Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who played a key role in the political affairs of France during the rule of her sons, a period which came to be known as the age of Catherine de' Medici. Catherine is credited with saving the monarchy from deposition during the French Wars of Religion.
Charles V served as the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Italy, and King of Germany from 1519 to 1556. From 1516 to 1556, he ruled as the King of Spain. His personal union of the American and European territories was the first collection of kingdoms that were described the empire on which the Sun never sets.
Nero was the fifth Roman emperor whose rule was associated with tyranny. Five years into his reign, he had his mother Agrippina killed. The Great Fire of Rome, which occurred during his reign, is believed to have been instigated by him for political reasons. He was also responsible for eliminating many Christians from the empire.
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor reigned as the King of Sicily, King of Germany, King of Italy, and King of Jerusalem. An avid patron of the arts and science, Frederick played an important role in supporting literature. He promoted the Sicilian School of poetry, which played an influential role in developing literature in Italy.
Umberto II, the only son of King Victor Emmanuel III, was the last king of Italy and ruled for just 34 days, from May 9 to June 12, 1946, and then went into exile. Also known as Re di Maggio, he was the de facto head of state since 1944.
![Romulus Augustus Romulus Augustus](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/romulus-augustus-1.jpg)
Romulus Augustus went down in history as the last Western Roman emperor. The son of Orestes, who was killed by German warrior Odoacer, Romulus was spared and allowed to move to southern Italy. Though not much is known of him, it is believed he lived till the rule of Theoderic.
![Theodoric the Great Theodoric the Great](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/theodoric-the-great-1.jpg)
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy reigned as the king of Sardinia from 1849 to 1861. He then became the first king of a united Italy in 1861 and reigned as its king until his death in 1878. Since he played a major role in the Second Italian War of Independence, Italians started referring to him as Father of the Fatherland.
![Piero the Unfortunate Piero the Unfortunate](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/piero-the-unfortunate-1.jpg)
A 15th-century lord of Florence, Piero the Unfortunate was the eldest son of Italian statesman Lorenzo de' Medici. Throughout his 2-year rule, he made foolish errors such as making an agreement accepting all the demands of French king Charles VIII, leading to a revolt in his kingdom.
![Vitellius Vitellius](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/vitellius-1.jpg)
Older brother of Napoleon, Joseph Bonaparte, had been the king of Naples and Spain. After Napoleon’s fall, he was exiled to New Jersey, U.S. Later, in Europe, he lived a lavish life at Point Breeze, surrounded by all the wealth he had inherited, along with a classy collection of paintings.
![Romulus Romulus](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/romulus-1.jpg)
![Lucilla Lucilla](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lucilla-1.jpg)
The second-born daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Lucilla was married off to his father’s co-ruler, Lucius Verus, who was twice his age. After both Verus and Aurelius died, Commodus, Lucilla’s brother, came to power. Though Lucilla was politically conscious, she was eventually executed in her early 30s for plotting the murder of Commodus.
![Lucius Tarquinius Superbus Lucius Tarquinius Superbus](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lucius-tarquinius-superbus-1.jpg)
![Amadeo I of Spain Amadeo I of Spain](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/amadeo-i-of-spain-1.jpg)
![Claude of France Claude of France](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/claude-of-france-1.jpg)
![Cosimo I Cosimo I](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/cosimo-i-1.jpg)
![Piero di Cosimo de' Medici Piero di Cosimo de' Medici](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/piero-di-cosimo-de-medici-1.jpg)
![Lothair I Lothair I](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lothair-i-1.jpg)
![Poppaea Sabina Poppaea Sabina](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/poppaea-sabina-1.jpg)
The second wife of Roman Emperor Nero, Poppaea Sabina, apparently used her charms to get Nero to murder his mother, Agrippina, and then execute his first wife, Claudia Octavia. According to Roman historian Tacitus, a heavily pregnant Poppaea eventually succumbed to Nero’s anger, when he kicked her in her belly.
Umberto I of Italy reigned as the king of Italy from 1878 until his death in 1900. His reign witnessed an attempted colonial expansion by Italy into the Horn of Africa, successfully annexing Somalia and Eritrea. Loathed by anarchists because of his approval of the Bava Beccaris massacre, Umberto I of Italy was assassinated by an anarchist named Gaetano Bresci.
![Valentinian III Valentinian III](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/valentinian-iii-1.jpg)
![Julius Nepos Julius Nepos](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/julius-nepos-1.jpg)
![Mary of Modena Mary of Modena](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/mary-of-modena-1.jpg)
Mary of Modena, the second wife of King James II of England, who was also James VII of Scotland, reigned as the queen of England, Ireland, and Scotland. It is believed she induced James to escape to France during the Glorious Revolution, when William of Orange invaded England.
![Numa Pompilius Numa Pompilius](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/numa-pompilius-1.jpg)
![Prince Henry of Battenberg Prince Henry of Battenberg](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/prince-henry-of-battenberg-1.jpg)
Prince Henry of Battenberg was a morganatic descendant of the Grand Ducal House of Hesse. He was the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by the Rhine, and his wife, Countess Julia von Hauke. He married Queen Victoria's youngest child, Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, and became a member of the British Royal Family.
![Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/ferdinand-i-of-the-two-sicilies-1.jpg)
![Majorian Majorian](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/majorian-2.jpg)
![Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lorenzo-de-medici-duke-of-urbino-1.jpg)
![Roger II of Sicily Roger II of Sicily](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/roger-ii-of-sicily-1.jpg)
![Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/gian-gastone-de-medici-grand-duke-of-1.jpg)
![Margherita of Savoy Margherita of Savoy](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/margherita-of-savoy-1.jpg)
It is believed that the Margherita pizza that is a popular dish today was actually first made by a pizza maker in Naples to treat Margherita of Savoy, who had grown tired of the royal gourmet food. The wife of King Umberto I, Margherita was the queen of Italy.
![Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/alessandro-de-medici-duke-of-florence-1.jpg)
![Marcus Claudius Tacitus Marcus Claudius Tacitus](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/marcus-claudius-tacitus-1.jpg)
![Bohemond I of Antioch Bohemond I of Antioch](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/bohemond-i-of-antioch-1.jpg)
![Robert I, Duke of Parma Robert I, Duke of Parma](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/robert-i-duke-of-parma-1.jpg)
![Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/otto-ii-holy-roman-emperor-1.jpg)
![Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/matilda-of-tuscany-1.jpg)
Matilda of Tuscany, who was the countess of Tuscany and belonged to the House of Canossa. She is mostly remembered for her role in the clash between the Holy Roman Emperor and the papacy. She later became a mythical figure in Italy, with appearances in literary works, music, and art.
![Petronius Maximus Petronius Maximus](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/petronius-maximus-1.jpg)
![Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/otto-iii-holy-roman-emperor-1.jpg)
![Joanna I of Naples Joanna I of Naples](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/joanna-i-of-naples-1.jpg)
After her father died, Joanna I was made the heir to the throne of Naples by her grandfather, King Robert the Wise. Her life was marred by the murder of her first husband and the attacks of the Hungarian king Louis I. She was eventually imprisoned and killed by Charles of Durazzo.
![Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/louis-ii-holy-roman-emperor-1.jpg)
![Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/princess-maria-pia-of-bourbon-parma-1.jpg)