Bertoleoni
Encyclopedia
Bertoleoni is the self-proclaimed ruling family of the self-styled "Kingdom of Tavolara
" (Sardinia
, Italy
), which claimed to be "the smallest kingdom of the world" (now extinguished). The members of this family were also the only inhabitants of this island (whose land is owned partly by the Marzano family in Rome, and partly by a Nato military base), which had been abandoned in the 1730s because of North-African piracy in the area. They sustained themselves by goat farming and fishing. Currently, the mock-kingdom is a tourist attraction for the 50 or so native inhabitants of the island, where the current "king" and "crown princess" run its two restaurants and sell souvenirs to visitors of the Natural Park.
A Giuseppe Bertoleoni clained that during a hunting trip, Charles Albert
, King of Sardinia
, verbally appointed him "king of Tavolara" in 1836. According to Giuseppe Bertoleoni, Charles Albert also (verbally) sanctioned the use of the title "Prince" for the oldest male heir, and the titles "Lord of the Islands" (Signore delle Isole) and "Lady of the Sea" (Signora del Mare) for the younger children of the king.
The present pretender to the throne is "king" Tonino, an Italian citizen who runs Da Tonino, a restaurant on the island.
, but failed because of his title ]].
Passed kingdom to son Paolo in 1845; died 1849. Giuseppe's origins are a mystery. Because he claimed to be more highly educated than the average Sardinian shepherd, some have speculated on no ground that he was a fugitive member of the Carbonari
, an exiled French aristocrat, or even the Lost Dauphin.
Son of Giuseppe Bertoleoni and Laura Ornano, born 1815. In 1839 he visited King Charles Albert in Turin
and obtained a royal charter to Tavolara. During this period, the Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi
was associated with the Bertoleoni family, often visiting Paolo's relatives on the islands of La Maddalena
and Caprera
.
After the creation of the Italian Kingdom
in 1861, Paolo pressed and obtained recognition for Tavolara from Victor Emmanuel II ]]. After he fell ill in 1882, his wife Pasqua Favale acted as regent until his death on May 30, 1886. A number of newspapers published the report that on his deathbed he asked that the kingdom die with him, and that his family therefore established a republic. These reports, however, were erroneous.
visited Tavolara, and the officers took a photograph of King Carlo and his family to hang in Queen Victoria's collection of royal portraits in Buckingham Palace
. By 1904, however, Carlo was king in name only, having no ambition to rule. He is reported to have said, "I do not care to be a king. It is enough for me to make as fine lobster-pots as did my father." He was persuaded to reign, however, until his death, which was reported either Nov 6, 1927, at Olbia
, or Jan 31, 1928, at Ventimiglia
on the Italian Riviera.
to his native Italy in 2002, Tonino vowed an appeal to him, as heir to the House of Savoy
, for recognition of the Tavolaran kingdom. The self-styled "Crown Princess" is married to an American Naval Officer. The Princess has assumed the governmental duties. Tonino's children by Pompea Romano is Princess Anna.
Kingdom of Tavolara
The Kingdom of Tavolara was a small independent state existing in the 19th and 20th centuries in Tavolara Island, off the northeast coast of Sardinia. Ruled by the Bertoleoni family, it was one of the smallest kingdoms in the world...
" (Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), which claimed to be "the smallest kingdom of the world" (now extinguished). The members of this family were also the only inhabitants of this island (whose land is owned partly by the Marzano family in Rome, and partly by a Nato military base), which had been abandoned in the 1730s because of North-African piracy in the area. They sustained themselves by goat farming and fishing. Currently, the mock-kingdom is a tourist attraction for the 50 or so native inhabitants of the island, where the current "king" and "crown princess" run its two restaurants and sell souvenirs to visitors of the Natural Park.
A Giuseppe Bertoleoni clained that during a hunting trip, Charles Albert
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
, King of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, verbally appointed him "king of Tavolara" in 1836. According to Giuseppe Bertoleoni, Charles Albert also (verbally) sanctioned the use of the title "Prince" for the oldest male heir, and the titles "Lord of the Islands" (Signore delle Isole) and "Lady of the Sea" (Signora del Mare) for the younger children of the king.
The present pretender to the throne is "king" Tonino, an Italian citizen who runs Da Tonino, a restaurant on the island.
Giuseppe (1836-1845)
Born December 20, 1778, on the nearby island of Maddalena, Giuseppe Celestino Bertoleoni Poli was a shepherd and the only inhabitant of the island before Charles Albert's visit. He claimed to have impressed him as an educated man and to have been made king of the island shortly thereafter. He brought his two families from other islands to live with him. The Italian government tried to prosecute him for bigamyBigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
, but failed because of his title ]].
