AMEDEO VIII
AMEDEO VIII |
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Son of Amedeo VII, he was born in Chambery in 1383, succeeding his father
very young, and was to hold the Savoy State with the help of his
grandmother Bona of Bourbon, who was expelled after familiar controversies. For her express wish, in October 1395, the tower, situated to south-west of the municipal palace, was confiscated to a noble inhabitant of Ivrea, the Soleri to install a bell clock (the tower was pulled down in 1794). Amedeo VIII, tried to keep the territories of his state, through diplomacy. ,even if he often had to deal with bands or with mercenaries financed by the Savoy’s adversaries as it happened for Ivrea's zone, where Facino Cane accomplished continuous incursions. Due to these dangerous threats, he was worried and decided to repair the fortifications of Ivrea and in 1399 he gave the right to the council to collect, from everyone who didn’t go to war, two “big coins” each, to pay for the consolidation of the walls and for the remuneration of the guards. In 1416 Amedeo VIII obtained, from Sigismondo Emperor, the title of duke. |
In 1418, Ludovico, the last prince of Acaja, died. Amedeo joined the territory of this family to his own Dukedom. Some documents witness a visit of his to Ivrea lodging in the castle in 1419.
In 1426 he obtained also Vercelli and between 1433 he started the works for the buildings of the Canals. Amedeo VIII, in 1434, abdicated, in favour of his son, retiring into hermit life and founding the order of trhe knights of San Maurizio. In 1439 he was nominated “Antipope” and kept the position for ten years. He died in 1451.
