Anne of Alençon
Encyclopedia
Anne d'Alençon (30 October 1492 – 18 October 1562), Lady of La Guerche, was a French noblewoman and a Marquise
of Montferrat
as the wife of William IX, Marquis of Montferrat. She acted as Regent
of the Marquisate of Montferrat for her son, Boniface from 1518 to his death in 1530.
, Duke of Alençon and his second wife Margaret of Lorraine
, daughter of Frederick, Count of Vaudémont and Yolande of Anjou. Her father died two days after her birth.
She was betrothed to William IX, Marquis of Montferrat of the Palaiologos
family in 1501 and married him on 31 October 1508, the day after her sixteenth birthday, in the church of St. Sauveur in Blois
. She bore her husband three children: Maria
(1509–1530), Margherita
, (1510–1566), and Boniface (1512–1530), William's heir who became Boniface IV of Montferrat.
In 1517, her eldest daughter, Maria, was betrothed to Federico II Gonzaga, son of Isabella d'Este
, who later became Marquis
and Duke
of Mantua
. The marriage contract was annulled, however, after Federico accused Maria of attempting to poison his mistress Isabella Boschetti
, wife of the Count of Calvisano
.
On the death of William in 1518, the infant Boniface inherited the Marquisate. Anne, however, acted as regent
until his unexpected death in June 1530 and she remained involved in the government of Montferrat when Boniface was succeeded as Marquis by her brother-in-law John George, previously commendatory
abbot of Lucedio and (unconsecrated) Bishop of Casale.
Boniface's death also rekindled Federico II Gonzaga's interest in marrying Maria. On the latter's unexpected death in September 1530 his attentions turned to the second daughter, Margherita
. Having weighed up the various proposals for Margherita's hand, Anne opted for the link with the House of Gonzaga and the marriage was concluded in October 1531.
In 1533 the Marquis John George died, leaving one natural son, but no heir. A dispute over the succession to the Marquisate, an imperial fiefdom
, ensued, the contenders being the Gonzaga, the Marquis of Saluzzo and the House of Savoy
, all of whom were able to make plausible claims. Meanwhile the Montferrat was effectively under Spanish domination. In 1536 Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
assigned the fiefdom to Margherita Paleologa and her husband, Federico II, Duke of Mantua. Anne, however, returned as de facto ruler. In 1540 Federico II died at Marmirolo
and was succeeded by his seven year old son Francesco as Marquis of Montferrat and Duke of Mantua. Margherita Paleologo Gonzaga became regent, together with her brother-in-law Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga
.
On retiring from public life Anne d'Alençon entered the convent of Dominican Sisters of Catherine of Siena
which adjoined her palazzo
in Casale Monferrato
. She died on 18 October 1562, shortly before her seventieth birthday.
, Anne's brother Charles IV, Duke of Alençon
died leaving his personal property to Anne and to her sister Françoise d'Alençon
. (This inheritance was disputed unsuccessfully by Charles's widow, Marguerite d'Angoulême, sister of Francis I
, King of France.) Anne in turn assigned these assets to Isabella Gonzaga, the eldest daughter of Federico and Margherita. Isabella having renounced the inheritance, Margherita succeeded in having them transferred to her third son Ludovico
, later Duke of Nevers and founder of the Gonzaga Nevers branch of the House of Gonzaga.
Marquise
A marquise is a French noblewoman ranking above a countess and below a duchess, and is usually the wife of a marquis. The British equivalent is a marchioness and the Spanish equivalent is a marquesa....
of Montferrat
Montferrat
Montferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy...
as the wife of William IX, Marquis of Montferrat. She acted as Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the Marquisate of Montferrat for her son, Boniface from 1518 to his death in 1530.
Life
Anne was the third child of RenéRené of Alençon
René of Alençon , was the son of John II of Alençon and Marie of Armagnac.-Restoration of title:...
, Duke of Alençon and his second wife Margaret of Lorraine
Margaret of Lorraine
Margaret of Lorraine was Duchess of Alençon, and a nun of the order of Poor Clares . She was beatified in 1921.-Marriage and children:...
, daughter of Frederick, Count of Vaudémont and Yolande of Anjou. Her father died two days after her birth.
She was betrothed to William IX, Marquis of Montferrat of the Palaiologos
Palaiologos
Palaiologos , often latinized as Palaeologus, was a Byzantine Greek noble family, which produced the last ruling dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. After the Fourth Crusade, members of the family fled to the neighboring Empire of Nicaea, where Michael VIII Palaiologos became co-emperor in 1259,...
family in 1501 and married him on 31 October 1508, the day after her sixteenth birthday, in the church of St. Sauveur in Blois
Blois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
. She bore her husband three children: Maria
Maria Paleologa
Maria Paleologa was an Italian noblewoman. She was the eldest child of William IX, Marquess of Montferrat and Anna d'Alençon. In 1517 her mother betrothed her to Federico II Gonzaga, son of Isabella d'Este, who later became Marquis and Duke of Mantua...
