Kingdom of Sardinia and Aosta, dynastic possessions since the 11th century, the Principality of Piedmont (a possession built up in the 13th century), and the County of Nice (a possession since 1388). While in theory the traditional capital of the island of Sardinia and seat of its viceroys was Cagliari, the Piedmontese city of Turin was the "de facto" capital of Savoy. When the mainland domains of the House of Savoy were occupied and eventually annexed by Napoleonic France, the king of Sardinia made his permanent residence on the island for the first time in its history. The Congress of Vienna (1814–15), which
Music of Sardinia Music of Sardinia Sardinia is probably the most culturally distinct of all the regions in Italy and, musically, is best known for the "tenore" polyphonic singing, sacred chants called "gosos", the "launeddas", an ancient instrument that consists of a set of three single-reed pipes, all three mouth-blown simultaneously using circular breathing, with two chanters and one drone and the "cantu a chiterra", a monodic song that is accompanied by guitar, widespread mainly in the center and north of the island. The "launeddas" are an ancient instrument, dating back to at least the 8th century BC. They are played using circular