Azalaïs of Montferrat
Encyclopedia
Azalaïs of Montferrat (1150–1232) was marchioness and regent of Saluzzo
.
. Her brothers included William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon
, Conrad I of Jerusalem
, and Boniface of Montferrat
.
She married Marquis Manfred II of Saluzzo
before 1182, in which year she received lands in Saluzzo, Racconigi, Villa, Centallo and Quaranta, in case her marriage (like that of her sister Agnes) should need to be annulled for reasons of sterility.
Like her brother Boniface, Azalaïs was a patron of troubadours. She is mentioned in Peire Vidal
's song, Estat ai gran sazo:
and is the dedicatee of his Bon' aventura don Dieus als Pizas.
Around 1192, she had built the church of San Lorenzo, which she granted to the canons of San Lorenzo in Oulx
; her eldest son, Boniface, named after her brother, is mentioned for the first time in the donation. However, Boniface died in 1212, and with the death of her husband in February 1215, Azalaïs became regent of Saluzzo for her grandson, Manfred III
.
In 1216, she made a treaty with Thomas I of Savoy
for a marriage between his son Amadeus
and her granddaughter Agnes. However, the marriage never took place, possibly on grounds of consanguinity, since Azalaïs was a first cousin of Thomas's father. Amadeus married Anne of Burgundy, and Agnes became Abbess of the Cistercian convent of Santa Maria della Stella in Rifreddo
. Azalaïs also made political and ecclesiastical agreements with Alba and with the Bishop of Asti.
When young Manfred reached his majority in 1218, Azalaïs returned to church patronage. In 1224, she endowed the convent of Rifreddo with the income of the church of San Ilario. In 1227, she made further grants to the canons of Oulx. She died in 1232, and was buried in the Cistercian abbey of Santa Maria di Staffarda.
Saluzzo
Saluzzo is a town and former principality in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont region, Italy.The city of Saluzzo is built on a hill overlooking a vast, well-cultivated plain. Iron, lead, silver, marble, slate etc...
.
Biography
Azalaïs was one of at least three daughters of William V of Montferrat and his wife Judith of BabenbergJudith of Babenberg
Judith of Babenberg , , was a daughter of Agnes of Germany and her second husband Leopold III of Austria. The chronicler Otto of Freising was one of her older brothers; Conrad III of Germany her half-brother. Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor was her nephew.She married c...
. Her brothers included William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon
William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon
William of Montferrat , also called William Longsword , was the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon, the eldest son of William V, Marquess of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg...
, Conrad I of Jerusalem
Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the de facto King of Jerusalem, by marriage, from 24 November 1190, but officially elected only in 1192, days before his death...
, and Boniface of Montferrat
Boniface of Montferrat
Boniface of Montferrat was Marquess of Montferrat and the leader of the Fourth Crusade. He was the third son of William V of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg, born after his father's return from the Second Crusade...
.
She married Marquis Manfred II of Saluzzo
Manfred II of Saluzzo
Manfred II was the second marquess of Saluzzo from his father's death in 1175 to his own. He was the son of Manfred I and Eleanor. He placed the capital of the margravate definitively in Saluzzo....
before 1182, in which year she received lands in Saluzzo, Racconigi, Villa, Centallo and Quaranta, in case her marriage (like that of her sister Agnes) should need to be annulled for reasons of sterility.
Like her brother Boniface, Azalaïs was a patron of troubadours. She is mentioned in Peire Vidal
Peire Vidal
Peire Vidal was a troubadour. According to his biography, he was born in Toulouse, the son of a furrier, and the greatest of singers....
's song, Estat ai gran sazo:
-
- Dieus sal l'onrat marques
- E sa bella seror...
- (God save the honoured marquis
- And his beautiful sister)
and is the dedicatee of his Bon' aventura don Dieus als Pizas.
Around 1192, she had built the church of San Lorenzo, which she granted to the canons of San Lorenzo in Oulx
Oulx
Oulx is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km west of Turin, in the Susa Valley on the border with France.-Names:...
; her eldest son, Boniface, named after her brother, is mentioned for the first time in the donation. However, Boniface died in 1212, and with the death of her husband in February 1215, Azalaïs became regent of Saluzzo for her grandson, Manfred III
Manfred III of Saluzzo
Manfred III was the third marquess of Saluzzo, from 1215 to his death. He was the son of Boniface of Saluzzo and Maria di Torres of Sassari . Since his father died in 1212, he succeeded his grandfather Manfred II as marquess on the latter's death in 1215. His paternal grandmother Azalaïs or...
.
In 1216, she made a treaty with Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I of Savoy
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...
for a marriage between his son Amadeus
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...
and her granddaughter Agnes. However, the marriage never took place, possibly on grounds of consanguinity, since Azalaïs was a first cousin of Thomas's father. Amadeus married Anne of Burgundy, and Agnes became Abbess of the Cistercian convent of Santa Maria della Stella in Rifreddo
Rifreddo
Rifreddo is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southwest of Turin and about 35 km northwest of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,071 and an area of 6.8 km².Rifreddo borders the following municipalities: Envie,...
. Azalaïs also made political and ecclesiastical agreements with Alba and with the Bishop of Asti.
When young Manfred reached his majority in 1218, Azalaïs returned to church patronage. In 1224, she endowed the convent of Rifreddo with the income of the church of San Ilario. In 1227, she made further grants to the canons of Oulx. She died in 1232, and was buried in the Cistercian abbey of Santa Maria di Staffarda.
Issue
Manfred and Azalaïs had at least five children:- Agnes m. Comita IIIComita III of TorresComita III was the giudice of Logudoro, with its capital at Torres, from 1198 until 1218. He was the youngest of four sons of Barisone II of Torres and Preziosa de Orrubu...
, giudiceGiudicatiThe giudicati were the indigenous kingdoms of Sardinia from about 900 until 1410, when the last fell to the Aragonese. The rulers of the giudicati were giudici , from the Latin iudice , often translates as "judge". The Latin for giudicato was iudicatus The giudicati (singular giudicato) were the...
of LogudoroLogudoroThe Logudoro is a large traditional region in central-northern Sardinia, Italy. The local dialect is known as Logudorese.Mostly composed of soft volcanic terrains, it is the most fertile area of the island. For this reason it was settled since early Prehistoric times, as shown by the presence of...
, in SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. - Boniface (the heir, who predeceased his father) m. Maria of Torres (daughter of Agnes's husband). They were the parents of Manfred II's successor Manfred III of SaluzzoManfred III of SaluzzoManfred III was the third marquess of Saluzzo, from 1215 to his death. He was the son of Boniface of Saluzzo and Maria di Torres of Sassari . Since his father died in 1212, he succeeded his grandfather Manfred II as marquess on the latter's death in 1215. His paternal grandmother Azalaïs or...
- Margaret m. Geoffrey de Salvaing.
- (daughter, given name unknown) m. Marquis William II of Ceva.
- Thomas.
Sources
- Ernest Hoepffner, Le Troubadour Peire Vidal: sa vie et son œuvre, Paris, 1961
- A M Patrone, "Alasia", Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 1, p. 583
- Leopoldo Usseglio, I Marchesi di Monferrato in Italia ed in Oriente durante i secoli XII e XIII, 1926.