Beatrice of Montferrat
Encyclopedia
Beatrice of Montferrat was an Italian noblewoman and the suo jure
Lady of Saint-Bonnet. She was the eldest daughter of William VI, Marquess of Montferrat
, and the third wife of Guigues VI of Viennois
, by whom she had two sons. She married a total of four times. According to the vida
of the troubadour Gauseran de Saint-Leidier
, Beatrice was the domna (lady), whom he allegedly loved. He celebrated his idealised devotion to her in his cansos
.
, and her younger sister Alix married King Henry I of Cyprus
.
Beatrice's paternal grandparents were Boniface I, Marquess of Montferrat and his first wife Helena del Bosco; her maternal grandparents were Marquess Boniface of Clavesana, Count of Cortemiglia and his wife who is unnamed.
Beatrice was immortalised as the domna of the troubadour
Gauseran de Saint-Leidier, who extolled his idealised and unconsummated love for Beatrice in his cansos, of which only two are extant.
In 1252, after being a widow from since 1237, Beatrice married her second husband, Sire Guy II, Lord of Bauge. The marriage produced one daughter:
Sometime between Guy's death which occurred the year her only daughter was born and 1259, she married her third husband, Jean II, Sire de Chatillon-en-Bazois and de La Roche-Milay. In about 1271, she married her fourth and last husband, Pierre de la Roue. These last two marriages were childless.
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....
Lady of Saint-Bonnet. She was the eldest daughter 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 the third wife of Guigues VI of Viennois
Guigues VI of Viennois
Andrew Guigues VI , known as André de Bourgogne, Dauphin of Viennois, was the Count of Albon, Briançon, Grenoble, and Oisans from 1228 until his death. He was the son of Hugh III of Burgundy and Béatrice of Albon...
, by whom she had two sons. She married a total of four times. According to the vida
Vida
Vida is a word meaning "life" in languages such as Occitan, Catalan, Portuguese and Spanish. It is also a female given name. It may refer to:In sports:*Club Deportivo y Social Vida, a football team from HondurasIn arts and entertainment:...
of the troubadour Gauseran de Saint-Leidier
Gauseran de Saint-Leidier
Gauceran or Gauseran de Saint-Leidier was an Auvergnat castellan and troubadour from Saint-Didier-la-Séauve in the Bishopric of Velay. He was the son of a daughter of the troubadour Guilhem de Saint Leidier. According to his vida he fell in love with Beatrice, daughter of William VI of Montferrat...
, Beatrice was the domna (lady), whom he allegedly loved. He celebrated his idealised devotion to her in his cansos
Canso (song)
The canso is a song style used by the troubadours. It consists of three parts. The first stanza is the exordium, where the composer explains his purpose. The main body of the song occurs in the following stanzas, and usually draw out a variety of relationships with the exordium. The canso can end...
.
Family
Beatrice was born in about 1210 the eldest daughter and second child of William VI, Marquess of Montferrat and Berta of Clavesana. Her brother was Boniface II, Marquess of MontferratBoniface II, Marquess of Montferrat
Boniface II , called the Giant, was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1225 until his death. He received the titularity of the Kingdom of Thessalonica in 1239....
, and her younger sister Alix married King Henry I of Cyprus
Henry I of Cyprus
Henry I of Cyprus, nicknamed the Fat, aka Henry of Lusignan or Henri I le Gros de Lusignan was King of Cyprus from 1218 to 1253. He was the son of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Champagne of Jerusalem. When his father Hugh I died on January 10, 1218, the 8-month-old Henry became king...
.
Beatrice's paternal grandparents were Boniface I, Marquess of Montferrat and his first wife Helena del Bosco; her maternal grandparents were Marquess Boniface of Clavesana, Count of Cortemiglia and his wife who is unnamed.
Marriages and issue
On 21 November 1219, at the age of about nine (or possibly younger), Beatrice married her first husband, Guigues VI of Viennois. Their marriage was recorded in Aymari Rivalli De Allobrogibus. He was over twenty years her senior and she was his third wife. From 1228 until Guigues' death in 1237, as his wife, she was the Dauphine consort of Viennois as well as the Countess of Albon, Briançon, Grenoble and Oisans. Together they had two sons:- Guigues VII of Viennois (1225–1269), married Beatrice of Savoy, by whom he had issue
- John of Viennois (1227–1239)
Beatrice was immortalised as the domna of the troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
Gauseran de Saint-Leidier, who extolled his idealised and unconsummated love for Beatrice in his cansos, of which only two are extant.
In 1252, after being a widow from since 1237, Beatrice married her second husband, Sire Guy II, Lord of Bauge. The marriage produced one daughter:
- Simone/Sybille, Dame de Bauge, Mirabel and de Bresse (1255- 28 February 1294); married Count Amadeus V of Savoy, by whom she had eight children.
Sometime between Guy's death which occurred the year her only daughter was born and 1259, she married her third husband, Jean II, Sire de Chatillon-en-Bazois and de La Roche-Milay. In about 1271, she married her fourth and last husband, Pierre de la Roue. These last two marriages were childless.