Isabella of Brienne
Encyclopedia
Isabella of Brienne was suo jure
Countess of Lecce and Conversano
, claimant to the Duchy of Athens
and Kingdom of Jerusalem
, etc.
, Duke of Athens, who was killed at the Battle of Halmyros
near Thebes, Greece, in 1311. As the granddaughter of Hugh of Brienne
, Count of Lecce etc., she was a descendant of the Kings of Jerusalem and of Cyprus.
Her father's life was largely spent in Greece, where he tried to win back his mother's inheritance, the Duchy of Athens. Walter V of Brienne hired the Catalan Company
, a group of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor
, to fight against the Byzantine successor states of Epirus
and Nicaea
, but when he tried to cheat and kill them in 1311, they slew him at the Battle of Halmyros and took over the Duchy, making Catalan
the official language and replacing the French and Byzantine-derived laws of the Principality of Achaea
with the laws of Catalonia
, soon making it up as Duchy of Neopatras. When the duke Gauthier was killed, Isabella's mother Jeanne de Châtillon (died 1354), daughter of count of Porcien, may have tried to hold the Acropolis of Athens
against the attacking Catalans, but eventually surrendered it. The Brienne family retainers continued to hold Argos and Nauplia
under Walter of Foucherolles. Duchess Joanna however fled with her two young children to France, where the family had properties in Champagne
, around Brienne-le-Chateau
. The impoverished family was not able to provide better, and Isabella married a Walloon
knight, Walter III of Enghien, whose lordships in Hainaut
and therearound were not unsubstantial (Condé
, Enghien
).
gradually gained better positions, and by allying with the Angevin
kings of Naples, recovered some Italian fiefs. As constable of France
, he was killed in the battle of Poitiers
in 1356. He had also been Lord of Florence, Marshal of France
, Count of Lecce, Conversano etc. He was an ally of the Angevins of Naples, and participated in their policies in Italy. His children died young, both with his first wife Margherita of Anjou-Tarent and his second, his distant kinswoman Jeanne de Brienne. His sister Isabella's children therefore succeeded to his possessions and claims. Already by 1350, Isabella's heir Sohier of Enghien
resided in Greece and held Argos
and Nauplia.
Isabella survived her brother, whom she succeeded, and died 1360. Her husband Walter of Enghien had died in 1345.
For a few years, she was Countess of Lecce and Brienne, as well as titular Duchess of Athens and of other claimed titles. Since her eldest son Gauthier had died before her brother, her heir was her second son Sohier of Enghien
. She allowed her inherited lands to be divided between her numerous children during her own lifetime.
Isabella's brother Gauthier had left Greece sometime in the 1340s, and her eldest surviving son Sohier of Enghien apparently was resident lord of Argos and Nauplia
from c. 1350. In the division of the inheritance in 1356-60, he received the title of Duke of Athens, and certain rights in Argos-Nauplia. However, her sixth son Guy of Enghien received the lordship of Argos and Nauplia
in the division and resided there as the lord from 1356 to 1377. Guy was also sometimes titled Duke of Athens, although the title officially belonged to his elder brother and the latter's son, and they as Dukes of Athens were overlords of Guy and Guy's heirs.
Isabella's fourth son Louis of Enghien, Lord of Conversano, received the (titular) Duchy of Athens in 1381, when his nephew's inheritance was divided.
Guy's daughter Maria d'Enghien, Isabella's granddaughter, married Pietro Cornaro, a Venetian. They sold the lordship to Venice in 1388.
Her main inheritance went, after some interludes, to the children of her third son John of Enghien: Peter I of Enghien, who died childless, and Mary of Enghien
(1367–1446).
Suo jure
Suo 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....
Countess of Lecce and Conversano
Conversano
Conversano is an ancient town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It is located 30 km south-east of Bari, 7 km from the Adriatic coast, at 219 m above sea-level....
, claimant to the Duchy of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
and Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
, etc.
Family and early years
She was daughter of Walter V of BrienneWalter V of Brienne
Gautier or Walter V of Brienne was born in Brienne-le-Château, Aube, Champagne, France. He was the son of Hugh de Candie des Brienne, known as Hugh of Brienne, Count of Brienne and Lecce, and Isabella de la Roche, daughter of Guy I of la Roche, Duke of Athens...
