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 (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

. He was an

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

in the Royal Italian Navy.

Early life

Prince Ferdinando was born in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

the eldest son of Prince Thomas of Savoy, Duke of Genoa (1854-1931) and his wife Princess Isabella of Bavaria (1863–1924). On 22 September 1904 he was given the title Prince of Udine. Ferdinando pursued a career in the Italian '' Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy). Holding the rank of ''capitano di navio'' (

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

), he served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, commanding the

scout cruiser A scout cruiser was a type of warship of the early 20th century, which were smaller, faster, more lightly armed and armoured than protected cruisers or light cruisers, but larger than contemporary destroyers. Intended for fleet scouting duties a ...

'' Sparviero'' in 1917 and 1918, 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 United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

. The commission, which included

Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquess of Marconi ( ; ; 25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937) was an Italian electrical engineer, inventor, and politician known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based Wireless telegraphy, wireless tel ...

and leading Italian political and commercial figures, visited the United States with the task of discussing financial and trade agreements and increasing co-operation between the two countries 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 Victor Emmanuel III (; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941 and King of the Albani ...

at the coronation of Emperor

Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or '' Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (') under Empress Zewditu between 1916 and 1930. Wid ...

. 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

and become commander of the upper

Adriatic Sea 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 Se ...

. 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

Citations

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdinando, Duke Of Genoa 1884 births 1963 deaths Nobility from Turin Dukes of Genoa Princes in Italy 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