Victor Amadeus I (8 May 1587 – 7 October 1637) was the Duke of Savoy from 1630 to 1637. He was also titular King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was also known as the Lion of Susa.
Biography
He was born in Turin to Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Catherine Micaela of Austria. He spent much of his childhood at the Spanish court in Madrid. When his brother Filippo Emanuele, Prince of Piedmont died, he became legitimate heir to the duchy and received the loyalty swore of the court at Racconigi on 21 January 1607.
After a crisis with relationships with Spain, he was married to Henry IV of France's daughter Christine Marie in 1619.
Victor Amadeus became Duke of Savoy after his father's death in 1630. Charles Emmanuel's policies had brought a great instability in the relationships with both France and Spain, and troops were needed to defend the Duchy. As money was lacking to recruit mercenaries or train indigenous soldiers, Victor Amadeus signed a peace treaty with Spain. With the Treaty of Cherasco, Savoy was given back Pinerolo, although, according to a secret point of the agreement, that important stronghold was to remain with France in exchange for Geneve.
On 25 September of that year, Victor Amadeus fell ill after a dinner offered by the Duke of Créqui. Carried to Turin, he died here on 7 October.