Savoy, Duchy of

a feudal state that existed from 1416 to 1720. From the 11th century to 1416, Savoy had the status of a county. Chambéry was the capital of the duchy until 1563, when Turin became the capital. Savoy bordered on France in the west and on the Italian states in the east. Piedmont was part of the duchy.

The Duchy of Savoy became an object of French expansion in the mid-15th century. As a border state, the duchy was devastated in the 16th and 17th centuries by the wars between France and the Hapsburgs over Italy. During the War of the Spanish Succession, Savoy was initially an ally of France but went over to the side of the Holy Roman Empire in 1703. Under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, Victor Amadeus II, the duke of Savoy, received Montferrat, part of the Duchy of Milan, and Sicily (along with the title of king of Sicily). Under the Treaty of London of 1718, Savoy exchanged Sicily for Sardinia; the duchy took possession of Sardinia in 1720. The Kingdom of Sardinia was formed, and Victor Amadeus II, the last duke of Savoy, became the first king of Sardinia.