, Duke of Athens, who was killed at the Battle of Halmyros
Battle of Halmyros
The Battle of Halmyros, of Orchomenos, or of the Cephissus was fought on 15 March 1311 between the Frankish Greek forces of Walter V of Brienne and the mercenaries of the Catalan Company, resulting in a devastating victory for the Catalans....
near Thebes, Greece, in 1311. As the granddaughter of Hugh of Brienne
Hugh of Brienne
Hugh de Candie, Count of Brienne and Lecce was the second surviving son of Count Walter IV of Brienne and Marie de Lusignan of Cyprus....
, Count of Lecce etc., she was a descendant of the Kings of Jerusalem and of Cyprus.
Her father's life was largely spent in Greece, where he tried to win back his mother's inheritance, the Duchy of Athens. Walter V of Brienne hired the Catalan Company
Catalan Company
The Catalan Company of the East , officially the Magnas Societas Catalanorum, sometimes called the Grand Company and widely known as the Catalan Company, was a free company of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor in the early 14th-century...
, a group of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor
Roger de Flor
Roger de Flor , also known as Ruggero/Ruggiero da Fiore or Rutger von Blum or Ruggero Flores, was a military adventurer active in Sicily, Italy and the Byzantine Empire...
, to fight against the Byzantine successor states of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
and Nicaea
Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade...
, but when he tried to cheat and kill them in 1311, they slew him at the Battle of Halmyros and took over the Duchy, making Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
the official language and replacing the French and Byzantine-derived laws of the Principality of Achaea
Principality of Achaea
The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...
with the laws of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, soon making it up as Duchy of Neopatras. When the duke Gauthier was killed, Isabella's mother Jeanne de Châtillon (died 1354), daughter of count of Porcien, may have tried to hold the Acropolis of Athens
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification...
against the attacking Catalans, but eventually surrendered it. The Brienne family retainers continued to hold Argos and Nauplia
Argos and Nauplia
During the late Middle Ages, the two cities of Argos and Nauplia formed a separate Lordship within the Frankish Principality of Achaea in southern Greece....
under Walter of Foucherolles. Duchess Joanna however fled with her two young children to France, where the family had properties in Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
, around Brienne-le-Chateau
Brienne-le-Château
Brienne-le-Château is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France. It is located from the right bank of the Aube River and 26 m. northeast of Troyes....
. The impoverished family was not able to provide better, and Isabella married a Walloon
Walloons
Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
knight, Walter III of Enghien, whose lordships in Hainaut
County of Hainaut
The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....
and therearound were not unsubstantial (Condé
Condé
-Places in France:*Condé, Indre, in the Indre département*Condé-en-Brie, in the Aisne département*Condé-Folie, in the Somme département*Condé-lès-Autry, in the Ardennes département*Condé-lès-Herpy, in the Ardennes département...
, Enghien
Enghien
Enghien is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Enghien had a total population of 11,980. The total area is 40.59 km² which gives a population density of 295 inhabitants per km²....
).
Countess of Lecce and Brienne
Her brother Walter VI of BrienneWalter VI of Brienne
Walter VI of Brienne was Count of Brienne, Conversano, and Lecce, and titular Duke of Athens. Walter was the son of Walter V, Duke of Athens, and Jeanne de Châtillon , the daughter of the Count of Porcien, a constable to King Philip IV of France.As grandson of Hugh of Brienne Walter VI of Brienne...
gradually gained better positions, and by allying with the Angevin
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
kings of Naples, recovered some Italian fiefs. As constable of France
Constable of France
The Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
, he was killed in the battle of Poitiers
Battle of Poitiers (1356)
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt....
in 1356. He had also been Lord of Florence, Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
, Count of Lecce, Conversano etc. He was an ally of the Angevins of Naples, and participated in their policies in Italy. His children died young, both with his first wife Margherita of Anjou-Tarent and his second, his distant kinswoman Jeanne de Brienne. His sister Isabella's children therefore succeeded to his possessions and claims. Already by 1350, Isabella's heir Sohier of Enghien
Sohier of Enghien
Sohier of Enghien was the titular Duke of Athens, and Count of Brienne and Lord of Enghien from 1356 to 1364.The second, but eldest surviving son of Walter of Enghien and Isabella of Brienne, when his mother divided the inheritance of his uncle Walter VI of Brienne among her sons, he received the...
resided in Greece and held Argos
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
and Nauplia.
Isabella survived her brother, whom she succeeded, and died 1360. Her husband Walter of Enghien had died in 1345.
