Tomaso I

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 1178, Aiguebelle, Savoy
• Alternate birth: 20 May 1178
• Alternate death: 1 Mar 1233, Moncalieri, Piedmont, Italy

Notes:

Count of Savoy. He was named after Thomas Becket.

Tomaso married Margaret of Geneva in May 1195. Margaret (daughter of William I of Geneva and Beatrice de Faucigny) died on 13 Apr 1236. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Beatrice of Savoy died in Dec 1266.
2. Thomas of Savoy died on 7 Feb 1259.
3. Amedee of Savoy was born in 1197; died on 24 Jun 1253 in Montmelian, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France.

Notes:

Also called Humbert. Count of Savoy, Maurienne, and Turin.

From Tom Major's "Saint of the Day" site:

March 4 -- Feast of Blessed Umberto III of Savoy

Humbert Humbert is the creepy stepfather narrating Nabokov's Lolita. He has a thing for young girls--nymphets, he calls them.

Humbert III had an opposite problem. He had a monastic vocation. Christopher Cope's The Lost Kingdom of Burgundy says that he "was disconsolate at being a prince and preferred the seclusion of the monastery." Unfortunately for him, he was the only son of Amadeus, Duke of Savoy. When Amadeus died, the thirteen-year-old Umberto was plunked on the throne, like it or not, shut up and put your crown back on, Your Grace.

The primary responsibility of any landed nobleman in the feudal age was to have a son, of course. This would mean that inheritance was clear and no wars for succession would be fought. There's nothing wrong with young Faidiva of Toulouse, Your Grace. Now do your duty and get into bed. Sadly, poor Faidiva died young. Eighteen-year-old Umberto, having done his best, entered a Carthusian monastery.

Not so fast, your Grace. Blood will run through the streets of Cambrai if you don't come back and get married again. Here's lovely Gertrude of Flanders. I know you two will hit it off. Oh my, it's getting late. Off to bed with the two of you.

They didn't 'hit it off.' In fact, Umberto divorced her and locked her up. Bishop Robert kindly let her out and sent her back to her brother, the Count of Flanders, but still there was no heir.

Your Grace, we know you haven't had much joy in marriage. No, we're not suggesting anything. We just think it is worth trying again. Third times a charm, they say. And take a look at Clementia of Zahringen! She's the divorced wife of Henry the Lion of Saxony. Now, now. You're divorced yourself, you know. And besides, she's got a track record. A son and two daughters by Henry. Not another word about it, Your Grace. Now get busy.

Clementia made a valiant effort, bearing two daughters before her death. Despondent over the loss of another wife, Henry thought about withdrawing to a monastery in grief but wiser heads prevailed.

The way of all flesh, Your Grace. Speaking of which, you yourself are not getting any younger, you know. You turned forty this year, sir, and we still don't have an heir. Have you met Beatrice of Viennois? Yes, she's thirty-eight, but there's plenty of child-bearing time left. Well, not plenty, but enough. If Your Grace gets the lead out.

Tommaso of Savoy was born in 1178. Saint Anthelm himself had blessed Umberto three times to help bring young Thomas (named for Thomas á Becket) into the world. Tommaso was about ten when Umberto, having founded the Monastery of Sant'Antonio di Ranverso, died.

When I read about Humbert's divorce and imprisonment of his ex-wife, I wondered how this guy got beatified. But on reflection, he plainly had a divine vocation, and he sacrificed that for the sake of temporal responsibilities. It might seem to be the opposite of Jesus' advice to the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-27, but perhaps it is not. Maybe the act of sacrifice, whether one is giving up the riches of the palace or the austerity of the monastery, is what stores up treasure in the Kingdom of Heaven.

*****

Note that Umberto and his fourth wife Beatrice were second cousins once removed, as William "The Great" of Burgundy (d. 1087) was his great-grandfather and her great-great grandfather. Presumably a papal dispensation was obtained.

Umberto married Beatrice de Mâcon about 1175. Beatrice (daughter of Gerard I of Burgundy and Guyonne de Salins) died before 8 Apr 1230 in Champagne-et-Fontaine, Aquitaine, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Beatrix d'Ivrea de Vienne; Beatrice of Viennois.

Notes:

Count of Savoy, Maurienne, and Turin. Died on crusade.

