He was born in Genoa the eldest son of Prince Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta and his first wife Princess Maria Vittoria del Pozzo della Cisterna. In 1870 his father was elected king of Spain and Emanuele Filiberto became the Crown Prince of Spain. His time as heir apparent would be short lived as his father abdicated and returned to Italy in 1873 after three years on the throne. In 1890 he succeeded to the title of Duke of Aosta.

He began his career in the Italian Army at Naples, in 1905, as commander. During the First World War the Duke of Aosta commanded the Italian Third Army, which gained the nickname of Armata invitta ("undefeated army"). Following the war he was promoted to the rank of Marshal of Italy by Benito Mussolini in 1926.

Prince Emanuele Filiberto died in 1931 at Turin; accordingly to his will, he was buried in the military cemetery of Redipuglia, together with thousands of soldiers of the Third Army.

Entitled to him were the Duke of Aosta Bridge in Rome, built in 1942, and another on the Piave at Jesolo, inaugurated in 1927. Also a cruiser of the Regia Marina was named after him, which was given to Soviet Union after World War II.

He was married to Princess Hélène of Orléans (1871 – 1951). She was a daughter of Prince Philippe of Orléans and the Infanta Maria Isabel of Spain. They had two sons:

• Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta (21 October 1898 – 3 March 1942); married Princess Anne of Orléans.
• Aimone, 4th Duke of Aosta who briefly reigned as King Tomislav II of Croatia. (9 March 1900 – 29 January 1948); married Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark.