Vita gazette: The Savoy Family, which has claimed rights on the jewellery delivered to the Central Bank of Italy for a while after Italy’s transition from the monarchy to the republican regime, reacted to the rejection they received from the Italian state with the warning “return the jewels within 10 days”. If a compromise could not be reached in the meeting that started between the parties, the Savoy family announced that they would file a lawsuit against the Italian state. The heirs of Umberto II, who want a treasure of 6,000 diamonds held in the Bank of Italy are Prince Vittorio Emanuele and the princesses Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice.

Whose is the Royal Treasure?

We recall that Umberto II was the last King of Italy, from 9 May to 18 June 1946. Due to the very short duration of his reign, just over a month, he was nicknamed King of May. In fact, on June 2, 1946, a referendum took place to choose between monarchy or republic. The majority in favour of the republican solution was about two million valid votes. On 13 June the Council of Ministers transferred the functions of provisional head of state to Alcide De Gasperi.

With the fall of the monarchy, the crown treasure passed to the Italian Republic, as required by the Constitution in the XIII transitional and final provision, which states: “The assets, existing in the national territory, of the former kings of the House of Savoy, of their spouses and their male descendants, are advocates of the state.

6,732 diamonds of different sizes and 2,000 pearls are kept in a bank vault, which has been part of the Italian royal jewellery since June, attached to necklaces, earrings, diadems and various brooches. The first mediation negotiations, in which the compensation method will be discussed, started between the representatives of the Savoy family’s lawyer, Sergio Orlandi, the Bank of Italy, the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Economy.

What do they want? The royal jewels returned to the Central Bank after the transition from the Kingdom to the Republic.

Who wants? The heirs of the last king of Italy, Umberto II: Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy and the princesses Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice.

If the parties fail to reach a solution at the end of the mediation, the Savoy family, represented by lawyer Orlandi, will file a lawsuit against the state with the intention of getting the jewels back. For the return of the jewels kept through Nazionale, a registered letter was sent to the three institutions defined as the interlocutor in the mediation by lawyer Orlandi on November 29, 2021, and a request for return was made. The answer was rejected twenty-four later, on November 30.