Amadeo I

Amadeo I

b. 30 May 1845, Turin, Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia
d. 18 Jan 1890, Turin, Italy

Title: Por la gracia de Dios y la voluntad nacional, Rey de España (By the Grace of God and by the National Will, King of Spain)
Term: 4 Dec 1870 - 11 Feb 1873
Chronology: 16 Nov 1870, elected, session of the Cortes Constituyentes (Constituent Cortes), Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid [1]
4 Dec 1870, accepted election at a meeting with the delegation of Spanish officials, Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy [2]
30 Dec 1870, landed at Cartagena, Spain [3]
2 Jan 1871, sworn in as constitutional monarch, session of the Constituent Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid [4]
11 Feb 1873, abdication (dated 11 Feb 1873) submitted to the Asamblea Nacional (National Assembly), session of the National Assembly, salón de sesiones del Congreso de los Diputados, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid; resignation accepted by the National Assembly [5]
Names/titles: Baptized: Amedeo Ferdinando Maria (Spanish: Amadeo Fernando María de Saboya y de Austria); duca d'Aosta (duke of Aosta; Spanish: duque de Aosta) [from 1845]
Biography:

Second son of Vittorio Emanuele II, who was King of Sardinia (1849-1861) and King of Italy (1861-1878), and Adelheid Franziska Marie Rainiera Elisabeth Klothilde (Italian: Maria Adelaida Francesca Raniera Elisabetta Clotilde) Erzherzogin von Österreich (archduchess of Austria); received military education; was made captain of Aosta infantry brigade; distinguished himself in the battle of Custoza (24 Jun 1866) during the Italian campaign of the Austro-Prussian War; was promoted to general lieutenant and assigned command of a cavalry brigade; named vice admiral (1869); elected King of Spain (16 Nov 1870) with the support given by Juan Prim y Prats, veteran of the Spanish politics; accepted the crown at a meeting with the delegation of Spanish officials at Palazzo Pitti, Florence (4 Dec 1870); renounced his rights to the Italian throne for himself and his successors; landed at Cartagena, Spain (30 Dec 1870), few days after the assassination of Prim y Prats (27 Dec 1870); sworn in as constitutional monarch (2 Jan 1871); with no experience in politics, the 25-year old king failed to bring reconciliation within complicated political environment; governed counting on the support of the progressive party; in 1872 faced an outburst of internal party rivalry; escaped assassination attempt (18 Jul 1872); abdicated (11 Feb 1873). Biography source: [6]

Elections:

Candidate Vote (16 Nov 1870)
Amadeo Fernando María de Saboya y de Austria, duque de Aosta 191
repúblilca federal 60
Infante Antonio María Felipe Luis de Orléans, duque de Montpensier 27
Joaquín Baldomero Fernández Espartero y Álvarez de Toro,
duque de la Victoria y de Morella, conde de Luchana, vizconde de Banderas
8
Príncipe Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción
Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y de Borbón
2
repúblilca española 2
Infanta María Luisa Fernanda de Borbón y de Borbón-Dos Sicilias,
duquesa de Montpensier
1
repúblilca 1
blank 19
total number of votes cast 311
total number of votes 344
absolute majority 173
Source for election results: [1]

[1] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 14. Número 316. P. 9165; Gaceta de Madrid, del jueves 17 de Noviembre de 1870. Núm. 321. P. 6.
[2] Gaceta de Madrid, martes 6 de Diciembre de 1870. Núm. 340. P. 1; Gaceta de Madrid, jueves 8 de Diciembre de 1870. Núm. 342. P. 1.
[3] Gaceta de Madrid, sábado 31 de Diciembre de 1870. Núm. 365. P. 1; Gaceta de Madrid, domingo 1.° de Enero de 1871. Núm. 1.°. P. 1.
[4] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 14. Número 332. P. 9578; Gaceta de Madrid, martes 3 de Enero de 1871. Núm. 3. P. 1.
[5] Diario de las sesiones de Cortes: Congreso de los Diputados: legislatura de 1872 á 1873, esta legislatura dio principio el domingo 15 de setiembre de 1872 y terminó el martes 11 de febrero de 1873 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1873). Vol. 4. Número 108. PP. 3203-3204; Gaceta de Madrid, miércoles 12 de Febrero de 1873. Núm. 43. PP. 495, 502.
[6] Enciclopedia de Historia de España. Vol. IV. Diccionario biográfico. (Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 1991).