Editing Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy

{{Short description|Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Charles Emmanuel I
| image        = Bildnis des Herzog Karl Emanuel I von Savoyen.jpg
| caption      = Portrait by unknown, c. 17th century
| succession   = [[Duke of Savoy]]
| reign        = 30 August 1580 – 26 July 1630
| predecessor  = [[Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy|Emmanuel Philibert]]
| successor    = [[Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy|Victor Amadeus I]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Catalina Micaela of Spain]]|1585|6 November 1597|end=d.}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
*[[Philip Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont]]
*[[Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy]]
*[[Emanuel Filibert of Savoy|Emanuel Filibert, Viceroy of Sicily]]
*[[Margaret of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal|Margaret, Duchess of Mantua]]
*[[Isabella of Savoy|Isabella, Hereditary Princess of Modena]]
*[[Maurice of Savoy]]
*[[Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano]]
}}
| issue-link   = #Marriage and issue
| issue-pipe   = more...
| full name    = 
| house        = [[House of Savoy|Savoy]]
| father       = [[Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy]]
| mother       = [[Margaret of Valois, Duchess of Berry]]
| birth_date   = 12 January 1562
| birth_place  = [[Castle of Rivoli]], [[Rivoli, Piedmont|Rivoli]], [[Duchy of Savoy]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1630|7|26|1562|1|12|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Savigliano]], Duchy of Savoy
| religion     = [[Catholic Church]]
| signature    = Firma di carl emanuele i di savoia.jpg
}}

'''Charles Emmanuel I''' ({{langx|it|Carlo Emanuele di Savoia}}; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as  '''the Great''', was the [[Duke of Savoy]] and ruler of the [[Savoyard states]] from 30 August 1580 until his death almost 50 years later in 1630, he was the longest-reigning Savoyard monarch at the time, only for his record to be surpassed by his great-grandson [[Victor Amadeus II]]. He was nicknamed {{lang|it|Testa d'feu}} ({{lit|Hothead}}, in context "the Hot-Headed") for his rashness and military aggression.

Being ambitious and confident, Charles pursued a policy of expansion for his duchy, seeking to expand it into a kingdom.

==Biography==
[[File:Charles emmanuel with dwarf.jpg|thumb|left|''Charles Emmanuel as a boy with [[Dwarfism|dwarf]]'', portrait by [[Giacomo Vighi]], c. 1572]]
Charles was born in the [[Castle of Rivoli]] in [[Piedmont]], the only child of [[Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy]] and [[Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry]].{{sfn|Vester|2013|p=7}} He succeeded his father as duke on 30 August 1580.{{sfn|Kamen|1997|p=249}} 

His father was a devout Catholic and advised Charles to follow in his footsteps:<blockquote>
My son, I urge you above all to be a true friend and devout servant of God and His holy Catholic religion, as were your ancestors. Never begin anything without first asking His favor and help, for while we men know little, that Majesty sees all and is eternal wisdom. So long as you rely on Him, you will be safe.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Medrano |first=Juan Fernandez de |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DJ7Uw6xczpEC |title=República Mista |date=1602 |publisher=Impr. Real |language=es}}</ref>
</blockquote>

=== Alliance with Spain ===
Well-educated and intelligent, Charles spoke Italian, French, Spanish, as well as Latin. He proved an able warrior although short and [[hunchback]]ed. In the autumn of 1588, taking advantage of the [[French Wars of Religion|civil war weakening France]], he occupied the [[Marquisate of Saluzzo]], which was under French protection.{{sfn|Vester|2013|p=7}} 

The new king, [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]], demanded the restitution of that land, but Charles Emmanuel refused, and war ensued. In 1590 he sent an expedition to Provence in the interests of the Catholic League, and followed it himself later, but the peace of 1593, by which Henry of Navarre was recognized as king of France, put an end to his ambitions.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

On 1 August 1591, the Duke of Savoy appointed [[Tomás Fernández de Medrano]] as his Secretary of State and War, Medrano's expertise in diplomacy and military strategy would have greatly benefited the duchy's political and military endeavours.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tellez |first=Diego |date=2015-01-01 |title=Tomás y Juan Fernández de Medrano: una saga camerana a fines del s. XVI y comienzos del s. XVII |url=https://www.academia.edu/67666898 |journal=Berceo}}</ref> The broader conflict involving France and Spain ended with the [[Peace of Vervins]] (2 May 1598), which left the current but separate question of Saluzzo unsolved. After the Duke started talks with Spain, Henry threatened to return to war until, with the [[Treaty of Lyon (1601)|Treaty of Lyon]] (17 January 1601), Saluzzo went to Savoy in exchange for [[Bresse]], Bugey, and Gex.{{sfn|Vester|2013|p=7}}

