Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, 3rd Duke of Genoa (''Ferdinando Umberto Filippo Adalberto''; 21 April 1884 – 24 June 1963) was the third Duke of Genoa and a member of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

. He was an

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

in the

Royal Italian Navy The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to '' Marina Militare'' (" ...

Early life

Prince Ferdinando was born in Turin the eldest son of Prince Thomas of Savoy, Duke of Genoa (1854-1931) and his wife

Princess Isabella of Bavaria it, Maria Isabella Luisa Amalia Elvira Bianca Eleonora , house =Wittelsbach , father = Prince Adalbert of Bavaria , mother =Infanta Amalia of Spain , birth_date = , birth_place = Nymphenburg Palac ...

(1863–1924). On 22 September 1904 he was given the title Prince of Udine. Ferdinado pursued a career in the Italian Royal Navy. Holding the rank of Captain he served in World War I commanding a

Torpedo Boat Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in 1 ...

and was decorated with a medal of honour for personal bravery. In May 1917 with War raging in Europe, Prince Ferdinando was appointed to lead an Italian War Commission to the United States of America. The commission which included

Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquis of Marconi (; 25 April 187420 July 1937) was an Italians, Italian inventor and electrical engineering, electrical engineer, known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based Wireless telegrap ...

and leading Italian political and commercial figures, visited America with the task of discussing financial and trade agreements and increasing co-operation between the two nations to help the Italian war effort.

Post war

In the autumn of 1927 Mussolini despatched the Prince of Udine to Tangier, Morocco in command of a naval squadron of three warships to demonstrate Italy’s interest in the city. In November 1930 he represented his cousin King Victor Emmanuel III at the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Prince Ferdinando succeeded to the title Duke of Genoa on 15 April 1931 following the death of his father. Later on in his naval career Prince Ferdinando achieved the rank of admiral, and become commander of the upper

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

sea. He married in Turin on 28 February 1938, Maria Luisa Alliaga Gandolfi dei conti di Ricaldone (11 October 1899 in Fossano – 19 July 1986 in Turin), an Italian noblewoman. Maria Luisa was a daughter of Carlo Gandolfi di Ricaldone, Count of Borghetto, Montegrosso and Pornassio, and Emma Teresa Luisa Cavalli. They had no children. The reign of the House of Savoy in Italy came to end on 12 June 1946 after a referendum was held and the Italian people voted to abolish the monarchy. With his death in Bordighera without children, his brother Prince Filiberto succeeded to the title Duke of Genoa.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdinando, Duke Of Genoa 1884 births 1963 deaths Nobility from Turin Dukes of Genoa Italian princes Italian admirals Burials at the Basilica of Superga Italian military personnel of World War I Regia Marina personnel of World War II Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Military personnel from Turin