, the king preferred heavy military spending rather than engaging in social reforms and every year, the Italian state spent 10 times more money on the military than on education. Umberto, an aggressive proponent of militarism, once said that to accept cuts in the military budget would be "an abject scandal and we might as well give up politics altogether". At least part of the reason why Umberto was so opposed to cutting the military budget was because he personally promised Emperor Wilhelm II that Italy would send five army corps to Germany in the event of a war with France, a promise that the king did not see fit to share with his prime ministers.

The Italian Royal Family during a royal state visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II at Rome, from left to right, Isabella of Bavaria, Duchess of Genoa, Prince Amadeo, Duke of Aosta, Princess Elisabeth of Saxony, Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont, Queen Margherita, Prince Henry of Prussia, Wilhelm II, Prince Tommaso, Duke of Genoa, Maria Letizia Bonaparte, Duchess of Aosta, and Umberto I, October 1888

Umberto was also favourably disposed towards the policy of colonial expansion inaugurated in 1885 by the occupation of Massawa in Eritrea. Italy expanded into Somalia in the 1880s as well. Umberto's preferred solution to the problems of Italy was to conquer Ethiopia, regardless of overwhelming public opposition. He supported the ultra-imperialist Prime Minister Francesco Crispi who in May 1895 spoke of "the absolute impossibility of continuing to govern through Parliament." In December 1893, Umberto appointed Crispi prime minister despite his "shattered reputation" due to his involvement in the Banca Romana scandal together with numerous other scandals that the king himself called "sordid". As Crispi was heavily in debt, the king secretly agreed to pay off his debts in exchange for Crispi following the king's advice.

Umberto openly called Parliament a "bad joke" and refused to allow Parliament to meet again lest Crispi faced difficult questions about the Banca Romana scandal. Crispi only avoided indictment because of his parliamentary immunity. When the king was warned that it was dangerous for the crown to support someone like Crispi, Umberto replied that "Crispi is a pig, but a necessary pig", who despite his corruption, had to stay in power for "the national interest, which is the only thing that matters". With the support of the king, Crispi governed in an authoritarian manner, preferring to pass legislation by having the king issue royal decrees as opposed to getting bills passed by Parliament. On 25 June 1895 Crispi refused to allow a parliamentary inquiry into the bank scandal, saying that as a prime minister, he was above the law because he had "served Italy for 53 years". Umberto I was suspected of aspiring to a vast empire in northeast Africa, a suspicion which tended somewhat to diminish his popularity after the disastrous Battle of Adwa in Ethiopia on 1 March 1896. After the Battle of Adwa, public frustration with the deeply unpopular war with Ethiopia came to the fore, and demonstrations broke out in Rome with people shouting "death to the king!" and "long live the republic!".

Menelik II's victory over the Italians at the Battle of Adwa
Umberto's coat of arms as a knight of the garter

Despite the defeat at Adwa, Umberto still harboured imperialistic ambitions towards Ethiopia, saying: "I am what they call a warmonger and my personal wish would be to strike back at Menelik and avenge our defeat." In 1897, the prime minister, Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì tried to sell Eritrea to Belgium on the grounds that Eritrea was too expensive to hold onto, but was overruled by the king who insisted that Eritrea must stay Italian. Rudinì attempted to reduce military spending, citing a study showing that since 1861 military spending constituted over half the budget every year, but was again blocked by the king. In 1899, Foreign Minister Felice Napoleone Canevaro dispatched a Regia Marina squadron to China with an ultimatum demanding that the Chinese government hand over a coastal city to be ruled as an Italian concession in the same manner as other Western imperial powers in China. Prime Minister Luigi Pelloux and his fellow cabinet ministers stated that Canevaro had acted without informing them, and it was widely believed that the king was the one who had given Canevaro the orders to acquire a concession in China. After the Chinese government refused, Canevaro threatened war, but was forced to back down. He settled for breaking diplomatic relations with China.

In the summer of 1900, Italian forces were part of the Eight-Nation Alliance which participated in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion in Imperial China. Through the Boxer Protocol, signed after Umberto's death, the Kingdom of Italy gained a concession territory in Tientsin.

Umberto's attitude towards the Holy See was uncompromising. In an 1886 telegram, he declared Rome "untouchable" and affirmed the permanence of the Italian possession of the "Eternal City".

Turmoil

Umberto I in his later years, c. 1900

The reign of Umberto I was a time of social upheaval, though it was later claimed to have been a tranquil Belle Époque. Social tensions mounted as a consequence of the relatively recent occupation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the spread of socialist ideas, public hostility to the colonialist plans of the various governments, especially Crispi's, and the numerous crackdowns on civil liberties. The protesters included the young Benito Mussolini, then a member of the socialist party. On 22 April 1897, Umberto I was attacked again, by an unemployed ironsmith, Pietro Acciarito, who tried to stab him near Rome.

Bava Beccaris massacre

Main article: Bava Beccaris massacre

During the colonial wars in Africa, large demonstrations over the rising price of bread were held in Italy and on 7 May 1898, the city of Milan was put under military rule by General Fiorenzo Bava Beccaris, who ordered rifle-fire and artillery against the demonstrators. As a result, 82 people were killed according to the authorities, with opposition sources claiming that the death toll was 400 dead with 2,000 wounded. King Umberto sent a telegram to congratulate Bava Beccaris on the restoration of order and later decorated him with the medal of Great Official of Savoy Military Order, greatly outraging a large part of the public opinion.

Assassination

Gaetano Bresci, killer of Umberto I
Tomb of Umberto I at the Pantheon

On the evening of 29 July 1900, Italian-American anarchist Gaetano Bresci assassinated Umberto in Monza by shooting him four times. Bresci claimed he wanted to avenge the people killed in Milan during the suppression of the riots of May 1898.

Umberto was buried in the Pantheon in Rome, by the side of his father Victor Emmanuel II, on 9 August 1900. He was the last Savoy to be buried there, as his son and successor Victor Emmanuel III died in exile and was buried in Egypt until his remains were transferred to Vicoforte near Cuneo in 2017.

American anarchist Leon F. Czolgosz claimed that the assassination of Umberto I was his inspiration to kill President William McKinley in September 1901.

Honours

Italian

Foreign

Ancestry

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Ancestors of Umberto I of Italy
8. Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Carignano
4. Charles Albert of Sardinia
9. Princess Maria Christina of Saxony
2. Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
10. Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany
5. Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria
11. Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily
1. Umberto I of Italy
12. Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
6. Archduke Rainer of Austria
13. Infanta Maria Louisa of Spain
3. Archduchess Adelaide of Austria
14. Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Carignano (= 8)
7. Princess Elisabeth of Savoy
15. Princess Maria Christina of Saxony (= 9)

References

  1. ^ Steed, Henry Wickham (1911). "Humbert, Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio, King of Italy" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 872–873.
  2. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 71. ISBN 0300051328.
  3. ^ Newton, Michael (2014). Famous Assassinations in World History : An Encyclopedia . New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 589. ISBN 978-1-61069-286-1.
  4. Christopher Duggan (2007). The Force of Destiny. A History of Italy Since 1796. Allen Lane. p. 307. ISBN 978-0-713-99709-5.
  5. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 72. ISBN 0300051328.
  6. Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 60. ISBN 0300051328.
  7. Müller, Frank Lorenz (2023). Royal Heirs: Succession and the Future of Monarchy in Nineteenth-Century Europe. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-316-51291-3.
  8. Salvatore Merlino, «L'Italia così com'è», 1891 in "Al caffè", by Errico Malatesta, 1922
  9. ^ Ungari, Andrea (2013). The Libyan War 1911–1912. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 23–24. ISBN 978-1-4438-4837-4.
  10. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 109. ISBN 0300051328.
  11. Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 164. ISBN 0300051328.
  12. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. pp. 164–165. ISBN 0300051328.
  13. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 165. ISBN 0300051328.
  14. Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 101. ISBN 0300051328.
  15. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 99. ISBN 0300051328.
  16. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 115. ISBN 0300051328.
  17. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 106. ISBN 0300051328.
  18. Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 116. ISBN 0300051328.
  19. Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 122. ISBN 0300051328.
  20. Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. pp. 134–135. ISBN 0300051328.
  21. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 129. ISBN 0300051328.
  22. ^ Denis Mack Smith (1989). Italy and Its Monarchy. Yale University Press. p. 135. ISBN 0300051328.
  23. BBC History Magazine, October 2013, p. 91
  24. Christopher Duggan (2007). The Force of Destiny. A History of Italy Since 1796. Allen Lane. p. 349. ISBN 978-0-713-99709-5.
  25. Kemp, Michael (2018). "The Cook, the Blacksmith, the King and the Weaver". Bombs, Bullets and Bread: The Politics of Anarchist Terrorism Worldwide, 1866–1926. McFarland. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-4766-3211-7.
  26. Cibrario, Luigi (1869). Notizia storica del nobilissimo ordine supremo della santissima Annunziata. Sunto degli statuti, catalogo dei cavalieri (in Italian). Eredi Botta. p. 116. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  27. ^ Justus Perthes, Almanach de Gotha (1900) p. 47
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  32. ^ Gazzette
  33. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Bayern (1873), "Königliche Orden" p. 10
  34. Belgien (1869). Almanach royal officiel: 1869. p. 53.
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External links

Umberto I of Italy House of SavoyBorn: 14 March 1844 Died: 29 July 1900
Regnal titles
Preceded byVictor Emmanuel II King of Italy
1878–1900 		Succeeded byVictor Emmanuel III
Kings of Italy between 1861 and 1946
Princes of Piedmont
Held in pretense:
*denotes titular Prince      †dispute over succession
Princes of Savoy
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*member of a cadet branch of the House of Savoy
** Prince of Savoy-Genoa
*** Prince of Savoy-Aosta
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