Editing Victor Amadeus III

{{Short description|King of Sardinia from 1773 to 1796}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Victor Amadeus III
| image        = Clementi, attributed to - Victor Amadeus III.jpg
| caption      = Portrait of the Duke of Savoy wearing the badge and star of the [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation|Order of the Annuziata]], by [[Maria Giovanna Clementi]], {{circa|1746–61}}
| reign        = 20 February 1773 &ndash; {{nowrap|16 October 1796}}
| succession   = [[King of Sardinia]]<br/> [[Duke of Savoy]]
| predecessor  = [[Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia|Charles Emmanuel III]]
| successor    = [[Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia|Charles Emmanuel IV]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1726|06|26|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Royal Palace of Turin|Royal Palace]], [[Turin]], [[Duchy of Savoy|Savoy]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1796|10|16|1726|06|26|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Castle of Moncalieri]], Turin, Savoy
| place of burial = [[Basilica of Superga]], Turin
| date of burial = 
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain]]|31 May 1750|19 September1785|end=d}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
*[[Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia|Charles Emmanuel IV, King of Sardinia]]
*[[Maria Elisabetta Carlotta of Savoy|Princess Maria Elisabetta Carlotta]]
*[[Marie Joséphine of Savoy|Marie Joséphine, Countess of Provence]]
*[[Maria Theresa of Savoy|Marie Thérèse, Countess of Artois]]
*[[Maria Anna of Savoy, Duchess of Chablais|Maria Anna, Duchess of Chablais]]
*[[Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia|Victor Emmanuel I, King of Sardinia]]
*Princess Maria Cristina Ferdinanda
*[[Prince Maurizio, Duke of Montferrat|Maurizio, Duke of Montferrat]]
*[[Princess Maria Carolina of Savoy|Maria Carolina, Electoral Princess of Saxony]]
*[[Charles Felix of Sardinia|Charles Felix, King of Sardinia]]
*[[Prince Giuseppe, Count of Asti|Giuseppe, Count of Asti]]
}}
| full name    = 
*{{langx|it|Vittorio Amedeo Maria di Savoia}}
*{{langx|fr|Victor-Amédéé-Marie de Savoie}}
| house        = [[House of Savoy|Savoy]]
| father       = [[Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia]]
| mother       = [[Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg]]
| religion     = [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]]
| signature    = Signature of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia.svg
}}

'''Victor Amadeus III''' (Vittorio Amedeo Maria; 26 June 1726 &ndash; 16 October 1796) was [[King of Sardinia]] and ruler of the [[Savoyard state|Savoyard states]] from 20 February 1773 to his death in 1796. Although he was politically conservative, he carried out numerous administrative reforms until he declared war on [[Revolutionary France]] in 1792.<ref>Rich. Elihu: ''Cyclopædia of biography, a series of original memoirs of the most distinguished persons of all times ed. by E. Rich'', 1854, p 804</ref> He was the father of the last three mainline kings of [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Sardinia]].

==Early life and personality==
[[File:Carlo Emanuele III with the future Vittorio Amedeo III.jpg|thumb|left|286x286px|Prince Victor Amadeus with his father, portrait by [[Maria Giovanna Clementi|Clementi]]]]
Born at the [[Royal Palace of Turin]], he was a son of [[Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia]] and his second wife, [[Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg]]. He was styled the ''Duke of Savoy'' from birth until he succeeded to his father's throne.<ref>Campbell. John: ''The present state of Europe'', London, 1761, p 341</ref> He was the eldest son of his parents and was the [[heir apparent]] from birth which was greeted with much celebration. His father had had a son with his first wife, [[Countess Palatine Anne Christine of Sulzbach]], who was also named Victor Amadeus, [[Duke of Aosta]], but died in 1725. His education was entrusted to [[Hyacinthe Sigismond Gerdil|Gerdil Giacinto Sigismondo]], with a particular emphasis on military training. Throughout his life, he had a great interest in the state military, on which he lavished attention.

