The House of Savoy was an Italian royal house of Saxon origin, ruling Savoy from 1003 to 1860 as a county, duchy, and then a kingdom (the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Italy). The House of Savoy ruled a united Italy from 1860 until the dissolution of the kingdom in 1946 after the end of World War II, being the longest-ruling European royal family. The house still exists, being one of the oldest royal families in Europe.