List of heads of state of Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of the heads of state of Italy. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a barbarian military leader, in the late 5th century, followed by the Ostrogothic kings up to the mid-6th century. With the Frankish conquest of Italy in the 8th century, the Carolingians assumed the title, which was maintained by subsequent Holy Roman Emperors throughout the Middle Ages. The last Emperor to claim the title was Charles V in the 16th century. During this period, the holders of the title were crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy.
From the unification of Italy in 1861 to 1946 the head of state was the King of Italy, who was the same person as the King of Sardinia according to the Constitution. Italy became a republic under the Constitution of 1948 and the monarch was replaced by a President.
As "Rex Italiae"
- Odoacer (476–493)
- vassal of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Ostrogothic Kingdom (493 – 553)
- Theoderic the Great (493 – 526)
- Athalaric (526 – 534)
- Theodahad (534 – 536)
- Witiges (536 – 540)
- Ildibad (540 – 541)
- Eraric (541)
- Totila (541 – 552)
- Teia (552 – 553)
Kingdom of the Lombards (568 – 814)
- Alboin (568 – 572)
- Cleph (572 – 574)
- Rule of the dukes (ten-year interregnum)
- Authari (584 – 590)
- Agilulf (591 – c. 616)
- Adaloald (c. 616 – c. 626)
- Arioald (c. 626 – 636)
- Rothari (636 – 652)
- Rodoald (652 – 653)
- Aripert I (653 – 661)
- Perctarit and Godepert (661 – 662)
- Grimoald (662 – 671)
- Perctarit (671 – 688), restored from exile
- Alahis (688 – 689), rebel
- Cunincpert (688 – 700)
- Liutpert (700 – 701)
- Raginpert (701)
- Aripert II (701 – 712)
- Ansprand (712)
- Liutprand (712 – 744)
- Hildeprand (744)
- Ratchis (744 – 749)
- Aistulf (749 – 756)
- Desiderius (756 – 774)
- Charlemagne (774 – 814)
Kingdom of Italy (781 – 962)
Carolingian dynasty (781 – 888)
- Pippin (781 – 810)
- Bernard (810 – 818)
- Louis I (818 – 822)
- Lothair I (822 – 855)
- Louis II (844 – 875)
- Charles II the Bald (875 – 877)
- Carloman (877 – 879)
- Charles III the Fat (879 – 887)
Instability (888 – 962)
After 887, Italy fell into instability, with many rulers claiming the kingship simultaneously:
- Berengar I (888 – 896)
- vassal of the German King Arnulf of Carinthia, reduced to Friuli 889-894, deposed by Arnulf in 896.
- Guy of Spoleto (889 – 894)
- opponent of Berengar, ruled most of Italy but was deposed by Arnulf.
- Lambert of Spoleto (891 – 896)
- subking of his father Guy before 894, reduced to Spoleto 894–895.
- Arnulf of Carinthia (894 – 899)[1]
- Ratold (sub-king 896)
In 896, Arnulf and Ratold lost control of Italy, which was divided between Berengar and Lambert:
- Berengar I (896 – 924)
- seized Lambert's portion upon the latter's death in 898.
- Lambert of Spoleto (896 – 898)
- Louis III of Provence (900-905)
- opposed Berengar 900-902 and 905.
- Rudolph II of Burgundy (922 – 933)
- defeated Berengar but fled Italy in 926.
- Hugh of Arles (926 – 947)
- elected by Berengar's partisans in 925, resigned to Provence after 945.
- Lothair II of Arles (945 – 950)
- Berengar II of Ivrea (950 – 961)
- jointly with his son:
- Adalbert of Ivrea (950 – 961)
In 951 Otto I of Germany invaded Italy and was crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy. In 952, Berengar and Adalbert became his vassals but remained kings until being deposed by Otto.
Holy Roman Empire (962 – 1556)
Ottonian dynasty (962 – 1024)
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Otto I | 23 November 912 - 7 May 973 |
962[2] | 7 May 973 |
 |
Otto II | 955 - 7 December 983 |
c. October 980[3] | 7 December 983 |
 |
Otto III | 980 - 23 January 1002 |
c. February 996[4] | 23 January 1002 |
.jpg) |
Arduin | 955 - 1015 |
1002[2] | 1014 |
 |
Henry II [5] |
6 May 973 - 13 July 1024 |
1004[2] | 13 July 1024 |
Salian dynasty (1027 – 1125)
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Conrad I [6] |
990 - 4 June 1039 |
1026[2] | 4 June 1039 |
_Miniatur.jpg) |
Henry III | 29 October 1017 - 5 October 1056 |
1039[2] | 5 October 1056 |
 |
Henry IV | 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106 |
1056[2] | December 1105 |
 |
Conrad II of Italy | 1074 - 1101 |
1093[2] | 1101 |
 |
Henry V [7] |
8 November 1086 - 23 May 1125 |
1106[2] | 23 May 1125 |
Süpplingenburg dynasty (1125 – 1137)
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Lothair III | 9 June 1075 - 4 December 1137 |
1125[2] | 4 December 1137 |
Hauteville dynasty (1130 – 1154)
Roger II used the title King of Sicily and Italy until at least 1135; later he used only the title King of Sicily, Apulia and Calabria. Although his realm included the southern Italian mainland, he never exerted any control over the official Kingdom of Italy, and none of his successors claimed the title King of Italy.