As a young prince, he surrounded himself with intellectuals and ministers, many of whom would come to prominence in his reign. He was privately conservative and a very religious person, and, as a young boy, stayed far from public life. His father felt him to be unsuitable to hold power.

Good-natured but naive, Savoy was loved by his subjects for his generosity.<ref>Botta, Carlo: ''Storia d'Italia dal 1789 al 1814'', 1837, Torino, p 105</ref>

==Marriage==

He married [[Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain|Infanta Maria Antonia of Spain]] (1729–1785), youngest daughter of [[Philip V of Spain]] and [[Elisabeth Farnese]].<ref name="Morselli. Mario: ''Amedeo Avogadro, a scientific biography'', Springer, 1984, p 6"/> They were married on 31 May 1750 at [[Oulx]] and later had twelve children. He had a loving relationship with his wife, who exerted little influence over her husband.<ref name="Morselli. Mario: ''Amedeo Avogadro, a scientific biography'', Springer, 1984, p 6">Morselli. Mario: ''Amedeo Avogadro, a scientific biography'', Springer, 1984, p 6</ref> The marriage had been arranged by Maria Antonietta's half-brother, the ruling [[Ferdinand VI of Spain]]. The Spanish [[Infanta]] had been previously rejected by [[Louis, Dauphin of France (son of Louis XV)|Louis, Dauphin of France]]. The union was used to strengthen relations between [[Madrid]] and [[Turin]] having fought on opposing sides in the [[War of the Austrian Succession]]. The [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]] ended the war.

==King of Sardinia==
[[File:Ritratto di Re Vittorio Amedeo III di Sardegna.jpg|left|thumb|Portrait of Victor Amadeus III his in coronation robes by Ludovico Tesio, {{Circa|1780}}]]
When Victor Amadeus came to the throne in 1773 he started working on bureaucratic and military aspects of the reign. He was suspicious of anything innovative. However, he did implement several public works as well as paying a great deal of attention to his administration and armed forces. He approved and set up two new important cultural state institutions on the advice of the bourgeoisie and aristocracy alike. He started works of improvements in the port of [[Nice]], and had dams in the Arce and the road of the Côte built.[[File:Armoiries Sardaigne 1720.svg|thumb|right|Arms of Victor Amadeus III's youngest son, Charles Felix]]At the outbreak of the [[French Revolution]], Victor Amadeus III allowed his two sons-in-law, the Counts of Artois and Provence and the Princesses [[Princess Marie Adélaïde of France|Marie Adélaïde]] and [[Princess Victoire of France|Victoire]] to stay in his kingdom under his protection. After four years of fighting, the French under [[Napoleon|Bonaparte]] had finally beaten the Piedmontese army in the [[Battle of Montenotte]] (12 April 1796), the [[Battle of Millesimo]] (13–14 April 1796) and the [[Battle of Mondovi]] (21 April 1796). On 26 April the French proclaimed the [[Republic of Alba]] in the occupied territories. Two days later, with the Armistice of Cherasco, the republic was ceded back to Victor Amadeus. 

He was forced to sign the [[Treaty of Paris (1796)|Treaty of Paris]] on 15 May, abandoning the [[First Coalition]] against the French Republic. The terms of the treaty required him to cede the fortresses of [[Cuneo]], [[Ceva]], [[Alessandria]] and [[Tortona]] to France, and allow free passage of the latter's armies towards Italy. He was also compelled to cede Nice and [[Savoy]]. 