=== Oration of the Duke ===
[[File:Charles-Emmanuel I, duc de Savoie (1562-1630).jpeg|thumb|right|Portrait by Jan Kraeck]]
The Duke's Secretary of State and War, [[Tomás Fernández de Medrano]], wrote an important political [[treatise]] titled ''Republica Mista'', published in [[Madrid]] in 1602, which contains a rare and accurate record of the Duke of Savoy's [[Public speaking|oration]] during the [[French Wars of Religion|French War of Religion]]. An excerpt reads:
<blockquote>
If the lord has the authority to command his vassals, and the vassals are obliged to obey the lord in matters not against God, how much more so in matters that serve Him, glorify Him, and are for your own well-being? For over six hundred years, your ancestors have lived under mine, in Christian faith and obedience to the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, building temples and observing sacraments for our salvation. How can you abandon your noble and ancient lineage, the honor of your Catholic heritage, and the religion embraced by your ancestors? By aligning with heretics—those who, abandoning God’s Church, have chosen false associations—you now become adversaries of Christ and allies of Satan. There is but one true faith, one Church, and one shepherd: the Roman Pontiff. Do you not see that false religions have sown discord, creating factions and undermining both spiritual and temporal authority? A prince must protect the Catholic faith, for without a strong religion, no empire can remain powerful. Religion and arms united ensure the survival of a monarchy for ages. Let us remember: '''What is best must be honored by the best, and what rules must be served by the ruler''.' Turn back to the true faith of your forebears and embrace the unity of Christ's Church, lest you lose the peace and salvation promised to those who remain faithful.<ref name=":0" />
</blockquote>

=== Siege of Geneva ===
[[File:Savoyardarmour.jpg|thumb|Savoyard armour captured by the Genevans after Charles Emmanuel's failed attack on Geneva]]
In 1602 Charles Emmanuel attacked the city of [[Geneva]]. On 11 December that year, he led his troops to the city during the night and they surrounded the city walls by two in the morning. The Savoyard [[cuirassiers]] were ordered to dismount and climb the city walls in full armour as a shock tactic. However, the alarm was raised by a night watchman and Geneva's militia rose to meet the invaders.

The attempted raid was a disastrous failure, and 54 Savoyards were killed, with many more captured. Charles Emmanuel's army retreated in a panic and the Savoyard prisoners were executed. The heavy helmets worn by Charles Emmanuel's troops, with visors made in a stylized imitation of a human face, were known as "Savoyard" helmets after this notorious incident. A number of these suits of armour were captured by the Swiss and kept as trophies. The Geneva militia's successful defence of the city's walls is still celebrated as an act of heroism during the annual festival of ''[[L'Escalade]]''.

=== Candidate for the Serbian crown ===
Charles Emmanuel was one of the most wanted candidates for the crown of a restored [[Medieval Serbia|Serbian kingdom]], hypothetically presumed after a Christian crusade against the [[Ottoman Empire]] during planning for the Great Conspiracy of the late 16th and early 17th centuries under the auspices of [[Jovan Kantul|Serbian Patriarch Jovan]], [[Damjan Ljubibratić|diplomat Damjan]], [[Herzegovina|Herzegovinian]] [[Grdan|Duke Grdan]] and other chiefs of the [[Serb clans]].{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}{{Disputed inline|date=April 2020}}{{Verify source|date=April 2020}} At the 1608 Council of [[Morača monastery|Morača]], during a gathering of representatives of the Serb clans and the Serbian Church, Charles was elected ''King of Serbia'' and invited to convert to [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] (as a precondition for being crowned by Patriarch John) and to vow to protect Orthodox Christianity.{{Verify source|date=April 2020}}{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}{{Disputed inline|date=April 2020}} The conspirators, bearing closely in mind the failures of the 1590 decade, did not want to expose themselves in any action before direct support from the West was forthcoming. Thus no broad uprising of the Balkan Christian peoples against the rule of the Ottoman Turks was sparked, as Charles Emmanuel lacked the financial resources to take the crown and restore the Serbian statehood extinguished in the 15th century.

In 1609, Charles Emmanuel came in contact with Albanian mercenaries like [[Giovanni Renesi II|Giovanni Renesi]], his brother Demetrio Renesi and a relative Don Joanne Renesi, who intended to revolt against the Ottomans at the [[Convention of Kuçi]] in 1614.

