Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia

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Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia.

Victor Amadeus III (Italian Vittorio Amedeo III di Savoia, June 26 1726 - October 16 1796) was King of Sardinia from 1773 until his death.

Biography

Born in Turin, he was a son of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polixena Christina of Hesse-Rheinfels.

Having succeeded his father in 1773, he soon started works of improvements in the port of Nice, and had dams in the Arce and the road of the Côte built.

During in the Napoleonic Wars, his troops were defeated by the French at the Battle of Millesimo (April 13 1796). Victor Amadeus was therefore forced to sign the armistice of Cherasco, by which he ceded the fortress of Cuneo, Ceva, Alessandria and Tortona to France, and allowed free passage of the latter's armies towards Italy. He was later also compelled to cede Nice and Savoy.

He died soon thereafter in the Castle of Moncalieri.

Marriage and issue

Coat of Arms of Kings of Sardinia of House of Savoy after 1720.

He married Maria Antonietta of Bourbon (1729-1785), youngest daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elizabeth Farnese. They had twelve children including:

Carlo Emanuele IV (1751-1819), married Marie Clotilde of France
Marie Elizabeth Charlotte, (1752-1753)
Marie Josephine Louise 1753-1810, married Louis XVIII of France
Amedeus Alexander, Duke of Montferrat (1754-1755).
Marie Therese (1756-1805), married Charles X of France
Marie Anne (1757-1824), married her uncle Benedetto, Prince of Savoy, Duke of Chablais (1741-1808).
Vittorio Emanuele I (1759-1824)
Marie Christine Josephine (1760-1768)
Maurizio Giuseppe Maria, Duke of Montferrat, (1762-b.1799) unmarried.
Marie Caroline Antoniette (1764-1782) married Anton, later king of Saxony.
Carlo Felice (1765–1831)
Giuseppe Benedetto (1766-1802), Count of Moriana (-1796), and Asti (1796-1802).