The coffin of Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy left the Cathedral of Turin, where the funeral took place in the presence of heads of state, members of European and non-European royal families and the family's closest friends.
Behind the coffin, the widow Marina Doria on the arm of her son Emanuele Filiberto, who accompanied the coffin to the hearse that will transport the body of the son of the last king of Italy to the basilica of Superga, on the Turin hill, where the prince He will be buried in the family tomb.
"For a long time he had wanted to be buried in Superga. My father was born in Naples and will be buried in Turin: this is the unity of Italy, this is our Italy, this is the house of Savoy"
.
Emanuele Filiberto
said this
as he approached journalists at the exit of the Turin Cathedral, where his parent's funeral took place.
"I'm very happy, but there has always been a strong friendship and great affection between Aimone and me."
This is how Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy responded to journalists who asked him whether the gesture of his cousin Aimone of Savoy Aosta in the Turin Cathedral during the funeral of his father Vittorio Emanuele was to be read as a gesture of reconciliation between the new generations of the two branches of Savoy, in disagreement with the dynastic line.
Aimone was in fact one of the four Knights Collars of the Annunziata family members who placed the Royal Banner on the coffin of Vittorio Emanuele.
A gesture that even made one of those present at the funeral burst into tears.
Present at the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele at the Cathedral of Turin were the president of the Piedmont regional council, Stefano Allasia, the MEP of the League, Gianna Gancia, the senator of Forza Italia, Roberto Rossi, the former European deputy of the Carroccio, Mario Borghezio
There are also some mayors with the tricolor sash:
Fabio Ferla of Calvenzano (Bergamo), for the municipality of Belvedere Ostrense (Ancona) Francesco D'Ambrosio;
among the Piedmontese mayors that of Racconigi (Cuneo) Valerio Oderda, the mayor of Burolo (Turin) Franco Gominetto, of Quagliuzzo (Turin) Ernesto Barlese, of Valdieri (Cuneo) Guido Giordana and of Rocca Canavese (Turin) Alessandro Lajolo.
Among the heads of state, there are Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Prince Albert of Monaco. Representing Spain, Queen Emerita Sofia
, then Princes Astrid and Lorenz for Belgium and Archduke Martin of Habsburg, Prince Leka of Albania, Charles and Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Grand Duke George of Russia, Prince Jean Christophe Bonaparte, descendant of Napoleon, the Princes of Orleans Counts of Paris, the Princes of Bourbon Parma - Netherlands, the Princes of Serbia, the Royal Prince of Saudi Arabia, the Prince of Portugal.
For the House of Savoy, in addition to their closest relatives, Princess Maria Pia, Vittorio Emanuele's older sister, accompanied by her children, princes of Yugoslavia, will be present.
And again Prince Aimone and Princess Olga of Savoy Aosta.
However, Vittorio Emanuele's two younger sisters, Maria Gabriella and Maria Beatrice, will not be there, due to health reasons.
At the foot of
Vittorio Emanuele
's coffin , during the funeral in Turin Cathedral, there will be a black bag containing the land of Naples, the city where he was born and which he always loved.
The bag will be found next to the Collar of the Annunziatella, as already in the funeral home.
As per the tradition of the House of Savoy, Prince
Emanuele Filiberto
signed the death certificate of his father Vittorio Emanuele, who passed away on Saturday 3 February in Geneva, inside the cathedral of Turin.
Inside, the final preparations for the funeral are underway.
Among those present, the list of guests released yesterday includes Fuad of Egypt representing the Egyptian royal family, and the grand master of the Order of Malta.
Emanuele Filiberto also carried out an inspection to define the places because, beyond the protocol, the Savoys intend to have their closest family friends close to them.
Vittorio Emanuele's closest relatives will take their places in front of the chapel which houses the Shroud, which was donated to the Diocese by Umberto II.
The homily: 'The descendants continue to do good'
"Our Vittorio Emanuele is experiencing his solemn encounter with Christ, an overwhelming and spectacular encounter for which he has tried to prepare a little throughout his life. We invite him to put his hand in that of Jesus to then take part completely in life of God. Now that Vittorio Emanuele sees Jesus in the eyes he does well to say 'Thank you'. The Lord has given him great gifts, his wife Marina Doria and his son Emanuele Filiberto, and the House of Savoy".
These are the words pronounced in the homily by Paolo de Nicolò, grand prior of the dynastic orders of the Royal House, at the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele.
"Seeing the participation here of authorities - he added - of reigning and former reigning houses of Europe and the moved participation of the members and dynastic orders of the royal house of Savoy, of the guards of honor of the Pantheon, of many monarchical associations, of friends from the most disparate parts of the world and many Italians who flocked to this sacred temple are testimony to the concrete good that Prince Vittorio Emanuele was able to give to those who knew him. In his human frailty he was able to be a man whose memory lives on and will live in all of us. The generations that follow, in particular Prince Emanuele Filiberto and Princesses Vittoria and Luisa, will have the task of making their actions in favor of the poor and needy contemporary. Our touching embrace to Marina Doria. Vittorio Emanuele from Heaven will be proud to see what you will achieve in the name of the House of Savoy."
"To Princess Marina of Savoy the Supreme Pontiff expresses his condolences for the passing away of his royal eminence Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy
and assures his prayers of suffrage for the soul of the deceased. And invokes the support of Christian hope for her and her family , imparting the apostolic blessing to all. To this I add my personal condolences, Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness".
This is the message read in the cathedral by Pope Francis and Cardinal Parolin.
Flag on a tavern in Venaria, we are republicans
A tricolor flag displayed in the window to "remind tourists and citizens that Italy is a Republic and we are republicans"
.
This is the initiative taken yesterday evening by the owner of a tavern in Venaria Reale (Turin) on the day of the funeral chapel for Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy.
"Respect for human beings is a must", he explained to Repubblica.it, "but with this gesture I wanted to reiterate that Italy is a Republic and that in Venaria Reale we are not monarchists".
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