|
ABOUT THE ROYAL HOUSE OF SAVOY
The Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of
Savoy.
http://www.ordinidinasticicasasavoia.it/
are among the oldest orders of Knighthood and Merit in the
world.
The Savoy Orders are headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland
and have 36 Delegations worldwide that support the Orders’
ongoing charitable works. Their origins and their
principles, traditions and humanitarian goals date back a
thousand years. HRH Prince Emmanuele Filiberto di Savoia is
Head of the House of Savoy and Grand Master of the Savoy
Orders. He is the Duke of Savoy, Prince of Venice, and
Prince of Piedmont. Among his hereditary titles is Crown
Prince of Italy.
In 1946, when the Kingdom of Italy came to an
end, the House of Savoy was the Europe’s oldest reigning
dynasty. The heads of the House of Savoy had ruled, first as
counts, then as dukes and finally as kings, for almost a
thousand years. Descended in the direct male line from a
tenth-century vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor, the Savoys
ruled the Alpine state of Aosta, as well as Savoy, where
they established themselves at Chambery. Their dominion was
eventually extended to include Piedmont and other
territories in what are now Italy, France and Switzerland.
By the eighteenth century, the Savoys were kings of Sicily
and then Sardinia, and it was under their aegis that the
Italian states were united by 1871.
The Royal Family’s heritage can be seen in
castles and palaces, and in the beauty of the northwestern
Italian city of Turin, the Savoys' magnificent capital in
the heart of Piedmont in the 16th into
the 19th centuries. The
dynastic chivalric traditions of the House of Savoy
continue. The Order of the Annunciation and the Order of
Saints Maurice and Lazarus, two of the world's oldest
knightly institutions, are still alive today, epitomizing
the dynasty's medieval spirit while supporting very modern
charitable works in Italy, Switzerland, France, Japan,
Canada, the United States and elsewhere. Chivalry lives.
Today, the House of Savoy remains one of the oldest royal
dynasties.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION AND DELEGATION
OF SAVOY ORDERS
Headquartered in New York City, the American
Delegation of Savoy Orders, which includes the United States
of America, is among the 36 delegations of the Savoy Orders
located throughout Europe, the Americas and Japan.
The American Foundation of Savoy Orders,
Incorporated, http://www.savoyfoundation-usa.org/ a
tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, supports
local, national, and international charities focusing on
medical, educational, and humanitarian fields, including
philanthropy for hospitals and relief agencies for children,
the poor, sick and elderly. The Foundation is a
Non-Governmental Organization in Roster Consultative Statues
with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
|