"Amadeus had a tendency to exaggerate his titles, and also claimed to be Duke of Lombardy, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Chablais, and vicar of the Holy Roman Empire, the latter of which had been given to his father by Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor." [Wikipedia]

Amadeo married Mahaut of Albon in 1123. Mahaut (daughter of Guigues VIII of Albon and Matilda) died after 1145. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Matilda.

Notes:

Also called Géraud of Mâcon. Count of Mâcon and Vienna.

Gerard married Guyonne de Salins about 1160. Guyonne (daughter of Gaucher de Salins) died after 1200. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Guigonne.

Notes:

Called "the Fat." Count of Maurienne, Savoy, and Turin

Umberto married Gisela of Burgundy about 1090. Gisela (daughter of William I "The Great" of Burgundy and Stephanie) was born about 1070; died after 1133. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Marchioness of Montferrat.

Notes:

Count of Albon. Called "Guigues the Old."

Guigues married Matilda. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Referred to in contemporary sources as "Queen" Matilda, leading to speculation as to which living queen she could have been. Variously proposed as a daughter of Edgar the Atheling (d. 1126) or of Roger I of Sicily (d. 1101), in the latter case by his third wife Adelaide of Savona. The case for Roger and Adelaide is plausible, although they are known to have had another daughter named Matilda who married Conrad II of Italy.

Notes:

Count of Auxonne and Mâcon.

William married Poncette de Traves. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Alice de Traves.

Notes:

Count of Maurienne and Savoy; Margrave of Susa.

Amadeo married Joan of Geneva between 1065 and 1070. Joan (daughter of Gérold of Geneva and Gisele) died about 1095. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Count of Burgundy and, from 1078, Count of Mâcon.

Called "tête hardie", "the rash" or "the stubborn".

William married Stephanie between 1049 and 1057. Stephanie died after 1092. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Wikipedia article about William I, Count of Burgundy, asserts (as of 29 Jun 2015) two wives for him, an "Etiennette de Longuy" that he married circa 1040 and a "Stephanie" that he married before his death in 1087. The article then lists one set of children for Stephanie and another set of "children of either Stephanie or Etiennette". This appears to be confused. [Note that as of 1 May 2016, Wikipedia's article appears to have been cleaned up and corrected.]

According to Ancestral Roots, William had one wife, whom they identify as "Stephanie, parentage NN". They then note: "Prof. David H. Kelly believes her parentage unproven (2003). De Vajay, in Annales de Bourgogne vol. 32 (1960) 258-261, identifies Stephanie (Etiennette) as dau. of Clemence de Foix & Albert de Longwy, Duke of Lorraine, d. 1048. Clemence is identified as dau. of Bernard I Roger, Comte de Foix, d. 1035, & Garsinde de Bigorre; & Bernard as son of Roger I de Carcassonne & wife Adelaide. Moriarty, The Plantagenet Ancestry of King Edward III and Queen Philippa, supplies pedigree charts for these families, but does not agree with de Vajay as to her identity. Garnier, Tableaux Généalogiques des Souverains de la France et de ses Grand Feudataires, table XXVIII, shows her as dau. of Raymond II, Count of Barcelona."

Notes:

Called "the Fat." Count of Albon; Sire of Vion.

Guigues married Petronell. Petronell (daughter of Artaud of Annonay) died before 1071. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Count Palatine of Burgundy; Count of Mâcon and Vienne. Called (like his father) "tête hardie", "the rash" or "the stubborn".

Fought in the Crusade of 1101, helping with the capture of Ancyra and fighting in the disastrous Battle of Mersivan, from which he barely escaped.

Stephen married Beatrix. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Constable of Burgundy.

Thibault married Alice. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 1060

Notes:

Count of Maurienne (Savoy) and Chablis. Margrave of Susa. Margrave of Turin.

Otto married Adelaide of Susa about 1046. Adelaide (daughter of Olderich II Manfredo and Berta of Este) was born about 1015; died on 27 Dec 1091 in Canischio, Turino, Piedmont, Italy. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Alix.

Marchioness (Duchess) of Turin. Kick-ass eleventh-century woman who took no crap from anybody, evidently.

From Wikipedia:

Since the margravial title primarily had a military purpose at the time, it was thus was not considered suitable for a woman. Emperor Conrad II therefore arranged a marriage between Adelaide and his stepson, Herman IV, in January 1037. Herman was then invested as margrave of Turin. Herman died of the plague while fighting for Conrad II at Naples in July 1038.

