Prince Umberto, Count of Salemi
Encyclopedia
Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta (22 June 1889 – 19 October 1918) was a member of the Aosta
branch of the House of Savoy
and was styled the Count of Salemi.
, the fourth son of Prince Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta
, the only one by his second wife and niece Princess Marie Laetitia Bonaparte
(1886–1926) the daughter of Prince Napoléon
and Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy
. His father, a former king of Spain, died when he was just a year old. He had three older half-brothers: the Duke of Aosta
, the Count of Turin
and the Duke of the Abruzzi
.
In 1908 Umberto began studies at the Naval Academy
in Livorno
. In May 1911, while still at the academy, he was accused of theft. His cousin King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
wanted him arrested, but his mother took him to Turin and challenged the king to carry out the arrest. In July Victor Emmanuel ordered that he be detained at the Castle of Moncalieri
and then spend eighteen months' aboard a man-of-war, during which time a Gendarmerie
colonel would act as his tutor and keeper.
. He joined the Army as a Lieutenant and served in a Catania
Cavalry
regiment. During the war he was awarded a silver medal for bravery displayed while acting as a bombing officer.
Umberto died a month before the end of the war. The official court bulletin recorded that he was killed in action
, but in fact he died of Spanish flu
. He was buried in the cemetery of Crespano del Grappa
. In 1926 his remains were moved to the Sacrario Militare del Monte Grappa
.
Duke of Aosta
In the mid-13th century the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made the County of Aosta a duchy; its arms were carried in the Savoyard coat-of-arms until the unification of Italy in 1870. The region remained part of Savoy lands, with the exception of a French occupation, 1539—1563...
branch of 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...
and was styled the Count of Salemi.
Early life
Umberto was born in TurinTurin
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...
, the fourth son of Prince Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta
Amadeo I of Spain
Amadeo I was the only King of Spain from the House of Savoy...
, the only one by his second wife and niece Princess Marie Laetitia Bonaparte
Maria Letizia Bonaparte
Maria Letizia Bonaparte was one of three children born to Prince Napoléon and his wife Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy. She married Prince Amadeo, Duke of Aosta, the former king of Spain in 1888. Maria Letizia became the Duchess of Aosta, a title of Amadeus' he held before and after his kingship...
(1886–1926) the daughter of Prince Napoléon
Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte
Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte, Prince Français, Count of Meudon, Count of Moncalieri ad personam, titular 3rd Prince of Montfort was the second son of Jérôme Bonaparte, king of Westphalia, by his wife Catherine, princess of Württemberg...
and Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy
Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy
Maria Clotilde of Savoy was born in Turin to Vittorio Emanuele II, later King of Italy and his first wife Adelaide of Austria...
. His father, a former king of Spain, died when he was just a year old. He had three older half-brothers: the Duke of Aosta
Emanuele Filiberto, 2nd Duke of Aosta
Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy-Aosta, 2nd Duke of Aosta was a member of the House of Savoy, former Crown Prince of Spain and a cousin of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.-Biography:...
, the Count of Turin
Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin
Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy-Aosta, Infante of Spain, Count of Turin was a grandchild of King Victor Emmanuel II and a member of the House of Savoy...
and the Duke of the Abruzzi
Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi
Prince Luigi Amedeo Giuseppe Maria Ferdinando Francesco di Savoia-Aosta , Duke of the Abruzzi , was an Italian nobleman, mountaineer and explorer of the royal House of Savoy...
.
In 1908 Umberto began studies at the Naval Academy
Accademia Navale di Livorno
The Italian Naval Academy is a coeducational military university in Leghorn , which is responsible for the technical training of military officers of the Italian Navy.-The Hospital of St. James:...
in Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
. In May 1911, while still at the academy, he was accused of theft. His cousin King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
wanted him arrested, but his mother took him to Turin and challenged the king to carry out the arrest. In July Victor Emmanuel ordered that he be detained at the Castle of Moncalieri
Castle of Moncalieri
The Castle of Moncalieri is a palace in Moncalieri , Piedmont, in northern Italy. It is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1997.-History:...
and then spend eighteen months' aboard a man-of-war, during which time a Gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
colonel would act as his tutor and keeper.
First World War and death
During the First World War Umberto volunteered to serve in the Royal Italian ArmyRoyal Italian Army
The Regio Esercito was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946...
. He joined the Army as a Lieutenant and served in a Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment. During the war he was awarded a silver medal for bravery displayed while acting as a bombing officer.
Umberto died a month before the end of the war. The official court bulletin recorded that he was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, but in fact he died of Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
. He was buried in the cemetery of Crespano del Grappa
Crespano del Grappa
Crespano del Grappa is a city in the province of Treviso, Veneto region of Italy. As of 2007 Crespano del Grappa had an estimated population of 4,680.The sister city to Crespano del Grappa is Folsom, California in the USA....
. In 1926 his remains were moved to the Sacrario Militare del Monte Grappa
Mount Grappa
Monte Grappa is a tall mountain in the Veneto region of Italy. Part of the Alpine foothills, the mountain is divided between the provinces of Vicenza, Treviso and Belluno....
.
Titles and styles
- 22 June 1889 – 1 December 1889 His Royal Highness Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta
- 1 December 1889 – 19 October 1918 His Royal Highness The Count of Salemi
Honours
- Knight of the Order of the Most Holy AnnunciationOrder of the Most Holy AnnunciationThe Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in mediæval Italy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946...
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and LazarusOrder of Saints Maurice and LazarusThe Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of ItalyOrder of the Crown of ItalyThe Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
- Knight of the Civil Order of SavoyCivil Order of SavoyThe Civil Order of Savoy was founded as an order of knighthood in 1831 by the King of Sardinia, Charles Albert, Duke of Savoy. The intention was to reward those virtues not belonging to the existing Military Order of Savoy, founded by Vittorio Emanuele I in 1815. The order has one degree, that of...
- Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta