Rudolf of Geneva
Encyclopedia
Rudolf or Rudolph was the Count of Geneva
from 1252 until his death in 1265. He was the eldest son of William II
, and was described by a Renaissance historian as “the more quarrelsome son of a quarrelsome father.” He was a constant warrior, and his most frequent foes were of the House of Savoy
.
, in violation of the rights of the Count of Geneva, then William II. This precipitated a war between the house of Geneva and that of Faucigny allied with the house of Savoy in the person of Aymon's son-in-law Peter, “the Little Charlemagne”. Late in 1236 or early the next year, during a temporary truce, Rudolf ambushed Peter in a mountain pass, while the latter was travelling with a very small retinue, and made him a prisoner. The exact circumstances of the ambush and of the events which followed are obscured, but it appears that in the ensuing war the Genevans were beat. On 13 May 1237 Peter's elder brother, Amadeus IV of Savoy
, acting as arbiter of the dispute between Geneva and Faucigny, ordered William II to pay an war indemnity and hand over certain fortresses. In the end Peter was freed.
In 1250, when the Savoyards appeared to be engaged in a concerted effort to expand their territory, William II and Rudolf again went to war, this time mainly in defence of the Albert III of La Tour-du-Pin, who was William's brother-in-law and Rudolf's father-in-law, and whose lands were threatened by both Peter and his brother Philip. In the war Savoy defeated Geneva, and Philip imposed a “Carthaginian peace
” on the losers. The indemnity had never been paid and was mercifully halved, and more castles were taken. It was a reduced patrimony that Rudolf inherited two years later.
. Rudolf immediately acted to expand his shrunken county of Geneva. By arms he forced Simon de Joinville, the lord of Gex
, to do him homage. He seized the castle at Charousse and expelled a creditor of “the Little Charlemagne”, who was holding it as security on a loan. For this castle he steadfastly refused to do homage to any Savoyard. When his aunt, Margaret, the dowager countess of Savoy, died in 1258, Rudolf took over the lands at Cornillon
and the Val des Clefs that formed her dowry
.
Rudolf also sought to arbitrate the claims of his cousin Henry to the count of Geneva, which rights Henry had sold to Peter of Savoy. Early in 1260 Peter recaptured Charousse and, on 19 May, the three disputants met in Geneva to accept the decision of the arbiters Rudolf and Henry had chosen. Rudolf was allowed to keep Charousse if he did homage to Peter for it and paid the outstanding debt of £2,000 viennois (pounds of Vienne
). The problem of the disputed succession to Geneva (William II had seized the county unlawfully) was deferred, and the lands ceded to Peter until the payment of the indemnity (the gagerie) was enlarged with the lands north and west of the Rhône
from Seyssel
to Lausanne
, from the bridge over the Tacon to the mandamentum
of the city of Geneva
. The gagerie included the castles of Geneva, Charousse, Ballaison
, Les Clées
, Rue
; the homages of the Count of Gruyére and of the lords of Langin, Oron and Vufflens; and all the jurisdictions Rudolf possessed in the Pays de Vaud, the Chablais
and in Faucigny
. The county of Geneva was reduced to the Genevois
.
In September 1262 Rudolf paid homage
to the youthful Boniface, Count of Savoy, for the territories he held in fief from him. Boniface was probably not yet fourteen and still under the regency of his mother, Cécile des Baux. The homage of Rudolf is therefore one of the more important that comes down from the reign of Boniface, although it indicates that the latter was not yet styled with the full titulature of his father, Amadeus IV. Not long afterwards Boniface died and in August 1263 Rudolf was forced to homage anew to his old enemy, Peter, who was now Count of Savoy. After the arbitration of some minor differenced by the Bishop of Belley and the Abbot of Saint-Rambert
, Rudolf did homage in an orchard below the castle at Saint-Rambert for his fiefs of Charousse, Cusy
, Aubonne
and Saint-Maurice-d'Agaune.
Rudolf died in 1265 and was succeeded by his son Aymon II
, who was later succeeded by his brother Amadeus II
.
Count of Geneva
The County of Geneva, largely corresponding to the later Genevois province, originated in the tenth century, in the Burgundian Kingdom of Arles which fell to the Holy Roman Empire in 1032.-History:...
from 1252 until his death in 1265. He was the eldest son of William II
William II of Geneva
William II was the Count of Geneva, originally a usurper, from 1225 until his death. He fought a long series of wars with the House of Savoy and lost control of all of his county outside of the traditional Genevois and saw his influence over the city of Geneva proper and the Bishop of Geneva...
, and was described by a Renaissance historian as “the more quarrelsome son of a quarrelsome father.” He was a constant warrior, and his most frequent foes were of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
.
Heir of Geneva
Around 1234 Aymon II of Faucigny made himself protector of the priory of ChamonixChamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, in violation of the rights of the Count of Geneva, then William II. This precipitated a war between the house of Geneva and that of Faucigny allied with the house of Savoy in the person of Aymon's son-in-law Peter, “the Little Charlemagne”. Late in 1236 or early the next year, during a temporary truce, Rudolf ambushed Peter in a mountain pass, while the latter was travelling with a very small retinue, and made him a prisoner. The exact circumstances of the ambush and of the events which followed are obscured, but it appears that in the ensuing war the Genevans were beat. On 13 May 1237 Peter's elder brother, Amadeus IV of Savoy
Amadeus IV of Savoy
Amadeus IV was Count of Savoy from 1233 to 1253.The legitimate heir of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva, he had however to fight with his brothers for the inheritance of Savoy lands after their father's death...