Passed kingdom to son Paolo in 1845; died 1849. Giuseppe's origins are a mystery. Because he claimed to be more highly educated than the average Sardinian shepherd, some have speculated on no ground that he was a fugitive member of the Carbonari
Carbonari
The Carbonari were groups of secret revolutionary societies founded in early 19th-century Italy. The Italian Carbonari may have further influenced other revolutionary groups in Spain, France, Portugal and possibly Russia. Although their goals often had a patriotic and liberal focus, they lacked a...
, an exiled French aristocrat, or even the Lost Dauphin.
Paolo I (1845-1886)
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and obtained a royal charter to Tavolara. During this period, the Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
was associated with the Bertoleoni family, often visiting Paolo's relatives on the islands of La Maddalena
La Maddalena
La Maddalena is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy.-The town:...
and Caprera
Caprera
Caprera is a small island off the coast of Sardinia, Italy, located in the Maddalena archipelago.In the area of La Maddalena island in the Strait of Bonifacio, it is a tourist destination and is famous as the place to which Giuseppe Garibaldi retired .This island has been declared a natural reserve...
.
After the creation of the Italian Kingdom
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
in 1861, Paolo pressed and obtained recognition for Tavolara from Victor Emmanuel II ]]. After he fell ill in 1882, his wife Pasqua Favale acted as regent until his death on May 30, 1886. A number of newspapers published the report that on his deathbed he asked that the kingdom die with him, and that his family therefore established a republic. These reports, however, were erroneous.
Carlo I (1886-1927)
Son of Paolo I and Pasqua Favale, born 1845. In the summer of 1900 the British naval vessel HMS VulcanHMS Vulcan (1889)
HMS Vulcan was a torpedo boat depot ship launched on 13th June 1889, converted to a training hulk. She was renamed HMS Defiance III in 1931 and used for training at Torpoint, Cornwall. She was scrapped in Belgium in 1955....
visited Tavolara, and the officers took a photograph of King Carlo and his family to hang in Queen Victoria's collection of royal portraits in Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. By 1904, however, Carlo was king in name only, having no ambition to rule. He is reported to have said, "I do not care to be a king. It is enough for me to make as fine lobster-pots as did my father." He was persuaded to reign, however, until his death, which was reported either Nov 6, 1927, at Olbia
Olbia
Olbia is a town and comune of 56,231 inhabitants in northeastern Sardinia , in the Gallura sub-region. Called Olbia in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle Ages and Terranova Pausania before the 1940s, Olbia was again the official name of the town after the period of Fascism.-Geography:It is the...
, or Jan 31, 1928, at Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia is a city and comune in Liguria, northern Italy, in the province of Imperia. It is located southwest of Genoa by rail, and 7 km from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia River, which divides the town into two parts...
on the Italian Riviera.
Mariangela (1927-1929)
Daughter of Paolo I and Pasqua Favale, born 1841, she took up the crown at the request of her nephew Paolo (Carlo's son and designated successor) during his absence from the island (he had left the island looking for job). When Mariangela died April 6, 1934, it was reported that Italy would inherit the kingdom.Paolo II (1929-1962)
Son of Carlo I and Maddalena Favale, born 1897. Married 1930 to Italia Murru and initiated a renaissance of the monarchy. Appointed his cousin Prince Ernesto Carlo Geremia as Lieutenant General of the Kingdom. After Paolo's death Dec 2, 1962, the widowed Queen Italia Murru retired to Porto San Paolo on Sardinia, wintering at Capo Testa, until her death in 2003 at age 95. Paolo II was the last to actively rule Tavolara (numbering then about 50 inhabitants). At the end of his reign, half the island was occupied by a NATO military installation.Carlo II (1962-1993)
Eldest son of Paolo II and Italia Murru, born 1931. Married, no issue. Died May 1993 at Capo Testa, Sardinia. During the 1960s, his cousin Maria Molinas Bertoleoni (daughter of Mariangela and Bachisio Molinas, born 1869) also laid claim to the vacant "throne".Tonino (1933- )
Antonio (Tonino) Bertoleoni, second son of Paolo II and Italia Murru, was born in 1933. He is the owner of Da Tonino restaurant; his sister Princess Maddalena owns La Corona restaurant nearby. Following the return of Vittorio Emanuele of NaplesVittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, formerly Crown Prince of Italy is the only son of the Umberto II, the last King of Italy. He is commonly known in Italy as Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia...
to his native Italy in 2002, Tonino vowed an appeal to him, as heir to the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, for recognition of the Tavolaran kingdom. The self-styled "Crown Princess" is married to an American Naval Officer. The Princess has assumed the governmental duties. Tonino's children by Pompea Romano is Princess Anna.
External links
- "Incontro con il Re di Tavolara" - 2009 interview with Antonio Bertoleoni on Youtube