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
Roger II | 22 December 1095 - 26 February 1154 |
25 December 1130 | 26 February 1154 |
House of Hohenstaufen (1128 – 1197)
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Conrad III | 1093 - 15 February 1152 |
1138[2] (Also crowned in 1128 in opposition to Lothair[8]) |
1152 |
 |
Frederick I | 1122 - 10 June 1190 |
1154 | 1186 |
 |
Henry VI | November 1165 - 28 September 1197 |
1186[2] | 28 September 1197 |
House of Welf (1208 – 1212)
| Image | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Otto IV | 1175 or 1176 - 19 May 1218 |
1209[2] | 1212 |
House of Hohenstaufen (1212 – 1254)
| Image | Coat of Arms | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
.svg) |
Frederick II (Friedrich II) |
26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250 | 5 December 1212 | 13 December 1250 |
 |
|
Henry (Heinrich (VII)) |
1211 – 12 February 1242 | 23 April 1220 | 12 February 1242 |
 |
|
Conrad IV (Konrad IV) |
25 April 1228 – 21 May 1254 | May 1237 | 21 May 1254 |
House of Luxembourg (1311 – 1313)
| Image | Coat of Arms | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Henry VII | 1275[9] - 24 August 1313 |
6 January 1311[10] | 24 August 1313 |
House of Wittelsbach (1327 – 1347)
| Image | Coat of Arms | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Louis IV | 1 April 1282 - 11 October 1347 |
1327 | 11 October 1347 |
House of Luxembourg (1355 – 1437)
| Image | Coat of Arms | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Charles IV | 14 May 1316 - 29 November 1378 |
1355[2] | 29 November 1378 |
 |
 |
Sigismund | 14 February 1368 - 9 December 1437 |
1431[2] | 9 December 1437 |
House of Habsburg (1437 – 1556)
| Image | Coat of Arms | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Frederick III | 21 September 1415 - 19 August 1493 |
16 March 1452 | 19 August 1493 |
 |
|
Charles V | 24 February 1500 - 21 September 1558 |
24 February 1530[11] | 16 January 1556 |
Charles V was the last emperor to be crowned king of Italy, or to officially use the title.[2] The Habsburg emperors claimed the Italian crown until 1801. The empire continued to include Italian territories until its dissolution in 1806.
Kingdom of Italy (1805–1814), House of Bonaparte
| Image | Coat of Arms | Name | Life | Coronation | Ceased to be King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
.svg) |
Napoleon I | 15 August 1769 - 5 May 1821 |
17 March 1805 | 11 April 1814 |
Full title
This title is present on Italian laws proclaimed by Napoleon I:
[Name], by the Grace of God and the Constitutions, Emperor of the French and King of Italy.
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946), House of Savoy
The succession to the throne of Italy was the same as the succession to the throne of the Sardinia.
| Monarch | Reign | Position | Royal House | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Portrait | Name | Reign start | Reign end | Duration | ||
| 1 |  |
Victor Emmanuel II (1820–1878) |
17 March 1861 | 9 January 1878 | 16 years, 298 days | King of Italy | House of Savoy |
| 2 | _-_VE_-_Umberto_I_di_Savoia_1.jpg) |
Umberto I (1844–1900) |
9 January 1878 | 29 July 1900 | 22 years, 201 days | King of Italy | House of Savoy |
| 3 |  |
Victor Emmanuel III (1869–1947) |
29 July 1900 | 9 May 1946 (Abdicated) |
45 years, 284 days | King of Italy Emperor of Ethiopia (1936–1941) King of Albania (1939–1943) |
House of Savoy |
| 4 |  |
Umberto II (1904–1983) |
9 May 1946 | 12 June 1946 (Deposed) |
40 days | King of Italy | House of Savoy |
Provisional head of state
After the constitutional referendum which took place at the same time as the general election 54.3% voted for a republic. The Constituent Assembly which had the power to rule Italy until a new constitution for the republic was drawn up. The provisional Head of State after Alcide De Gasperi who exercised the powers after the King of Italy left was Enrico De Nicola who was proclaimed in 1946 but he was called Temporary Chief of State because he did not want to be called President of the Republic until the constitution was law.
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Tenure | Election Year Voter Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — |  |
Alcide De Gasperi (1881–1954) |
— | 12 June 1946 |
1 July 1946 |
— |
| He exercised the powers of Provisional Head of State as Prime Minister between the departure of King Umberto II on 12 June 1946, and the proclamation of Enrico De Nicola as Head of State by the Constituent Assembly | ||||||
| 1 |  |
Enrico De Nicola (1877–1959) |
1 | 1 July 1946 |
25 June 1947 |
1946 — 78.57% 396 |
| 2 | 26 June 1947 |
1 January 1948 |
1947 — 93.96% 405 | |||
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