Victor Amadeus I (Italian: Vittorio Amedeo I di Savoia; 8 May 1587 – 7 October 1637) was the Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 26 July 1630 until his death in 1637. He was also known as the Lion of Susa.
He was succeeded by two of his sons; Francis Hyacinth and Charles Emmanuel II. His male-only line became extinct in 1831 with the death of Charles Felix. Therefore, the Kings of Italy are descended from his younger brother, Thomas Francis.
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Biography
Victor Amadeus was born in Turin, Piedmont, as the second son and child of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Catalina Micaela of Spain, daughter of King Philip II of Spain. He spent much of his childhood in Madrid at the court of his grandfather Philip II. He stayed there until the king's death in 1598, when Victor Amadeus was eleven. As the second son of the Duke, he was not expected to become Duke of Savoy. That changed when his brother, Filippo Emanuele, died in 1605, thus he became heir-apparent to the Duchy of Savoy and received the homage of the court at Racconigi on 21 January 1607.
Victor Amadeus became Duke of Savoy after his father's death in 1630. Charles Emmanuel's policies had brought great instability in the relationships with both France and Spain, and troops were needed to defend the Duchy. As money was lacking to recruit mercenaries or train indigenous soldiers, Victor Amadeus signed a peace treaty with Spain.