EMMANUEL PHILIBERT (1528-158o), duke of Savoy, son of Charles III. and Beatrice of Portugal, was born on July 8, 15 28. Charles, after trying in vain to remain neutral in the wars between France and the emperor Charles V., had been forced to side with the latter, whereupon his duchy was overrun with foreign soldiery and became the battlefield of the rival armies. Prince Emmanuel took service with the emperor in and distinguished himself in Germany, France and the Low Countries. On the death of his father in 1553 he succeeded to the title. He tried in vain to negotiate a separate peace with France; but in 1556 France and Spain concluded a five years' truce, by which each was to retain what it then occupied. This would have been the end of Savoy, but within a year the two powers were again at war. The chief events of the campaign were the successful resistance of Cuneo, held for the duke by Count Luserna, and the victory of St. Quentin (1557), won by Em manuel Philibert himself against the French. At last in 1558 the powers agreed to an armistice, and in 1559, under the peace of Cateau-Cambresis, Emmanuel regained his duchy, but on onerous terms, for France was to occupy several Piedmontese fortresses, including Turin and Pinerolo, for not more than three years, and a marriage was arranged between the duke and Mar garet, duchess of Berry, sister of the French king; while Spain was to garrison Asti and Vercelli (afterwards exchanged for Santhia) until France evacuated the above-mentioned fortresses. The duke's marriage took place in Paris a few months later, and he re-entered his dominions. The condition of Piedmont at that time was deplorable, for wars, the exactions and devastations of the foreign soldiery and religious antagonism between Catholics and Protestants had wrought terrible havoc. The duke inaugu rated a series of useful reforms, ably assisted by his minister, Niccolo Balbo. But progress was slow, and was accompanied by measures which abolished the states general, the last survival of feudal liberties. Savoy, following the tendency of the other states of Europe at that time, became thenceforth an absolute monarchy.
He had to deal with the vexed question of the Waldenses (q.v.) and, though he initiated repressive measures against them, he end ed by allowing them a measure of religious liberty in their valleys 0560. He recommenced persecution some years later, but was dissuaded by his duchess and some of the German princes. He next turned his attention to getting rid of the foreign garrisons. In December 1562 the French departed on payment of Ioo,000 scudi, retaining only Pinerolo and Savigliano, and Turin became the capital once more. There remained the Bernese, who had occupied some of the duke's territories in Savoy and Vaud, and in Geneva, over which he claimed certain rights. With Bern he made a compromise, regaining Gex, the Chablais, and the Genevois, on condition that Protestantism should be tolerated there, but he renounced Vaud and some other districts . Disagreements with the Valais were settled in a similar way in 1569; but the Genevans refused to recognize Savoyard suzerainty.
Emmanuel reformed the currency, reorganized justice, prepared the way for the emancipation of the serfs, raised the standing army to 25,000 men, and fortified the frontiers, ostensibly against Huguenot raids, but in reality from fear of France. From Henry III., Emmanuel obtained in 1574 the evacuation of Pinerolo and Savigliano. Philip of Spain was likewise induced to evacuate Asti and Santhia in 1575. The duke rounded off his dominions by the purchase of Tenda and Oneglia, which increased his seaboard, and the last years of his life were spent in fruitless negotiations to obtain Monferrato, held by the Gonzagas under Spanish protec tion, and Saluzzo, which was a French fief. He died on Aug. 3o, 158o, and was succeeded by his son Charles Emmanuel I. During the reign of Emmanuel Philibert the duchy, which had been more than half French, became predominantly Italian. He converted it from a ruined and divided land into a respectable independent power of the second rank, and, after Venice, the best-governed state in Italy.
See E. Ricotti, Storia della monarchia Piemontese, vol. ii. (Florence, 1860 ; Claretta, La Successione di Emanuele Filiberto (Turin, 1884) .