The
Marquises and Dukes of Montferrat were the rulers of a territory in
PiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,399 km
2 and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the so-called Occitan Valleys...
south of the
PoThe Po is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest...
and east of
TurinTurin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
called
MontferratMontferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy...
. The
March of MontferratThe March of Montferrat was frontier march of the Kingdom of Italy during the Middle Ages. It was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Western Liguria was constituted as the marca Aleramica for Aleram in 961...
was created by
Berengar II of ItalyBerengar of Ivrea , sometimes also referred to as Berengar II of Italy, was margrave of Ivrea, and usurper King of Italy. He was of Lombard descent.He was a son of Adalbert I of Ivrea and Gisela of Friuli...
in
950-Europe:* Duke Boleslav I of Bohemia makes peace with Otto I.* Page with Joshua Leading the Israelites, from the Joshua Roll, is made in Constantinople. It is now kept at Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome .-Asia:...
during a redistribution of power in the northwest of his kingdom. It was originally named after and held by the Aleramici. In 1574, Montferrat was raised to a
DuchyA duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era...
by
Maximilian II, Holy Roman EmperorMaximilian II was king of Bohemia from 1562, king of Hungary from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1564 and king of the Romans until his death. He was a member of the House of Habsburg.-Biography:...
(see
Duchy of MontferratThe Duchy of Montferrat was created out of what was left of the March of Montferrat after the last Palaeologus heir had died and the margraviate been briefly controlled by Spain . After that brief interlude, it passed to the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua...
).
- William I
William I stands at the head of the Aleramici family which ruled Montferrat for four centuries. He was the father of the first margrave Aleram....
(d. before 933)
- Aleramo (933
-Europe:* Cotentin and Jersey are seized by William Longsword, Duke of Normandy.* Henry the Fowler defeats the Magyars at Riade.* The Kingdom of Lower Burgundy is given to King Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy....
-967)
- William II
William II was the co-margrave of Montferrat with his father Aleram.He was the eldest son of Aleram by his first wife, name unknown. He was named after his grandfather, the head of the family, William I. William probably co-reigned with his father, but appears to have been dead at around the same...
, son and co-ruler
- Otto I
Otto I was the Margrave of Montferrat briefly following his father Aleram on the throne.Otto was the son of Aleram and his first wife. Notably obscure, he did not appear with his parents and his younger brother Anselm at the foundation of the monstery of Grazzano in 961...
(967-991), son
- William III
William III was the Margrave of Montferrat and Count of Vado from 991 to his death. He was the eldest son and successor of Otto I. William I and II were the father and son respectively of Aleram, the first margrave, but neither served as margrave himself.William's religious policy was a...
(991-Europe:* Battle of Maldon: The Anglo-Saxons are defeated by Viking invaders led by Olaf Tryggvason, later Olaf I of Norway.* Sweyn I of Denmark recovers his throne.-Deaths:* Theophanu, empress, mother of Otto III...
-bef.1042), son
- Otho II
Otto II was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1042 until his death.Otto was the son and successor of William III and Waza. He married Constance, daughter of Amadeus II of Savoy. He was succeeded by their son William IV...
(bef.1042-c.1084), son
- Henry
Henry was the son of William III of Montferrat and Waza. He was the younger brother of Otto II of Montferrat. He and his brother were co-lords of the March of Montferrat from 1042....
(d.1045), brother and co-ruler
- William IV
William IV was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1084.The date of William's birth is unknown, but it probably took place between 1030 and 1035. He was the eldest son of Otto II and Constance, daughter of Amadeus II of Savoy...
(c.1084-c.1100), son
- Rainier (c.1100-c.1136), son
- William V
William V of Montferrat , also known as William the Old to distinguish him from his eldest son, William Longsword, was marquess of Montferrat from c. 1136 to his death in 1191...
(c.1136-1191), son
- Conrad
Conrad of Montferrat, or Conrad I of Jerusalem was one of the major participants in the Third Crusade...
