Anastasia de Montfort, Countess of Nola
Encyclopedia
Anastasia de Montfort, Countess of Nola (born c.1274), was an Italian noblewoman and a wealthy heiress. She was the eldest daughter of Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola
, himself the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
. She held the title suo jure
Countess of Nola after her father's death in 1291. She also held the titles of suo jure Dame de Chailly and suo jure Dame de Longjumeau. She was the wife of Romano Orsini, Senator of Rome, by whom she had at least three children. English Queen consort Elizabeth Woodville
was among her numerous descendants.
and Pitigliano (c.1255- after 1313). She had a younger sister, Tommasia, who married Pietro Vico, but the marriage was childless. Her paternal grandparents were Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
and Eleanor of England, daughter of King John of England
and Isabella of Angoulême
. Her maternal grandparents were Ildebrandino Aldobrandeschi, Count of Sovana and Tommasia di Baschi.
Her father, Guy and his brother Simon fled England in 1266 after they had escaped from prison where they had been held following the Battle of Evesham
in 1265, where his father and eldest brother, Henry were slain, and Guy and Simon had been captured. They both eventually arrived in Italy, and Guy entered the service of Charles of Anjou who made him Count of Nola and Vicar-general of Tuscany
. On 10 August 1270, he married Margherita Aldobrandeschi at Viterbo
. Less than a year later, in March 1271, he and Simon murdered their cousin Henry of Almain
inside San Silvestro
church, an act which led to Guy being excommunicated and stripped of his titles. He once again took up service with Charles of Anjou. He was later captured off the coast of Sicily
in 1287 by the Aragon
ese after the Battle of the Counts
. He died in a Sicilian prison in 1291. Upon his death, Anastasia became the suo jure Countess of Nola. In an effort to retain her lands, Anastasia's mother married four more times after Guy's death. Her four additional husbands were: Orsello Orsini, Loffredo Caetani, her cousin Guido Aldobrandeschi di Santafiora, and Nello de' Pannocchieschi.
Together Romano and Anastasia had at least three children:
Anastasia died on an unknown date, which occurred sometime before her eldest son, Romano's death on 15 January 1345 as he had succeeded her as Count of Nola. Her husband Romano died in 1327.
Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola
Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England.He participated in the Battle of Evesham against the royalist forces of his uncle, King Henry III of England, and his cousin, Prince Edward...
, himself the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
. She held the title suo jure
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 Nola after her father's death in 1291. She also held the titles of suo jure Dame de Chailly and suo jure Dame de Longjumeau. She was the wife of Romano Orsini, Senator of Rome, by whom she had at least three children. English Queen consort Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth 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...
was among her numerous descendants.
Family
Anastasia was born in Italy in about 1274, the eldest daughter of Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola, and Margherita Aldobrandeschi, Countess of SovanaSovana
250px|thumb|A view of a street in Sovana.Sovana is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a frazione of Sorano, a comune in the province of Grosseto.-History:...
and Pitigliano (c.1255- after 1313). She had a younger sister, Tommasia, who married Pietro Vico, but the marriage was childless. Her paternal grandparents were Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
and Eleanor of England, daughter of King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
and Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême was queen consort of England as the second wife of King John from 1200 until John's death in 1216. They had five children by the king including his heir, later Henry III...
. Her maternal grandparents were Ildebrandino Aldobrandeschi, Count of Sovana and Tommasia di Baschi.
Her father, Guy and his brother Simon fled England in 1266 after they had escaped from prison where they had been held following the Battle of Evesham
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by Prince Edward – later King Edward I – who led the forces of his father, King Henry III...
in 1265, where his father and eldest brother, Henry were slain, and Guy and Simon had been captured. They both eventually arrived in Italy, and Guy entered the service of Charles of Anjou who made him Count of Nola and Vicar-general of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. On 10 August 1270, he married Margherita Aldobrandeschi at Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
. Less than a year later, in March 1271, he and Simon murdered their cousin Henry of Almain
Henry of Almain
Henry of Almain , so called because of his father's German connections as King of the Romans , was the son of Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall and Isabel Marshal.As a nephew of both Henry III and Simon de Montfort, he wavered between the two at the beginning of the Barons' War, but...
inside San Silvestro
San Silvestro
San Silvestro can refer to:*San Silvestro in Capite, church in Rome*San Silvestro al Quirinale, church in Rome...
church, an act which led to Guy being excommunicated and stripped of his titles. He once again took up service with Charles of Anjou. He was later captured off the coast of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in 1287 by the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
ese after the Battle of the Counts
Battle of the Counts
The naval Battle of the Counts took place on 23 June 1287 at Naples, Italy, when an Aragonese-Sicilian galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria defeated a large combined Angevin galley fleet commanded respectively by Reynald III Quarrel and Narjot de Toucy.Lauria had taken his fleet to Augusta,...
. He died in a Sicilian prison in 1291. Upon his death, Anastasia became the suo jure Countess of Nola. In an effort to retain her lands, Anastasia's mother married four more times after Guy's death. Her four additional husbands were: Orsello Orsini, Loffredo Caetani, her cousin Guido Aldobrandeschi di Santafiora, and Nello de' Pannocchieschi.
Marriage and issue
On 8 June 1293 Anastasia married Roman senator, Romano Orsini (1268–1327), the son of Gentile II Orsini, Senator of Rome, and Claricia de Ruffo. The marriage had been arranged by Cardinal Napoleon Orsini, who was her mother's guardian. Anastasia, being Margherita's eldest daughter and heiress, eventually brought the rich Aldobrandeschi and Sovana inheritances into the Orsini family.Together Romano and Anastasia had at least three children:
- Roberto Orsini, Count of Nola (1295- 15 January 1345), married Sueva del Balzo, the daughter of Hugues del Balzo, Count of Soleto and SeneschalSeneschalA seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
of Naples, and Jacopa della Marra, by whom he had issue. 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...
, Queen consort of Edward IV of EnglandEdward IV of EnglandEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
was a descendant of Roberto and Sueva. - Guido Orsini, Count of Pitigliano (died after 1348), married Agostina della Gherardesca, by whom he had issue.
- Giovanna Orsini, married in 1334 Nicolo Caetani by whom she had issue.
Anastasia died on an unknown date, which occurred sometime before her eldest son, Romano's death on 15 January 1345 as he had succeeded her as Count of Nola. Her husband Romano died in 1327.