King Giuseppe I of Tavolara

King of Tavolara: 1836 - 1845
Predecessor: None
Successor: Paolo I

• Wikipedia

Born December 20, 1778, on the nearby island of Maddalena, Giuseppe Celestino Bertoleoni was a shepherd and the only inhabitant of the island before Charles Albert's visit. He claimed to have impressed him as an educated man and to have been made king of the island shortly thereafter. He brought his two families from other islands to live with him. The Italian government tried to prosecute him for bigamy, but failed because of his title. Passed kingdom to son Paolo in 1845; died 1849. Giuseppe's origins are a mystery. Because he claimed to be more highly educated than the average Sardinian shepherd, some have speculated on no ground that he was a fugitive member of the Carbonari, an exiled French aristocrat, or even the Lost Dauphin