(1191-1192), son
- Boniface I (1192-1207), brother
- William VI
William VI was the Marquess of Montferrat from 1203 and pretender to the Kingdom of Thessalonica from 1207.-Youth:...
(1207-1225), son
- Boniface II
Boniface II , called the Giant, was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1225 until his death. He received the titularity of the Kingdom of Thessalonica in 1239....
(1225-1253/55), son
- William VII
William VII , called the Great , was the twelfth Margrave of Montferrat from 1253 to his death. He was also the titular King of Thessalonica.-Youth:...
(1253/55-1292), son
- John I
John I was the Margrave of Montferrat, last the Aleramici dynasty, from 1292 to his death.John was the only son of William VII of Montferrat and his second wife Beatrice, daughter of Alfonso X of Castile. In his youth, John was put under the tutelage of Thomas I of Saluzzo during the period of...
(1292-1305), son
- Theodore I
Theodore I Palaiologos was Marquess of Montferrat from 1306 until his death.He was a son of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and Yolande of Montferrat. After the male-line of the Aleramici marquesses of Montferrat went extinct in 1305, he inherited Montferrat...
(1306-1338), nephew of John
- John II
John II Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1338.He was the son of Theodore I of Montferrat, with whom he was associated in the government from 1336. He had great fortune in extending the boundaries of the margraviate against his neighbours...
(1338-1372), son
- Otto III
Secondotto Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1372 to his death, the third of the Greek Palaeologan dynasty. His name Secondotto may derive from his being the second Otto to rule Montferrat in his own right, though he is really Otto III...
(1372-1378), son
- John III
John III Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1378 to his death. He was the second son of John II of Montferrat and Isabella of Majorca and brother and successor of Secondotto...
(1378-1381), brother
- Theodore II
Theodore II Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1381.-Life:He was the thirdborn son of John II of Montferrat and Isabel of Majorca. Theodore was named governor of the margraviate after the death of his brother John III...
(1381-1418), brother
- John Jacob (1418-1445), son
- John IV (1445-1464), son
- William VIII
William VIII Palaiologos was the Marquess of Montferrat from 1464 until his death.He was the third son of Marquess John Jacob, and inherited the Marquisate after the death of his elder brother John IV. He obtained by Emperor Frederick III the territories lost to Savoy from 1435...
(1464-1483), brother
- Boniface III (1483-1494), brother
- William IX (1494-1518), son.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Rulers of Montferrat' Start a new discussion about 'Rulers of Montferrat' Answer questions from other users |
The
Marquises and Dukes of Montferrat were the rulers of a territory in
PiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,399 km
2 and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the so-called Occitan Valleys...
south of the
PoThe Po is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest...
and east of
TurinTurin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
called
MontferratMontferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy...
. The
March of MontferratThe March of Montferrat was frontier march of the Kingdom of Italy during the Middle Ages. It was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Western Liguria was constituted as the marca Aleramica for Aleram in 961...
was created by
Berengar II of ItalyBerengar of Ivrea , sometimes also referred to as Berengar II of Italy, was margrave of Ivrea, and usurper King of Italy. He was of Lombard descent.He was a son of Adalbert I of Ivrea and Gisela of Friuli...
in
950-Europe:* Duke Boleslav I of Bohemia makes peace with Otto I.* Page with Joshua Leading the Israelites, from the Joshua Roll, is made in Constantinople. It is now kept at Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome .-Asia:...
during a redistribution of power in the northwest of his kingdom. It was originally named after and held by the Aleramici. In 1574, Montferrat was raised to a
DuchyA duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era...
by
Maximilian II, Holy Roman EmperorMaximilian II was king of Bohemia from 1562, king of Hungary from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1564 and king of the Romans until his death. He was a member of the House of Habsburg.-Biography:...
(see
Duchy of MontferratThe Duchy of Montferrat was created out of what was left of the March of Montferrat after the last Palaeologus heir had died and the margraviate been briefly controlled by Spain . After that brief interlude, it passed to the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua...
).
Aleramici dynasty
- William I
William I stands at the head of the Aleramici family which ruled Montferrat for four centuries. He was the father of the first margrave Aleram....