, acting as arbiter of the dispute between Geneva and Faucigny, ordered William II to pay an war indemnity and hand over certain fortresses. In the end Peter was freed.
In 1250, when the Savoyards appeared to be engaged in a concerted effort to expand their territory, William II and Rudolf again went to war, this time mainly in defence of the Albert III of La Tour-du-Pin, who was William's brother-in-law and Rudolf's father-in-law, and whose lands were threatened by both Peter and his brother Philip. In the war Savoy defeated Geneva, and Philip imposed a “Carthaginian peace
Carthaginian peace
Carthaginian Peace can refer to two things: either the peace imposed on Carthage by Rome in 146 BC, whereby the Romans systematically burned Carthage to the ground, or the imposition of a very brutal 'peace' in general.-Origin:...
” on the losers. The indemnity had never been paid and was mercifully halved, and more castles were taken. It was a reduced patrimony that Rudolf inherited two years later.
Count of Geneva
In November 1252 William II died at DomèneDomène
Domène is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
. Rudolf immediately acted to expand his shrunken county of Geneva. By arms he forced Simon de Joinville, the lord of Gex
Gex, Ain
Gex is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.It lies from the Swiss border and from Geneva. It is a sous-préfecture of Ain.-History:...
, to do him homage. He seized the castle at Charousse and expelled a creditor of “the Little Charlemagne”, who was holding it as security on a loan. For this castle he steadfastly refused to do homage to any Savoyard. When his aunt, Margaret, the dowager countess of Savoy, died in 1258, Rudolf took over the lands at Cornillon
Cornillon
Cornillon is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
and the Val des Clefs that formed her dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
.
Rudolf also sought to arbitrate the claims of his cousin Henry to the count of Geneva, which rights Henry had sold to Peter of Savoy. Early in 1260 Peter recaptured Charousse and, on 19 May, the three disputants met in Geneva to accept the decision of the arbiters Rudolf and Henry had chosen. Rudolf was allowed to keep Charousse if he did homage to Peter for it and paid the outstanding debt of £2,000 viennois (pounds of Vienne
Vienne
Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
). The problem of the disputed succession to Geneva (William II had seized the county unlawfully) was deferred, and the lands ceded to Peter until the payment of the indemnity (the gagerie) was enlarged with the lands north and west of the Rhône
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
from Seyssel
Seyssel
Seyssel is the name of two communes in France:* Seyssel, Ain, in the Ain département* Seyssel, Haute-Savoie, in the Haute-Savoie départementSeyssel may also refer to:* Seyssel AOC, a wine AOC...
to Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, from the bridge over the Tacon to the mandamentum
Mandamento
Historically a mandamento was the part of Italian territory under the jurisdiction of a "pretore" which is a kind of magistrate. These divisions were abolished in 1923....
of the city of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. The gagerie included the castles of Geneva, Charousse, Ballaison
Ballaison
Ballaison is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
, Les Clées
Les Clées
Les Clées is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Les Clées is first mentioned in 1134 as Clees....
, Rue
Rue
Rue is a genus of strongly scented evergreen subshrubs 20–60 cm tall, in the family Rutaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia and southwest Asia. There are perhaps 8 to 40 species in the genus...
; the homages of the Count of Gruyére and of the lords of Langin, Oron and Vufflens; and all the jurisdictions Rudolf possessed in the Pays de Vaud, the Chablais
Chablais
Chablais was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.This region is currently divided into three territories, the Chablais savoyard, the Chablais valaisan, and the Chablais vaudois, and is now split across two countries: France and Switzerland...
and in Faucigny
Faucigny
Faucigny is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Historically, Faucigny was a region in Savoy which included the area of the modern département of Haute Savoie and the municipalities of Chamonix, Argentière, and Les Houches.-Geography:In the...
. The county of Geneva was reduced to the Genevois
Genevois
Genevois is the name used in Geneva used for the dialect of Arpitan used in the canton of Geneva. The title « Cé qu'è lainô » of the anthem of Geneva is in Genevois....
.
In September 1262 Rudolf paid homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the youthful Boniface, Count of Savoy, for the territories he held in fief from him. Boniface was probably not yet fourteen and still under the regency of his mother, Cécile des Baux. The homage of Rudolf is therefore one of the more important that comes down from the reign of Boniface, although it indicates that the latter was not yet styled with the full titulature of his father, Amadeus IV. Not long afterwards Boniface died and in August 1263 Rudolf was forced to homage anew to his old enemy, Peter, who was now Count of Savoy. After the arbitration of some minor differenced by the Bishop of Belley and the Abbot of Saint-Rambert
Saint-Rambert
Saint-Rambert is part of the name of several communes in France:* Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, in the Loire département* Saint-Rambert-d'Albon, in the Drôme département* Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey, in the Ain département...
, Rudolf did homage in an orchard below the castle at Saint-Rambert for his fiefs of Charousse, Cusy
Cusy
Cusy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
, Aubonne
Aubonne
Aubonne is a municipality in the district of Morges in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:The municipality was settled very early. The oldest remains are from the Bronze Age. From Roman times, there remain foundations of villas, and from early medieval times, graves.The first documentation...
and Saint-Maurice-d'Agaune.
Rudolf died in 1265 and was succeeded by his son Aymon II
Aymon II of Geneva
Aymon II was the Count of Geneva from 1265. He was the son and heir of Count Rudolf, but died heirless himself and was succeeded by his brother Amadeus II...
, who was later succeeded by his brother Amadeus II
Amadeus II of Geneva
Amadeus II was the Count of Geneva, which included the Genevois, but not the city of Geneva, from 1280. He was the second son of Count Rudolf and succeeded his heirless brother Aymon II.-Alliance and war :...
.