Victor Amadeus II

Victor Amadeus II, born on May fourteenth, sixteen sixty-six, was a prominent politician and the head of the House of Savoy. He ruled the Savoyard states from June twelfth, sixteen seventy-five, until his abdication in seventeen thirty. His reign marked a significant period in Savoyard history, as he became the first of his house to acquire a royal crown, initially ruling as King of Sicily from seventeen thirteen to seventeen twenty, before exchanging it for the Kingdom of Sardinia, which he held until seventeen thirty.

His ascent to power was facilitated by a marriage arranged by Louis XIV, aimed at preserving French influence in Savoy. However, Victor Amadeus soon distanced himself from French control. Following the death of his father in sixteen seventy-five, his mother, Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Nemours, served as regent until he took full control in sixteen eighty-four, when he effectively banished her from state affairs.

Victor Amadeus II's military involvement in the War of the Spanish Succession earned him the Kingdom of Sicily, but he later had to trade this title for the less prosperous Kingdom of Sardinia. His reign, lasting over fifty-five years, made him the longest-reigning monarch in Savoyard history, surpassing Charles Emmanuel I.

Beyond his political achievements, Victor Amadeus left a lasting cultural legacy in Turin. He undertook significant remodeling projects, including the Royal Palace of Turin and the Palace of Venaria, and commissioned the construction of the Basilica of Superga, where he is interred.