Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia - Early Life and Personality

Early Life and Personality

Born at the Royal Palace of Turin, he was a son of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg. He was styled as the Duke of Savoy from birth till he succeeded to his fathers throne. He was the eldest son of his parents and was the heir apparent from birth which was greeted with much celebration – his father had had a son with his first wife also named Victor Amadeus, Duke of Aosta who died in 1725. His education was entrusted to Gerdil Giacinto Sigismondo with a particular emphasis on military training. Throughout his life he would have a great interest in the state military which he lavished attention on. As a young prince, he surrounded himself with intellectuals and ministers many of which would come to prominence in his reign. He was a private conservative and very religious person, who, as a young boy, stayed far from public life. His father felt him to be unsuitable to hold power. Good-natured but naive, Savoy would be loved by his subjects for his generosity.