Editing Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (section)

==Biography==
[[File:Dankaerts-Historis-9273.tif|thumb|left|Engraving of Victor Amadeus I]]
[[Image:Armoiries Savoie 1630.png|125px|thumb|left|Coat of Arms of the Dukes of Savoy after Victor Amadeus I]]

Victor Amadeus was born in [[Turin]], [[Piedmont]], as the second son and child of [[Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy]] and [[Catherine Micaela of Spain]], daughter of King [[Philip II of Spain]]. He spent much of his childhood in [[Madrid]] at the court of his grandfather Philip II. He stayed there until the king's death in 1598, when Victor Amadeus was eleven. As the second son of the Duke, he was not expected to become Duke of Savoy. That changed when his brother, Filippo Emanuele, died in 1605, thus he became heir-apparent to the [[Duchy of Savoy]] and received the homage of the court at [[Racconigi]] on 21 January 1607.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}

Victor Amadeus became Duke of Savoy after his father's death in 1630. Charles Emmanuel's policies had brought great instability in the relationships with both [[France]] and Spain, and troops were needed to defend the Duchy. As money was lacking to recruit mercenaries or train indigenous soldiers, Victor Amadeus signed a peace treaty with Spain.

With the [[Treaty of Cherasco]], Savoy was forced to give [[Pinerolo]] to France. This gave France a strategic route into the heart of Savoy territory and on into the rest of Italy. The rulers of Savoy from that point resented this loss and worked for decades with the goal of regaining that loss.{{sfn|Storrs|1999|p=1}} Subsequently, under the direction of [[Cardinal Richelieu]], Victor Amadeus attempted to create an anti-Spanish league in [[Italy]]. He achieved two victories against the Spanish: In 1636 in the [[Battle of Tornavento]] and on 8 September 1637 in the Battle of Mombaldone.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}