(d. before 933)
- Aleramo (933
-Europe:* Cotentin and Jersey are seized by William Longsword, Duke of Normandy.* Henry the Fowler defeats the Magyars at Riade.* The Kingdom of Lower Burgundy is given to King Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy....
-967)
- William II
William II was the co-margrave of Montferrat with his father Aleram.He was the eldest son of Aleram by his first wife, name unknown. He was named after his grandfather, the head of the family, William I. William probably co-reigned with his father, but appears to have been dead at around the same...
, son and co-ruler
- Otto I
Otto I was the Margrave of Montferrat briefly following his father Aleram on the throne.Otto was the son of Aleram and his first wife. Notably obscure, he did not appear with his parents and his younger brother Anselm at the foundation of the monstery of Grazzano in 961...
(967-991), son
- William III
William III was the Margrave of Montferrat and Count of Vado from 991 to his death. He was the eldest son and successor of Otto I. William I and II were the father and son respectively of Aleram, the first margrave, but neither served as margrave himself.William's religious policy was a...
(991-Europe:* Battle of Maldon: The Anglo-Saxons are defeated by Viking invaders led by Olaf Tryggvason, later Olaf I of Norway.* Sweyn I of Denmark recovers his throne.-Deaths:* Theophanu, empress, mother of Otto III...
-bef.1042), son
- Otho II
Otto II was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1042 until his death.Otto was the son and successor of William III and Waza. He married Constance, daughter of Amadeus II of Savoy. He was succeeded by their son William IV...
(bef.1042-c.1084), son
- Henry
Henry was the son of William III of Montferrat and Waza. He was the younger brother of Otto II of Montferrat. He and his brother were co-lords of the March of Montferrat from 1042....
(d.1045), brother and co-ruler
- William IV
William IV was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1084.The date of William's birth is unknown, but it probably took place between 1030 and 1035. He was the eldest son of Otto II and Constance, daughter of Amadeus II of Savoy...
(c.1084-c.1100), son
- Rainier (c.1100-c.1136), son
- William V
William V of Montferrat , also known as William the Old to distinguish him from his eldest son, William Longsword, was marquess of Montferrat from c. 1136 to his death in 1191...
(c.1136-1191), son
- Conrad
Conrad of Montferrat, or Conrad I of Jerusalem was one of the major participants in the Third Crusade...
(1191-1192), son
- Boniface I (1192-1207), brother
- William VI
William VI was the Marquess of Montferrat from 1203 and pretender to the Kingdom of Thessalonica from 1207.-Youth:...
(1207-1225), son
- Boniface II
Boniface II , called the Giant, was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1225 until his death. He received the titularity of the Kingdom of Thessalonica in 1239....
(1225-1253/55), son
- William VII
William VII , called the Great , was the twelfth Margrave of Montferrat from 1253 to his death. He was also the titular King of Thessalonica.-Youth:...
(1253/55-1292), son
- John I
John I was the Margrave of Montferrat, last the Aleramici dynasty, from 1292 to his death.John was the only son of William VII of Montferrat and his second wife Beatrice, daughter of Alfonso X of Castile. In his youth, John was put under the tutelage of Thomas I of Saluzzo during the period of...
(1292-1305), son
Palaeologus dynasty
- Theodore I
Theodore I Palaiologos was Marquess of Montferrat from 1306 until his death.He was a son of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and Yolande of Montferrat. After the male-line of the Aleramici marquesses of Montferrat went extinct in 1305, he inherited Montferrat...
(1306-1338), nephew of John
- John II
John II Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1338.He was the son of Theodore I of Montferrat, with whom he was associated in the government from 1336. He had great fortune in extending the boundaries of the margraviate against his neighbours...
(1338-1372), son
- Otto III
Secondotto Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1372 to his death, the third of the Greek Palaeologan dynasty. His name Secondotto may derive from his being the second Otto to rule Montferrat in his own right, though he is really Otto III...
(1372-1378), son
- John III
John III Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1378 to his death. He was the second son of John II of Montferrat and Isabella of Majorca and brother and successor of Secondotto...