(1509–1530), Margherita
Margaret Palaeologina
Margaret Palaeologa was an Italian ruler; Marchioness of Montferrat in her own right. She also married into the Gonzaga family, rulers of Mantua, making her Duchess of Mantua by her marriage to Federico II, Duke of Mantua...
, (1510–1566), and Boniface (1512–1530), William's heir who became Boniface IV of Montferrat.
In 1517, her eldest daughter, Maria, was betrothed to Federico II Gonzaga, son of Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este was Marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, whose innovative style of dressing was copied by women throughout Italy and at the French court...
, who later became Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
and Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
. The marriage contract was annulled, however, after Federico accused Maria of attempting to poison his mistress Isabella Boschetti
Isabella Boschetti
Isabella Boschetti or Boschetto was a Manutan noblewoman and lover of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua. She was nicknamed 'La bella Boschetta' .-Life:...
, wife of the Count of Calvisano
Calvisano
Calvisano is a comune in the Italian province of Brescia, in Lombardy.It is the manufacturing base of Flyflot, the well known comfort shoe manufacturers.Agritech is a known fiberglass silos company....
.
On the death of William in 1518, the infant Boniface inherited the Marquisate. Anne, however, acted as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
until his unexpected death in June 1530 and she remained involved in the government of Montferrat when Boniface was succeeded as Marquis by her brother-in-law John George, previously commendatory
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
abbot of Lucedio and (unconsecrated) Bishop of Casale.
Boniface's death also rekindled Federico II Gonzaga's interest in marrying Maria. On the latter's unexpected death in September 1530 his attentions turned to the second daughter, Margherita
Margaret Palaeologina
Margaret Palaeologa was an Italian ruler; Marchioness of Montferrat in her own right. She also married into the Gonzaga family, rulers of Mantua, making her Duchess of Mantua by her marriage to Federico II, Duke of Mantua...
. Having weighed up the various proposals for Margherita's hand, Anne opted for the link with the House of Gonzaga and the marriage was concluded in October 1531.
In 1533 the Marquis John George died, leaving one natural son, but no heir. A dispute over the succession to the Marquisate, an imperial fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
, ensued, the contenders being the Gonzaga, the Marquis of Saluzzo and the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, all of whom were able to make plausible claims. Meanwhile the Montferrat was effectively under Spanish domination. In 1536 Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
assigned the fiefdom to Margherita Paleologa and her husband, Federico II, Duke of Mantua. Anne, however, returned as de facto ruler. In 1540 Federico II died at Marmirolo
Marmirolo
Marmirolo is a comune in the Province of Mantua in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 130 km east of Milan and about 7 km northwest of Mantua...
and was succeeded by his seven year old son Francesco as Marquis of Montferrat and Duke of Mantua. Margherita Paleologo Gonzaga became regent, together with her brother-in-law Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga
Ercole Gonzaga
Ercole Gonzaga was an Italian Cardinal.-Biography:Born in Mantua, he was the son of the Marquess Francesco Gonzaga, and nephew of Cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga...
.
On retiring from public life Anne d'Alençon entered the convent of Dominican Sisters of Catherine of Siena
Catherine of Siena
Saint Catherine of Siena, T.O.S.D, was a tertiary of the Dominican Order, and a Scholastic philosopher and theologian. She also worked to bring the papacy of Gregory XI back to Rome from its displacement in France, and to establish peace among the Italian city-states. She was proclaimed a Doctor...
which adjoined her palazzo
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
in Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato, population 36,058, is a town and comune in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, part of the province of Alessandria. It is situated about 60 km east of Turin on the right bank of the Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montferrato hills. Beyond the river lies the...
. She died on 18 October 1562, shortly before her seventieth birthday.
The Alençon inheritance
In 1525, following the Battle of PaviaBattle of Pavia
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...
, Anne's brother Charles IV, Duke of Alençon
Charles IV of Alençon
Charles IV of Alençon was the son of René of Alençon and the Blessed Margaret of Vaudémont.He succeeded his father in 1492 as Duke of Alençon and Count of Perche, and was also Count of Armagnac, Fézensac, Viscount of Rodez, Count of Fezensaguet, l'Isle-Jourdain, and Perdiac.In 1509 he married...
died leaving his personal property to Anne and to her sister Françoise d'Alençon
Françoise d'Alençon
Françoise d'Alençon was the eldest daughter of René of Alençon and Margaret of Lorraine, and the younger sister and despoiled heiress of Charles IV, Duke of Alençon....
. (This inheritance was disputed unsuccessfully by Charles's widow, Marguerite d'Angoulême, sister of Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, King of France.) Anne in turn assigned these assets to Isabella Gonzaga, the eldest daughter of Federico and Margherita. Isabella having renounced the inheritance, Margherita succeeded in having them transferred to her third son Ludovico
Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers
Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers was an Italian-French dignitary and diplomat in France. He was the third child of Frederick II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and Margaret Palaeologina.-Life account:...
, later Duke of Nevers and founder of the Gonzaga Nevers branch of the House of Gonzaga.