Agnes of Montferrat
Encyclopedia
Agnes of Montferrat was the first Empress consort of Henry of Flanders
, Latin Emperor
of Constantinople
.
, and his first wife Helena del Bosco. Her maternal grandfather was Anselmo, Marquess of Bosco.
She was a sister of William VI, Marquess of Montferrat
and Beatrice of Montferrat, wife of Henry II del Carretto, Marquess of Savona
. She was also an older, paternal half-sister of Demetrius of Montferrat
, King of Thessalonica.
, Agnes was residing in Lombardy
until her father summoned her to Thessaloniki
in 1206. Boniface proceeded to send Otto de la Roche
, megaskyr
or grand seignior of Athens
, as his envoy to Henry, proposing a marriage between her and the emperor. Henry agreed to the offer.
Boniface sent Agnes to Abydos, Hellespont
, Mysia
through a galley. His messengers then reached Henry with information to her location. Geoffrey Villehardouin himself and Miles of Brabant were assigned to escort her. Villehardouin describes Agnes as "very good and fair". Agnes was escorted to Constantinople with no mentioned incident. On 4 February 1207, Agness married Henry of Flanders. According to Villehardouin, the marriage took place in Hagia Sophia
, Constantinople on the Sunday following Candemass
. The wedding feast took place in Boukoleon Palace. According to the Dictionnaire historique et Généalogique des grandes familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople (1983) by Mihail-Dimitri Sturdza, the marriage was part of a new alliance between Boniface and Henry against Kaloyan of Bulgaria
.
Villehardouin records that in about September, 1207, Henry informed his father-in-law of Agnes being pregnant. A source or rejoicing for both allies. The chronicle ends with the death of Boniface on 4 September 1207 and thus does not report of the conclusion of the pregnancy. As there seems to be no further mention of Agnes, the empress is considered to have died in childbirth, probably along with her child.
In 1208, there is mention by Henri de Valenciennes of a daughter of Henry marrying Alexander, a nephew of Peter IV of Bulgaria
, Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria
and Kaloyan of Bulgaria
. However as a daughter of Agnes, said daughter would be a newborn, an unlikely age for marriage. She is therefore considered to have been an illegitimate child of Henry by a mistress.
Henry of Flanders
Henry was the second emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople. He was a younger son of Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut , and Margaret I of Flanders, sister of Philip of Alsace, count of Flanders....
, Latin Emperor
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
Family
She was a daughter of Boniface I, Marquess of Montferrat, founder of the Kingdom of ThessalonicaKingdom of Thessalonica
The Kingdom of Thessalonica was a short-lived Crusader State founded after the Fourth Crusade over the conquered Byzantine lands.- Background :...
, and his first wife Helena del Bosco. Her maternal grandfather was Anselmo, Marquess of Bosco.
She was a sister of William VI, Marquess of Montferrat
William VI, Marquess of Montferrat
William VI was the Marquess of Montferrat from 1203 and pretender to the Kingdom of Thessalonica from 1207.-Youth:...
and Beatrice of Montferrat, wife of Henry II del Carretto, Marquess of Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
. She was also an older, paternal half-sister of Demetrius of Montferrat
Demetrius of Montferrat
Demetrius or Demetrios of Montferrat , , king of Thessalonica from 1207 to 1224.Demetrius was the son of Marquis Boniface of Montferrat by Margaret of Hungary, the widow of Emperor Isaac II Angelos. In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade Boniface had secured for himself the kingdom of Thessalonica...
, King of Thessalonica.
Empress consort
According to Geoffrey of VillehardouinGeoffrey of Villehardouin
Geoffrey of Villehardouin was a knight and historian who participated in and chronicled the Fourth Crusade...
, Agnes was residing in 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...
until her father summoned her to Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in 1206. Boniface proceeded to send Otto de la Roche
Otto de la Roche
Otto de la Roche was a Burgundian nobleman from the castle of La Roche-sur-l'Ognon, in the Franche-Comté commune of Rigney, Doubs. He joined the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and became the first Duke of Athens...
, megaskyr
Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy
The Byzantine Empire had a complex system of aristocracy and bureaucracy, which was inherited from the Roman Empire. At the apex of the pyramid stood the Emperor, sole ruler and divinely ordained, but beneath him a multitude of officials and court functionaries operated the administrative...
or grand seignior of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, as his envoy to Henry, proposing a marriage between her and the emperor. Henry agreed to the offer.
Boniface sent Agnes to Abydos, Hellespont
Abydos, Hellespont
For other uses, see Abydos Abydos , an ancient city of Mysia, in Asia Minor, situated at Nara Burnu or Nagara Point on the best harbor on the Asiatic shore of the Hellespont. Across Abydos lies Sestus on the European side marking the shortest point in the Dardanelles, scarcely a mile broad...
, Mysia
Mysia
Mysia was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor or Anatolia . It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lydia on the south, Aeolis on the southwest, Troad on the west and by the Propontis on the north...
through a galley. His messengers then reached Henry with information to her location. Geoffrey Villehardouin himself and Miles of Brabant were assigned to escort her. Villehardouin describes Agnes as "very good and fair". Agnes was escorted to Constantinople with no mentioned incident. On 4 February 1207, Agness married Henry of Flanders. According to Villehardouin, the marriage took place in Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
, Constantinople on the Sunday following Candemass
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which falls on 2 February, celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called Hypapante...
. The wedding feast took place in Boukoleon Palace. According to the Dictionnaire historique et Généalogique des grandes familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople (1983) by Mihail-Dimitri Sturdza, the marriage was part of a new alliance between Boniface and Henry against Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan the Romanslayer , Ivan II , ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1197-1207. He is the third and youngest brother of Peter IV and Ivan Asen I who managed to restore the Bulgarian Empire...
.
Villehardouin records that in about September, 1207, Henry informed his father-in-law of Agnes being pregnant. A source or rejoicing for both allies. The chronicle ends with the death of Boniface on 4 September 1207 and thus does not report of the conclusion of the pregnancy. As there seems to be no further mention of Agnes, the empress is considered to have died in childbirth, probably along with her child.
In 1208, there is mention by Henri de Valenciennes of a daughter of Henry marrying Alexander, a nephew of Peter IV of Bulgaria
Peter IV of Bulgaria
Peter IV ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1185–1197. Together with his brother Asen he managed to restore the Bulgarian Empire after nearly 170 years of Byzantine domination.-Name:...
, Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria
Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria
Ivan Asen I ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1189–1196. The year of his birth is unknown.-Life:...
and Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan the Romanslayer , Ivan II , ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1197-1207. He is the third and youngest brother of Peter IV and Ivan Asen I who managed to restore the Bulgarian Empire...
. However as a daughter of Agnes, said daughter would be a newborn, an unlikely age for marriage. She is therefore considered to have been an illegitimate child of Henry by a mistress.