Thomas I of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Thomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy
from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy
and Beatrice of Viennois
. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St. Anthelm, who blessed Humbert three times, and it was seen as a prophecy come true when Thomas was born shortly before Anthelm himself died on 26 June 1178. He was named in honour of Saint Thomas Becket
.
Thomas was still a minor when his father died on 4 March 1189, and a council of regency was established, composed of his mother Beatrice, his father's cousin Boniface I of Montferrat, and the Bishop of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. He had reached his majority by August 1191. Thomas possessed the martial abilities, energy, and brilliance that his father lacked, and Savoy enjoyed a golden age under his leadership. Despite his youth he began the push northwest into new territories. In the same year he granted Aosta Valley the "Carta delle Franchigie", recognising the right to administrative and political autonomy. This right was maintained up until the eve of the French Revolution
. Later he conquered Vaud
, Bugey
, and Carignano
. He supported the Hohenstaufen
s, and was known as "Thomas the Ghibelline" because of his career as Imperial Vicar
of Lombardy
.
, which was escorting the count's daughter, Margaret of Geneva, to France for her intended wedding to King Philip II of France
. Thomas carried off Marguerite and married her himself, producing some eight sons and six daughters.
County of Savoy
The Counts of Savoy emerged, along with the free communes of Switzerland, from the collapse of the Burgundian Kingdom of Arles in the 11th century....
from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy
Humbert III of Savoy
Umberto III , surnamed the Blessed, was Count of Savoy from 1148 to 1189. His parents were Amadeus III of Savoy and Mahaut of Albon, the sister of Guy IV of Dauphinois. His memorial day is March 4.According to CopeHis first wife died young; his second marriage ended in divorce...
and Beatrice of Viennois
Beatrice of Viennois
Beatrice of Viennois , was a Countess Consort of Savoy; married in 1176 to Humbert III, Count of Savoy.-References:...
. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St. Anthelm, who blessed Humbert three times, and it was seen as a prophecy come true when Thomas was born shortly before Anthelm himself died on 26 June 1178. He was named in honour of Saint Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
.
Thomas was still a minor when his father died on 4 March 1189, and a council of regency was established, composed of his mother Beatrice, his father's cousin Boniface I of Montferrat, and the Bishop of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. He had reached his majority by August 1191. Thomas possessed the martial abilities, energy, and brilliance that his father lacked, and Savoy enjoyed a golden age under his leadership. Despite his youth he began the push northwest into new territories. In the same year he granted Aosta Valley the "Carta delle Franchigie", recognising the right to administrative and political autonomy. This right was maintained up until the eve of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Later he conquered Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
, Bugey
Bugey
The Bugey is a historical region in the département of Ain , France. It is located in a loop of the Rhône River in the southeast of the département...
, and Carignano
Carignano
Carignano is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km south of Turin. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 8,777 and an area of 50.2 km².-Geography:...
. He supported the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
s, and was known as "Thomas the Ghibelline" because of his career as Imperial Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
.
Family and children
In 1195 he ambushed the party of Count William I of GenevaWilliam I of Geneva
William I of Geneva was Count of Geneva from 1178 to 1195, in succession to his father, Count Amadeus I of Geneva...
, which was escorting the count's daughter, Margaret of Geneva, to France for her intended wedding to King Philip II of France
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
. Thomas carried off Marguerite and married her himself, producing some eight sons and six daughters.
-
- AmedeoAmadeus IV of SavoyAmadeus 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...
, his immediate successor - Umberto, d. between March and November 1223
- TommasoThomas, Count of FlandersThomas II was the Lord of Piedmont from 1233 to his death, Count of Flanders jure uxoris from 1237 to 1244, and regent of the County of Savoy from 1253 to his death, while his nephew Boniface was fighting abroad...
, lord and then count in PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and founder of a line that became the Savoy-Achaea - Aimone, d. 30 August 1237, Lord of ChablaisChablaisChablais 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...
- Guglielmo (William of SavoyWilliam of SavoyWilliam of Savoy was a Savoyard bishop. He was elected bishop of Valence in 1224.In 1236 he came to England, with Eleanor of Provence, his niece, who was to marry Henry III of England. Henry then tried to have William selected as bishop of Winchester; the chapter resisted Henry on this.In 1238...
), Bishop of Valence and Dean of VienneVienneVienne 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,... - Amadeo of Savoy, Bishop of Maurienne
- Pietro, who resided much in England, became Earl of RichmondEarl of RichmondThe now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was held by various Bretons, Normans, the royal families of Plantagenet, Capet, Savoy, Tudor and Stuart.-History:...
, and ultimately in 1263 became the disputed count of Savoy - Filippo, archbishop of Lyon, who resigned, through marriage became Count Palatine of Burgundy and ultimately in 1268 became the disputed count of Savoy
- BonifacioBoniface of Savoy, Archbishop of CanterburyBoniface of Savoy was a medieval Bishop of Belley in France and Archbishop of Canterbury in England. He was the son of the Count of Savoy, and owed his initial ecclesiastical posts to his father. Other members of his family were also clergymen, and a brother succeeded his father as count...
who became archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group... - Beatrice of SavoyBeatrice of SavoyBeatrice of Savoy was the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. She was Countess consort of Provence by her marriage to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence.-Family:...
, d. 1265 or 1266, married in December 1219 to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of ProvenceRamon Berenguer IV, Count of ProvenceRamon Berenguer IV , Count of Provence and Forcalquier, was the son of Alfonso II of Provence and Garsenda of Sabran, heiress of Forcalquier. After his father's death , Ramon was imprisoned in the castle of Monzón, in Aragon until he was able to escape in 1219 and claim his inheritance. He was a...
(1209-1245) and was mother of four Queens-consort - Alasia of Savoy, abbess of the monastery of St Pierre in Lyon (d.1250)
- Ágatha of Savoy, abbess of the monastery of St Pierre in Lyon (d.1245)
- Margherita of Savoy, d. 1273, married in 1218 to Hartmann I of Kyburg
- Avita of Savoy (1215-92) who married Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of DevonBaldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of DevonBaldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon and Lord of the Isle was the son of Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon and Amicia de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford. He succeeded at the age of ten....
and Robert Aguillon (d.1286).
- Amedeo
Ancestry
Further reading
- Francesco Cognasso, Il Piemonte nell’Età Sveva (Turin, 1968)