A court in Italy has rejected a request made by the descendants of the country’s last king to reclaim the crown jewels, with the judge ordering that the national treasures remain the property of the state.
In February 2022, the descendants of Italy’s last monarch sued the Italian state to reclaim the jewels, which for almost 78 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy – the country’s central bank – amid a long-running saga over their ownership.
The legal action came after the offspring of King Umberto II of Savoy failed to reach an agreement with the bank to return the jewels, which comprise more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on brooches, necklaces and tiaras worn by various princesses and queens during the monarchy’s 85-year existence and valued at €300m (£253m).
The Rome civil court threw out the former Savoy family’s bid on Thursday to have their ownership rights recognised, describing the claim as “manifestly unfounded”.
Olina Capolino, a lawyer for the Bank of Italy, welcomed the ruling. “As a citizen, I now hope the state will soon put these historic jewels on display in a museum,” she said.
The Bank of Italy took delivery of the jewels on 5 June 1946, three days after Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and nine days before Umberto II, who ruled for just 34 days, was banished into exile along with his male heirs.
Umberto II had asked Falcone Lucifero, the then minister of the royal house, to bring the jewels to Luigi Einaudi, then governor of the Bank of Italy, who later became president, for safekeeping.
The jewels are said to have been the only part of the royal estate that were not confiscated by the Italian state after the monarchy was scrapped, a fact the Savoia family hoped would allow them to win back possession.
After the verdict, Sergio Orlandi, lawyer for the royal descendants, announced that his clients would appeal to the European court of human rights. In their appeal, the heirs of the former royal family will also demand that the Italian state reimburse them the value of all properties once owned by the last king of Italy.