(1378-1381), brother
- Theodore II
Theodore II Palaeologus was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1381.-Life:He was the thirdborn son of John II of Montferrat and Isabel of Majorca. Theodore was named governor of the margraviate after the death of his brother John III...
(1381-1418), brother
- John Jacob (1418-1445), son
- John IV (1445-1464), son
- William VIII
William VIII Palaiologos was the Marquess of Montferrat from 1464 until his death.He was the third son of Marquess John Jacob, and inherited the Marquisate after the death of his elder brother John IV. He obtained by Emperor Frederick III the territories lost to Savoy from 1435...
(1464-1483), brother
- Boniface III (1483-1494), brother
- William IX (1494-1518), son. (Father-in-law to Federico II, Duke of Mantua.)
- Boniface IV (1518-1530), son, under the regency of his mother Anne of Alençon
Anne d'Alençon , Lady of La Guerche was a Marquise of Montferrat. She acted as Regent of the Marquisate of Montferrat for her son, Boniface from 1518 to his death in 1530.-Life:...
- John George (1530-1533), uncle
- Spanish occupation until 1536.
Gonzaga dynasty
In 1536
Charles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556...
granted the marquisate, despite competing claims from Savoy and from the Marquis of Saluzzo, to the Gonzagas. This was confirmed in 1559 by the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis.
- Frederick Gonzaga
Federico II of Gonzaga , was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1519 until his death. He was also Marquis of Montferrat from 1536.-Biography:...
(1536-1540), Duke of Mantua. Married to Margaret of Montferrat, daughter of William IX and Anne of AlençonAnne d'Alençon , Lady of La Guerche was a Marquise of Montferrat. She acted as Regent of the Marquisate of Montferrat for her son, Boniface from 1518 to his death in 1530.-Life:...
, and Marchioness of Montferrat in her own rightSuo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage.-Notable suo jure titles:...
.
- Francis I
Francis III Gonzaga was Duke of Mantua and Marquess of Montferrat from 1540 until his death. On October 22, 1549, he married Catherine, a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I.
|-...
(1540-1550), Duke of Mantua, Marquess of Montferrat. Son of Margaret of Montferrat and Frederick Gonzaga.
- William X (1550-1587), Duke of Mantua, Marquess, then (from 1574) Duke of Montferrat. Son of Margaret of Montferrat and Frederick Gonzaga
- Vincent I (1587-1612), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of William X
- Francis II
Francis IV Gonzaga , was Duke of Mantua and Duke of Montferrat between 9 February and 22 December 1612.-Biography:He was the eldest son of Duke Vincent I and Eleonora de' Medici....
(1612), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of Vincent I
- Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I Gonzaga was Duke of Mantua and Duke of Montferrat from 1612 until his death.-Biography:Born in Mantua, he was the son of Vincent I Gonzaga and Eleonora de' Medici....
(1612-26), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of Vincent I.
- Vincent II (1626-27), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of Vincent I.
- War of the Mantuan Succession
The War of the Mantuan Succession was a peripheral part of the Thirty Years' War. Its casus belli was the extinction of the direct male line of the House of Gonzaga in December 1627. Brothers Francesco IV , Ferdinando , and Vincenzo II , the last three dukes of Gonzaga, had all died leaving no...
(1627-1631) - a portion was lost to Duchy of SavoyFrom 1416 to 1714, the territories of the House of Savoy were known as the Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France...
- Maria
Maria Gonzaga or Marie of Mantua was an Italian princess of the House of Gonzaga, and regent of Mantua....
, Duchess of Montferrat 1612-61, also Duchess of Mantua 1627-1631. Daughter of Francis II.
- Charles I, called "of Nevers", Duke of Montferrat (1627-1637), also Duke of Mantua and Nevers. Father-in-law of Maria, co-ruler with Maria and his son, Charles.
- Charles II (1637-1665). Also Duke of Nevers until 1659. Son of Maria, grandson of both Charles I and Francis II.
- Ferdinand Charles (1665-1708), Duke of Montferrat and Mantua. Son of Charles II.