===Alliance with France ===
{{Main|War of the Montferrat Succession}}
With the [[Treaty of Bruzolo]] (25 April 1610), Charles Emmanuel allied with France against Spain, but the assassination of Henry IV changed the situation, as the treaty was not recognized by [[Marie de' Medici]], who immediately assumed the regency for Henry's son [[Louis XIII of France|Louis XIII]], a minor. Continuing his intrigues, on the death in 1612 of Duke [[Francesco IV Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua]] who was lord of the [[Duchy of Montferrat]], Charles Emmanuel caused the [[war of the Montferrat Succession]] by assaulting that district. This arrayed the Venetians, Tuscany, the Empire and Spain against him, and he was obliged to relinquish his conquest.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Charles Emmanuel obtained the help of French troops to free [[Alba, (CN)|Alba]] from the Spaniards, in January 1617, as the new king resumed his father's alliance with Savoy. Ultimately, the conflict was solved by the treaty of Asti.

His sister [[Christine Marie of France|Christine Marie]] was married to Charles Emmanuel's son, [[Victor Amadeus I of Savoy|Victor Amadeus]] in 1619.

In the [[First Genoese-Savoyard War]] of 1625, Charles Emmanuel tried with the help of France to obtain access to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] at the expense of [[Genoa]].{{sfn|Storrs|1999|p=24}} After Spanish intervention, the status-quo was restored in the [[Treaty of Monçon]].

===War of the Mantuan Succession===
{{Main|War of the Mantuan Succession}}
When the French occupied [[Casale Monferrato]] during the [[War of the Mantuan Succession]] in 1628, Charles Emmanuel allied again with Spain. However, when [[Cardinal Richelieu|Richelieu]] invaded Piedmont and conquered [[Susa, Italy|Susa]], the duke changed sides again and returned to an alliance with France. Then, after [[Philip IV of Spain]] sent two invasion forces from Genoa and [[Como]] under [[Ambrogio Spinola]], Charles Emmanuel declared himself neutral, and in 1630 Richelieu ordered a French army to march into Savoy to force the duke to comply with the pacts. The French troops, soon backed by another army, occupied [[Pinerolo]] and [[Avigliana]]. The Savoy army under his son [[Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy|Victor Amadeus]] was defeated in Lower Valsusa.

In 1628 Giovanni Antonio Ansaldo, an agent of Charles Emmanuel, recruited and furnished with ample funds a group of Genoese conspirators led by [[Giulio Cesare Vachero]] who were to overthrow the Republic of Genoa and place the city under the protection of the Duchy of Savoy.<ref name="Vachero">{{DBI|title=VACCHERO, Giulio Cesare|url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/giulio-cesare-vacchero_(Dizionario-Biografico)|last=Ceccarelli|first=Alessia|volume=97}}</ref> The plot failed and Vachero and his accomplices were sentenced to death.<ref name="Vachero" />

The duke died suddenly of a stroke, while campaigning during the second Monferrato war, at [[Savigliano]] in late July 1630.{{sfn|Vester|2013|p=7}} He was succeeded by his son Victor Amadeus.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Marriage and issue==

In 1585, Charles married [[Catalina Micaela of Spain|Catherine Michaela of Spain]], daughter of [[Philip II of Spain]] and [[Elizabeth of Valois]]. They had:

* [[Filippo Emanuele, Prince of Piedmont]] (1586–1604);
* [[Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy]] (1587–1637), married [[Christine Marie of France]],{{sfn|Vester|2013|p=7}} and had issue;
* [[Emanuel Filibert of Savoy|Emanuel Filibert]] (1588–1624), Spanish [[Viceroy of Sicily]] (1622–24);
* [[Margaret of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal|Margherita]] (1589–1655), married [[Francesco IV Gonzaga]] of Mantua;
* [[Princess Isabella of Savoy|Isabella]] (1591–1626), married [[Alfonso III d'Este, Duke of Modena|Alfonso III d'Este, Hereditary Prince of Modena]];
* [[Maurice of Savoy|Maurice]], a [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]] (1593–1657);
* Maria Apollonia, a nun in Rome (9 February 1594 – 13 July 1656);
* Francesca Caterina, a nun in [[Biella]] (6 October 1595 – 26 September 1640);
* [[Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano]] (1596–1656) married [[Marie de Bourbon, Countess of Soissons]] and had issue;
* Giovanna (born 6 October 1597) died at birth.

In Riva di Chieri on 28 November 1629, he secretly married his long-time and official mistress, Marguerite de Rossillon, ''[[Marquise|Marchesa]]'' di Riva di Chieri (bap. 24 December 1599 – 10 November 1640), with whom he had four children, [[Legitimation#Family law|legitimised]] after the wedding but without succession rights:{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

* Maurizio (died 1645), ''Marchese'' di Poirino, Cavalry colonel.
* Margherita (died 1659), ''[[Seigneur|Signora]]'' of [[Dronero]], [[Roccabruna]] e San Giuliano, married Filippo Francesco [[House of Este|d’Este]], ''Marchese'' di [[San Martino in Rio]] (ancestors of [[Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina]]).
* Gabriele (died 1695), ''Marchese'' di Riva, Cavalry lieutenant general.
* Antonio (died 1688), Abbot of San Michele della Chiusa (1642), of Santa Maria d’Aulps (1645), of Altacomba (1653), of Fruttuaria di [[San Benigno Canavese|San Benigno]] (1660) and Casanuova (1687), Lieutenant General of the County of Nice (1672).

