Aimone di Savoia-Aosta

Introduce

Aimone di Savoia, Duke of Aosta (full name Aimone Roberto Margherita Maria Giuseppe Torino di Savoia-Aosta; born in Turin on March 9, 1900 – died in Buenos Aires on January 29, 1948), was an Italian military officer and admiral, and a member of the House of Savoy from the Savoy-Aosta branch. He briefly held the title of King of Croatia under the name Tomislav II, though he never officially assumed the throne. Following the institutional referendum of June 1946 that resulted in the abolition of the Italian monarchy, Aimone left Italy and relocated to South America. He passed away eighteen months later in Buenos Aires, suffering a fatal heart attack.

Aimone’s remains were eventually returned to Italy through the efforts of his son, Amedeo. Initially interred in Arezzo, his body was later moved to the Royal Crypt of the Basilica of Superga in Turin, where he was laid to rest alongside his wife, Irene, who passed away in 1974.

A prominent figure of his time, Aimone’s life reflected the turbulence and transformations of 20th-century European history. Despite his appointment as King of Croatia by Axis powers during World War II, he distanced himself from the position, refusing to actively govern a country under foreign occupation. His tenure as king was therefore largely symbolic, and his role in Croatia remains a subject of historical discussion.

After the war, Aimone’s exile to South America symbolized the decline of the Italian monarchy and its associated aristocracy. His death at the age of 47 cut short any potential future influence he might have wielded as a figure of historical or political significance. Today, Aimone di Savoia is remembered as a member of one of Italy’s most important royal dynasties and a participant in a period marked by dramatic political and social upheaval. His final resting place in Superga links him to the enduring legacy of the House of Savoy in Italian history.