Umberto I of Italy Umberto I of Italy Umberto I (; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900), nicknamed "the Good" (Italian: "il Buono"), was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900. Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colonial expansion into the Horn of Africa, successfully gaining Eritrea and Somalia despite being defeated by Abyssinia at the Battle of Adowa in 1896. In 1882, he approved the Triple Alliance with the German Empire and Austria-Hungary. He was deeply loathed in leftist circles because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan. He was especially
Umberto II of Italy limited to male-line descendants only. He was the first cousin of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. He was accorded the title of Prince of Piedmont, which was formalised by Royal Decree on 29 September. Umberto was married in Rome on 8 January 1930 to Marie José of Belgium (1906–2001), daughter of King Albert I of the Belgians and his wife Queen Elisabeth, "née" Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. They had four children: As Prince of Piedmont, Umberto visited South America, between July and September 1924. With his preceptor, Bonaldi, he went to Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. This trip was part