In addition, he had several illegitimate children:

— With Luisa de Duyn Maréchal, daughter of Jean-Marie de Duyn, called Maréchal, baron of [[Val d'Isère]]:
* Emanuele (1600–1652), ''Marchese'' di [[Andorno Micca|Andorno]] and Valle 1621, Governor of [[Asti]] and [[Biella]].  Knight of the Order of St Maurice and Lazarus.

— With Virginia [[Pallavicini family|Pallavicino]]:
* Carlo Umberto (1601–1663), ''Marchese'' di [[Mulazzano]] con Gonzole, married Claudia [[Ferrero-Fieschi]], daughter of Francesco Filiberto Ferrrero' Fieschi, prince 1598 of [[Masserano]] and [[Crevacuore]].
* Silvio (died 1645), Abbot Commander of Santa Maria d’Entremont (1631), of San Lorenzo fuori le mura d’Ivrea (1642), Governor of [[Ivrea]] (1641).
* Vitichindo (d. 1668 or 1674), priest.

— With Argentina Provana, daughter of Giovanni Francesco Provana, count of [[Bussoleno]] and [[Collegno]], and Anna Maria Grimaldi:
* Felice (1604–1643), ''Marchese'' di [[Baldissero d’Alba]], ''[[Seigneur|Signore]]'' of [[Farigliano]], Sessanta, Serravalle e [[Sommariva del Bosco]] (1629), Lieutenant of the [[County of Nice]] 1625/1632.

— With Anna Felizità Cusani:
* Ludovico Cusani (died 1684), Knight of the Order of Saint Maurice and Lazarus.

— With unknown mistress:
*Anna Caterina Meraviglia (died 1660).

== Legacy ==
Charles Emmanuel's military campaigns ignited [[Italian nationalism]] and patriotism.

[[Alessandro Tassoni]] took up the defence of Charles Emmanuel. In quick succession he published anonymously two ''Filippiche'' addressed to the Italian nobility. He exhorted the nobles to discard their lethargy, unite and instead of fighting each other, join Savoy in ridding Italy of Spanish hegemony.<ref name=Noether>{{Cite book|title=Seeds of Italian Nationalism, 1700–1815|author=Emiliana Pasca Noether|year=1969|publisher=AMS Press|page=40}}</ref>

At about the same time that Tassoni was inspired to write the ''Filippiche'', [[Fulvio Testi]], a young poet at the court of the duke of Este, published a collection of poems dedicated to Charles Emmanuel. Not all the poems were of a patriotic nature, but those that were, clearly revealed the feelings Charles Emmanuel had stirred in freedom-loving Italians.<ref name=Noether/>

More than fifty years later [[Vittorio Siri]] still reminisced that “all Italy broke forth with pen and tongue in praises and panegyrics at the name of Carlo Emanuele, and in demonstrations of joy and applause that he had revived . . . the ancient Latin valor, wishing that he . . . [might] one day become the redeemer of Italy's freedom and the restorer of its greatness.”<ref>Vittorio Siri, ''Memorie recondite'' (Paris, 1677), III, 367. </ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Charles Emmanuel I.|volume=5|page=942}}
*{{cite book | first=Henry | last=Kamen | title=Philip II | url=https://archive.org/details/philipofspain00kame | url-access=registration | publisher=Yale University Press | year=1997| isbn=9780300070811 }}
*{{cite book | last=Storrs | first=Christopher | title=War, Diplomacy and the Rise of Savoy 1690–1720 | year=1999 | publisher=Cambridge University Press | isbn=0521551463}}
*{{cite book |editor-first=Matthew |editor-last=Vester |title=Sabaudian Studies: Political Culture, Dynasty, & Territory, 1400–1700 |publisher=Truman State University Press |year=2013 }}

{{s-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Savoy]]|12 January|1562|26 July|1630}}
{{S-reg|}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy|Emmanuel Philibert]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Duke of Savoy]]|years=1580–1630 }}
{{s-aft|after=[[Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy|Victor Amadeus I]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Dukes of Savoy}}
{{Princes of Piedmont}}
{{Princes of Savoy}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles Emmanuel 01 of Savoy}}
[[Category:1562 births]]
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[[Category:16th-century dukes of Savoy]]
[[Category:17th-century dukes of Savoy]]
[[Category:Claimant kings of Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:People from Rivoli, Piedmont]]
[[Category:Princes of Piedmont]]
[[Category:Princes of Savoy]]
[[Category:People of the War of the Mantuan Succession]]