For the first time, the decorations of Umberto II of Savoy leave the family archives and arrive on the international market through the auction in Geneva by Piguet.
What is being sold in Geneva by Piguet?
The auction house Piguet presents to the public, for the first time, a collection of chivalric orders and decorations that belonged to Umberto II of Savoy, the last king of Italy. It consists of 44 lots from the archives of the House of Savoy, never before released from the family circle.
The collection will be exhibited in the salons of the maison in Geneva from March 12 to 15, 2026, while the online sale is scheduled from March 5 to 18, 2026, with staggered closures between March 16 and 19. Overall, the collection offers a rare opportunity to see honors usually dispersed among museums and private collections.
Why is Umberto II’s collection historically significant?
The core of decorations concretely traces the diplomatic and dynastic relations of the Italian monarchy in the 20th century. Through the honors conferred on the heir apparent, later sovereign, the ties between the House of Savoy and European courts, as well as with numerous non-European states, emerge.
The decorations come from France, Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Vatican, Portugal, and countries like Peru, Egypt, Thailand, and Japan. Many dynasties that conferred them no longer reign, but the collection restores the international dimension of monarchical diplomacy between the two wars and in the following years.
According to the director and auctioneer Bernard Piguet, it is «extremely rare to offer in a single auction such an important and prestigious complex, which brings together the highest ranks of the major chivalric orders». Moreover, the trust of the great European aristocratic families entails the responsibility of entrusting these objects to new owners worthy of their history.
Who was Umberto II and what role did he play in monarchical diplomacy?
Umberto II was born in 1904 at the Royal Castle of Racconigi, in Piedmont, the only son of King Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena of Montenegro. From birth, he was destined to represent the monarchy in relations with other states.
In 1930, he married Princess Maria José of Belgium, daughter of King Albert I and sister of Leopold III. His figure coincides with the last phase of the Italian monarchy born from the Risorgimento. In contrast to the long previous reigns, his was a very brief passage on the throne.
In May 1946, he ascended the throne for a limited period, before the institutional referendum that led to the exile of the royal family. From that moment, the decorations received during his life remained as material testimony of a concluded political and diplomatic season.
The collection proposed by Piguet reflects the role of the heir apparent in the network of international relations among monarchies in the first half of the 20th century. At the time, the exchange of chivalric orders constituted a true diplomatic language, marking alliances, state visits, dynastic marriages, and crucial passages of political life.
What are the most important pieces related to the Russian Empire?
Among the most prominent lots are several honors of the Russian Empire. Foremost is the Imperial Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First Called, the highest civil and military decoration of the Tsarist state, conferred in 1910 to the young Prince of Piedmont, then six years old.
The order, established in 1698 by Peter the Great, is presented in a set that includes the main insignia, a richly decorated solid gold and enamel collar, and the plaque with the original case. The elements were made by the goldsmith Johann Lindstedt for the maison Edouard.
The estimate for this complex ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 110,800-166,200 euros. Additionally, a case with four other imperial Russian orders is presented, traditionally conferred together with that of Saint Andrew: the orders of Saint Anna, Saint Alexander Nevsky, White Eagle, and Saint Stanislaus.
This lot, preserved in its original red leather case, is estimated between 40,000 and 60,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 44,300-66,500 euros. Together, the Russian decorations illustrate the international rank attributed to the young Italian heir to the throne by the courts of Eastern Europe.
What is the significance of the Supreme Order of Christ and the European orders?
Among the highest-level honors stands the Supreme Order of Christ, the highest pontifical decoration, conferred on Umberto in 1929 on the occasion of the signing of the Lateran Pacts between Italy and the Holy See. The order, no longer conferred today, was reserved for Catholic heads of state.
This recognition testifies to the role played by the heir apparent in a crucial passage of European political and religious history. The lot is estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 Swiss francs, or about 16,600-22,200 euros. In addition, numerous other orders attest to relations with the main European reigning houses.
Among these are the Order of the Seraphim of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Order of Leopold of Belgium (lots 1828 and 1804), the Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honor, and the Order of Saint Charles of the Principality of Monaco (lots 1815 and 1816). There are also decorations from Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Netherlands, and Greece, conferred at various moments of Umberto II’s public life.
What role do the Spanish orders play in the collection?
A particularly interesting chapter concerns the Spanish orders. Highlighted is the collar of the Order of Charles III, conferred by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1924 and estimated between 20,000 and 30,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 22,200-33,300 euros.
In the same range is the Order of the Golden Fleece, among the oldest and most prestigious chivalric orders in Europe, founded in 1430 by Philip the Good. The gold and enamel collar, composed of 56 links for a total weight of about 590 grams, is valued between 60,000 and 80,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 66,500-88,700 euros.
What extra-European decorations testify to the global dimension of the monarchy?
The collection also includes numerous decorations from non-European countries, highlighting the global projection of Savoyard diplomacy. Among these is the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum of Japan (lot 1831), one of the highest honors of the Japanese Empire, conferred on Umberto in 1923, shortly after reaching the age of majority.
According to the diplomatic practice of the time, the coming of age of an heir apparent was indeed the occasion to receive the highest distinctions from foreign sovereigns. In this context is also the Order of the Chakri Dynasty (lot 1794) from Thailand, established in 1882 and reserved for royal families and foreign heads of state.
Conferred on Umberto II in 1933, when he was still Prince of Piedmont, this set is estimated between 30,000 and 50,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 33,300-55,400 euros. Also noteworthy is the Nishan al-Muhammad ‘Ali of the Kingdom of Egypt (lot 1832), created in 1915, which includes a collar, insignia, and plaque decorated with emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.
This lot is estimated between 40,000 and 60,000 Swiss francs, or about 44,300-66,500 euros. The order was conferred on Umberto II in 1933 by King Fuad I of Egypt, on the occasion of the state visit to Egypt by the Italian sovereign Vittorio Emanuele III. Although the prince did not personally participate in the trip, the exchange of decorations between sovereigns was part of the protocol of such official meetings.
What Latin American orders complete the collection?
The collection also includes orders from Latin America, documenting the diplomatic relations between Italy and the countries of the continent. Notable is the Order of the Sun of Peru (lot 1796), established in 1821 and here proposed in the Grand Cross version.
The estimate for this lot ranges from 6,000 to 8,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 6,650-8,870 euros. This core is complemented by other decorations conferred by Brazil, Chile, and Ecuador, completing the picture of relations between the Italian monarchy and various states of the American continent.
Why does the Piguet sale mark a crucial passage for the memory of the monarchy?
The set of decorations has remained for decades in a family vault and now reemerges, over 40 years after the death of Umberto II, which occurred in 1983. The auction thus represents the first occasion in which these objects are presented to the public and the market.
After the 1946 referendum that sanctioned the dynasty’s exile, these honors have become material evidence of a sovereignty that has ceased. Over the decades, they have continued to embody, in tangible form, the role that the Italian monarchy played in the international relations of the 20th century.
According to Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, head of the House of Savoy and grandson of Umberto II, the decorations gathered in the collection testify to the sovereign’s journey and the position occupied from a young age within the monarchies and states of the world.
IMAGE: Orders and decorations of Umberto II. Photo: Piguet.com
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
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