Adelaide remarried in order to secure her vast march. Probably in 1041, and certainly before 19 January 1042, Adelaide married Henry, Marquess of Montferrat. Henry died c. 1045 and left Adelaide a widow for the second time. Immediately, a third marriage was undertaken, this time to Otto of Savoy (1046). With Otto she had three sons, Peter I, Amadeus II, and Otto. The couple also had two daughters, Bertha, who married Henry IV of Germany, and Adelaide, who married Rudolf of Rheinfelden (who later opposed Henry as King of Germany). [...]

In 1070 Adelaide captured and burned the city of Asti, which had rebelled against her.

In 1069 Henry IV tried to repudiate Adelaide's daughter, Bertha, which caused Adelaide's relationship with the imperial family to cool. However, through the intervention of Bertha, Henry received Adelaide's support when he came to Italy to submit to Pope Gregory VII and Matilda of Tuscany at Canossa. In return for allowing him to travel through her lands, Henry gave Bugey to Adelaide. Adelaide and her son Amadeus then accompanied Henry IV and Bertha to Canossa, where Adelaide acted as an oath-helper, alongside Matilda and Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, among others. Bishop Benzo of Alba sent several letters to Adelaide between 1080 and 1082, encouraging her to support Henry IV in the Italian wars which formed part of the Investiture Controversy. Adelaide's dealings with Henry IV became closer after this. She offered to mediate between him and Matilda and Tuscany, and may even have joined him on campaign.

Adelaide made many donations to monasteries in the march of Turin. In 1064 she founded the monastery of Santa Maria at Pinerolo.

Adelaide received letters from many of the leading churchmen of the day, including Pope Alexander II, Peter Damian, and Pope Gregory VII. These letters indicate that Adelaide sometimes supported Gregorian reform, but that at other times she did not. Peter Damian (writing in 1064) and Gregory VII (writing in 1073), relied upon Adelaide to enforce clerical celibacy and protect the monasteries of Fruttuaria and San Michele della Chiusa. By contrast, Alexander II (writing c. 1066/7) reproached Adelaide for her dealings with Guido da Velate the simoniac Archbishop of Milan. [...]

Adelaide is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor.

Notes:

Count of Geneva.

Gérold married Gisele. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Count of Burgundy.

Renaud married Adélaïde of Normandy before 2 Nov 1023. Adélaïde (daughter of Richard II and Judith of Brittany) died after 1074. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sometimes called Judith. "As for Judith being the same person as Adelais, there is no reason to doubt this: she was recorded as Renaud's wife named Adelais in 1023, well before occurring with her mother's name Judith in 1037 (perhaps the alternative was used to distinguish her from her step-mother-in-law Adelais), and she was still living nearly two decades after Renaud's death." [Peter Stewart, citation details below.]

Notes:

Called "the Old." Count of Albon; Sire of Vion. Died as a monk.

Guigues married Adelaide. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Farmerie (summarizing Moriarty, summarizing de Manteyer) says "Adelaide, perhaps of Beaujeu".

Notes:

Count of Burgundy and, from 1078, Count of Mâcon.

Called "tête hardie", "the rash" or "the stubborn".

William married Stephanie between 1049 and 1057. Stephanie died after 1092. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Wikipedia article about William I, Count of Burgundy, asserts (as of 29 Jun 2015) two wives for him, an "Etiennette de Longuy" that he married circa 1040 and a "Stephanie" that he married before his death in 1087. The article then lists one set of children for Stephanie and another set of "children of either Stephanie or Etiennette". This appears to be confused. [Note that as of 1 May 2016, Wikipedia's article appears to have been cleaned up and corrected.]

According to Ancestral Roots, William had one wife, whom they identify as "Stephanie, parentage NN". They then note: "Prof. David H. Kelly believes her parentage unproven (2003). De Vajay, in Annales de Bourgogne vol. 32 (1960) 258-261, identifies Stephanie (Etiennette) as dau. of Clemence de Foix & Albert de Longwy, Duke of Lorraine, d. 1048. Clemence is identified as dau. of Bernard I Roger, Comte de Foix, d. 1035, & Garsinde de Bigorre; & Bernard as son of Roger I de Carcassonne & wife Adelaide. Moriarty, The Plantagenet Ancestry of King Edward III and Queen Philippa, supplies pedigree charts for these families, but does not agree with de Vajay as to her identity. Garnier, Tableaux Généalogiques des Souverains de la France et de ses Grand Feudataires, table XXVIII, shows her as dau. of Raymond II, Count of Barcelona."

Notes:

Also called Guy de Traves. Lord of Traves.