He died on 16 October 1796 at the [[Castle of Moncalieri]] having suffered an attack of [[apoplexy]]. Victor Amadeus died leaving an economically damaged kingdom and two key provinces &ndash; Savoy and Nice &ndash; devastated, having suffered at the hands of French revolutionary forces. He was buried at the [[Basilica of Superga]] in Turin.<ref>Bertolotti. Davide:''Istoria della R. Casa di Savoia'', Antonio Fontana, 1830, p 289</ref>
==Legacy==
In 1786 Victor Amadeus III moved the remains of many of his ancestors and kinsmen to the [[Basilica of Superga]], where he himself rests today. He established the [[Gold Medal of Military Valour]] on 21 May 1793. Like his parents, he carried out improvements to the [[Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi]] outside Turin. Victor Amadeus III also encouraged the extension of the [[Orto Botanico dell'Università di Torino]] as well as the [[Società Agraria di Torino]], which he created in 1785. His first cousin the [[Victor Amadeus, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg|Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg]] was named after him.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Mengs - Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia - Versailles MV 3963.png|Portrait by [[Anton Raphael Mengs]], {{Circa|1773-1780}}
File:Ritratto di Sua Maestà Vittorio Amedeo III di Savoia.png|Portrait by [[Giuseppe Duprà]], {{Circa|1775-1784}}
File:Vittorio Amedeo III.jpg|Portrait of Victor Amadeus III in his later reign by Giovanni Panealbo, {{Circa|1790s}}
</gallery>
==Issue==
[[File:Portrait of the family of the Duke of Savoy by Giuseppe Duprà circa 1760.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Family of the future King of Sardinia in 1760, ''[[Giuseppe Duprà]]'']]
# [[Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia]] (24 May 1751 &ndash; 6 October 1819) married [[Marie Clotilde of France|Princess Marie Clotilde of France]] in 1775, no issue.
# [[Maria Elisabetta Carlotta of Savoy]] (16 July 1752 &ndash; 17 April 1755) died in infancy.
# [[Princess Marie Joséphine of Savoy|Maria Giuseppina of Savoy]] (2 September 1753 &ndash; 13 November 1810) married [[Louis XVIII of France|Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence]] in 1771, no issue.
# [[Amadeus Alexander of Savoy]] (5 October 1754 &ndash; 29 April 1755) died in infancy.
# [[Princess Maria Theresa of Savoy|Maria Teresa of Savoy]] (31 January 1756 &ndash; 2 June 1805) married [[Charles X of France|Charles, Count of Artois]] in 1773, had issue.
# [[Princess Maria Anna of Savoy|Maria Anna of Savoy]] (17 December 1757 &ndash; 11 October 1824) married [[Prince Benedetto, Duke of Chablais|Prince Benedetto of Savoy]] in 1775, no issue.
# [[Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia]] (24 July 1759 &ndash; 10 January 1824) married [[Maria Theresa of Austria-Este (1773-1832)|Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria-Este]] in 1789, had issue.
# [[Maria Cristina Ferdinanda of Savoy]] (21 November 1760 &ndash; 19 May 1768) died in childhood.
# [[Prince Maurizio, Duke of Montferrat|Maurizio of Savoy]] (13 December 1762 &ndash; 1 September 1799) died unmarried of [[malaria]].<ref name="Savoia"/>
# [[Princess Maria Carolina of Savoy|Maria Carolina of Savoy]] (17 January 1764 &ndash; 28 December 1782) married [[Anthony of Saxony|Antony, Electoral Prince of Saxony]] in 1781, no issue.
# [[Charles Felix of Sardinia]] (6 April 1765 &ndash; 27 April 1831) married [[Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily|Princess Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily]] in 1807, no issue.
# [[Prince Giuseppe, Count of Asti|Giuseppe of Savoy]] (5 October 1766 &ndash; 29 October 1802) died unmarried of malaria.<ref name="Savoia">{{cite web|url=http://www.sardimpex.com/sito%20in%20costruzione/Savoia/savoia3.htm|title= Savoia|access-date= 2010-08-26}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat-inline|Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia}}

{{Princes of Savoy}}
{{Kings of Sardinia (House of Savoy)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Victor Amadeus 03 Of Savoy}}
[[Category:1726 births]]
[[Category:1796 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century kings of Sardinia]]
[[Category:18th-century dukes of Savoy]]
[[Category:Nobility from Turin]]
[[Category:Claimant kings of Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Grand masters of the Gold Medal of Military Valor]]
[[Category:Burials at the Basilica of Superga]]
[[Category:Princes of Savoy]]
[[Category:People of the War of the First Coalition]]