For a few years, she was Countess of Lecce and Brienne, as well as titular Duchess of Athens and of other claimed titles. Since her eldest son Gauthier had died before her brother, her heir was her second son Sohier of Enghien
Sohier of Enghien
Sohier of Enghien was the titular Duke of Athens, and Count of Brienne and Lord of Enghien from 1356 to 1364.The second, but eldest surviving son of Walter of Enghien and Isabella of Brienne, when his mother divided the inheritance of his uncle Walter VI of Brienne among her sons, he received the...
. She allowed her inherited lands to be divided between her numerous children during her own lifetime.
Isabella's brother Gauthier had left Greece sometime in the 1340s, and her eldest surviving son Sohier of Enghien apparently was resident lord of Argos and Nauplia
Argos and Nauplia
During the late Middle Ages, the two cities of Argos and Nauplia formed a separate Lordship within the Frankish Principality of Achaea in southern Greece....
from c. 1350. In the division of the inheritance in 1356-60, he received the title of Duke of Athens, and certain rights in Argos-Nauplia. However, her sixth son Guy of Enghien received the lordship of Argos and Nauplia
Argos and Nauplia
During the late Middle Ages, the two cities of Argos and Nauplia formed a separate Lordship within the Frankish Principality of Achaea in southern Greece....
in the division and resided there as the lord from 1356 to 1377. Guy was also sometimes titled Duke of Athens, although the title officially belonged to his elder brother and the latter's son, and they as Dukes of Athens were overlords of Guy and Guy's heirs.
Isabella's fourth son Louis of Enghien, Lord of Conversano, received the (titular) Duchy of Athens in 1381, when his nephew's inheritance was divided.
Guy's daughter Maria d'Enghien, Isabella's granddaughter, married Pietro Cornaro, a Venetian. They sold the lordship to Venice in 1388.
Her main inheritance went, after some interludes, to the children of her third son John of Enghien: Peter I of Enghien, who died childless, and Mary of Enghien
Mary of Enghien
Mary of Enghien, also Maria d'Enghien, was Countess of Lecce from 1384 to 1446, and, by her second marriage, Queen of Naples and titular Queen of Sicily, Jerusalem, and Hungary .- Family :...
(1367–1446).
Children
Her children were:- Walter of Enghien (June 5, 1322 – November 18, 1340)
- Isabeau of Enghien (d. December 28, 1357), Abbess of Flines
- Sohier of EnghienSohier of EnghienSohier of Enghien was the titular Duke of Athens, and Count of Brienne and Lord of Enghien from 1356 to 1364.The second, but eldest surviving son of Walter of Enghien and Isabella of Brienne, when his mother divided the inheritance of his uncle Walter VI of Brienne among her sons, he received the...
(d. March 21, 1364), Count of Brienne, titular Duke of Athens. - John of Enghien, (d. 1380), Count of Lecce and Lord of Castro
- Marguerite of Enghien, married Pierre de Préaux
- Louis of EnghienLouis of EnghienLouis of Enghien titular Duke of Athens, Count of Brienne and Lord of Enghien 1381–1394, Count of Conversano 1356–1394. His coat-of-arms was "Enghien , a label gules bezantee".-Biography:Louis was the fourth son of Walter III of Enghien and Isabella of Brienne...
(d. March 17, 1394), Lord (later Count) of Conversano, later Count of Brienne and titular Duke of Athens. Married Giovanna of Sanseverino, by whom he had four daughters, including his heiress, MargueriteMarguerite of EnghienMarguerite d'Enghien, suo jure Countess of Brienne and of Conversano, suo jure Heiress of Enghien, and Lady of Beauvois , was a wealthy noblewoman from the County of Hainaut in her own right, having inherited the counties of Brienne and of Conversano, and the Lordship of Enghien from her father...
, who in her own turn married John of Luxembourg, Sire of Beauvois. Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen consort Elizabeth WoodvilleElizabeth WoodvilleElizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
were notable descendants. - Jacques of Enghien, a canon in Liège
- Guy of Enghien,(d. 1377), Lord of Argos and NaupliaArgos and NaupliaDuring the late Middle Ages, the two cities of Argos and Nauplia formed a separate Lordship within the Frankish Principality of Achaea in southern Greece....
- Engelbert I of Enghien (c. 1330–February 20, 1403), Lord of Ramerupt, La Follie, and Seneffe
- Françoise of Enghien, married Peter, Count of Montebello
- Jeanne of Enghien, a nun at Flines