Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/332

 296 ITALY.

The origin of the House of Savoy is not historically established ; but most genealogists trace it to a German Count Berthold, who, in the eleventh century, established himself on the western slope of the Alps, between Mont Blanc and Lake Leman. In 1111 his descendants were enrolled among the Counts of the Holy Roman Em- pire. Count Amadeus, in 1383, founded a law of primogeniture which greatly strengthened the family, leading to the immediate acquisi- tion of the territory of Nice. In 1416, the Counts of Savoy adopted the title of Duke; and, in 1418, they acquired the principality of Piedmont. Taking part in the great wars between France and the Holy Roman Empire, now on the one side, and then on the other, as policy dictated, the Princes of Savoy increased their possessions in all directions, but chiefly towards the south ; and at the Peace of Utrecht, in 1713, they obtained the island of Sicily, with the title of King. Sicily had to be exchanged, in 1720, for the isle of Sar- dinia, to which henceforth the royal dignity remained attached. Genoa and the surrounding territory were added to the Sardinian Crown at the peace of 1815. The direct male line of the House of Savoy died out with King Carlo Felix, in 1831, and the exist- ing Salic Law prohibiting the accession of females, the crown fell to Prince Carlo Alberto, of the House of Savoy -Carignano, a branch founded by Tommaso Francesco, born in 1596, younger son of Duke Carlo Emanuele I. of Savoy. King Carlo Alberto, the first of the house of Savoy-Carignano, abdicated the throne, March 23, 1849, in favour of his son, the present king. By the Treaty of Villafranca, July 11, 1859, and the Peace of Zurich, Nov. 10, 1859, King Vittorio Emanuele II. obtained western Lombardy, part of the Papal States, and the Duchies of Parma and Modena, while the remain'ng districts of Lombardy with Venetia were added to his dominions by the Peace of Prague, of Aug. 23, 1866. Finally, the Papal States, having been taken possession of by an Italian army, after the retreat of the French garrison, were annexed to the kingdom by royal decree of Oct. 9, 1870.

The ' Dotazione della Corona,' or civil list of the King, has been settled at 16,250,000 lire, or 650,000/. The heir-apparent has an annual allowance of 1,200,000 lire, or 48,000/., granted to him at the time of his marriage, in April 1868. The cousin of the King, Prince Alberto Vittorio, Duke of Genoa, has an ' Appannaggio,' or State allowance, of 300.000 lire, or 12,000/. ; and Prince Eugenio of Savoy-Carignano, an allowance of 200,000 lire, or 8,000/. To the latter sum are added 100,000 lire, or 4,000/., as ' Spese di rappresentanza.' Extraordinary expenses of the Court, such as the journeys of the King into the different provinces of Italy, are paid out of the public exchequer, trie same as the cost of building and repairing the roval residences. The large private domains of the reigning tkmily were given up to the State in 1848.