Blessed Margaret of Savoy
Encyclopedia
The Blessed Margaret of Savoy (June 21, 1390, Fossano
- November 23, 1464, Casale
) was Marchioness of Montferrat
.
, (Lord of Piedmont
and titular Prince of Achaea
) and his wife Catherine of Geneva.
Her paternal grandparents were Giacomo of Savoy
, titular Prince of Achaea and his second wife Sibylle of Baux. Her maternal grandparents were Amedeus III, Count of Geneva and Mahaut d'Auvergne.
Their claim to the throne of Achaea came from her great-grandfather Philip of Savoy, eldest son of Thomas III of Piedmont
and Guia of Burgundy. Philip married Isabella of Villehardouin
, Princess of Achaea and co-reigned with her from 1301 to 1307. They were both deposed by Philip I of Taranto
but continued to claim the title. However Giacomo was a son of Philip by his second wife Catherine de la Tour du Pin and his claim to be the heir of Isabella of Villehardouin was disputed.
, a member of the Palaiologos
dynasty and male-line descendant of Andronikos II Palaiologos
. Theodore was the widower of Jeanne of Bar, daughter of Robert I, Duke of Bar and Marie Valois.
This marriage lasted for fifteen years but was childless. Theodore died in 1418.
, who spent several months in Montferrat
. Therefore, when she was left a widow in 1418, she decided to abandon the world. Leaving the direction of the affairs of the marquisate to Jean-Jacques, the son of her husband by his first marriage, she retired to Alba where she joined the Third Order of St. Dominic.
A little later, Filippo Maria Visconti
, Duke of Milan, asked her hand in marriage and begged Pope Martin V
to relieve her of her vow. But Margaret opposed a formal refusal to this request and thoroughly resolved to give herself entirely to God
: with several young women of rank, she founded a monastery and placed it under the rule of the order of St. Dominic. Redoubling her mortifications she remained a model of piety and died in a saintly manner at Alba
, 23 November 1464.
Four noble beati of the Savoy family are depicted on the vault of a bay in the south aisle of the church of San Michele
in Pavia
. Margaret is shown dressed as a nun holding three arrows.
Fossano
Fossano is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Cuneo. It is the fourth largest town of the Province of Cuneo, after Cuneo, Alba and Bra....
- November 23, 1464, Casale
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...
) was Marchioness 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...
.
Family
Margaret was the eldest of the four children—all daughters—born to Amadeo of SavoyAmadeo, Prince of Achaea
Amadeus or Amedeo of Savoy was the son of James of Piedmont and his third wife Marguerite de Beaujeu. By James' will of 16 May 1366, he was declared his firstborn and heir. In 1367, he succeeded his father in his titles of Lord of Piedmont and Prince of Achaea...
, (Lord of Piedmont
Lord of Piedmont
The lordship, later principality of Piedmont was originally an appanage of the Savoyard county and as such its lords were members of the Savoy-Achaea branch of that illustrious house. The title was inherited by the elder branch of the dynasty in 1418, at about which time Savoy was elevated to...
and titular Prince 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...
) and his wife Catherine of Geneva.
Her paternal grandparents were Giacomo of Savoy
James of Piedmont
James was the Lord of Piedmont from 1334 to his death. He was the eldest son of Philip I and Catherine de la Tour du Pin. While his father had abandoned his claim to the Principality of Achaea in 1307, James continued to use the princely title and even passed it on to his successors.James opposed...
, titular Prince of Achaea and his second wife Sibylle of Baux. Her maternal grandparents were Amedeus III, Count of Geneva and Mahaut d'Auvergne.
Their claim to the throne of Achaea came from her great-grandfather Philip of Savoy, eldest son of Thomas III of Piedmont
Thomas III of Piedmont
Count Thomas III , called Thomas of Savoy or de Savoie, was the lord of Piedmont and a claimant to the county of Savoy from 1268.He was the eldest son of Thomas II of Savoy and Beatrice di Fieschi, niece of Pope Innocent IV....
and Guia of Burgundy. Philip married Isabella of Villehardouin
Isabella of Villehardouin
Isabella of Villehardouin was the elder daughter of William II of Villehardouin, Prince of Achaea, and of his second wife Anna, the third daughter of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, the despot of Epiros....
, Princess of Achaea and co-reigned with her from 1301 to 1307. They were both deposed by Philip I of Taranto
Philip I of Taranto
Philip I of Taranto : of the Angevin house, was titular Emperor of Constantinople , despot of Epirus, King of Albania, Prince of Achaea and Taranto, and Lord of Durazzo....
but continued to claim the title. However Giacomo was a son of Philip by his second wife Catherine de la Tour du Pin and his claim to be the heir of Isabella of Villehardouin was disputed.
Marriage
On January 17, 1403, Margaret married Theodore II, Marquess of MontferratTheodore II, Marquess of Montferrat
-Life:He was the thirdborn son of John II of Montferrat and Isabel of Majorca. Theodore was named governor of the margraviate after the death of his brother John III. After the death of John II, Montferrat had been plunged into a crisis brought on by the quick succession of two young rulers,...
, a member 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,...
dynasty and male-line descendant of Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...
. Theodore was the widower of Jeanne of Bar, daughter of Robert I, Duke of Bar and Marie Valois.
This marriage lasted for fifteen years but was childless. Theodore died in 1418.
Monastic life
Her piety, already great, increased after she had heard the preaching of Vincent FerrerVincent Ferrer
Saint Vincent Ferrer was a Valencian Dominican missionary and logician.-Early life:Vincent was the fourth child of the Anglo-Scottish nobleman William Stewart Ferrer and his Spanish wife, Constantia Miguel. Legends surround his birth...
, who spent several months in 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...
. Therefore, when she was left a widow in 1418, she decided to abandon the world. Leaving the direction of the affairs of the marquisate to Jean-Jacques, the son of her husband by his first marriage, she retired to Alba where she joined the Third Order of St. Dominic.
A little later, Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti was ruler of Milan from 1412 to 1447.-Biography:Filippo Maria Visconti, who had become nominal ruler of Pavia in 1402, succeeded his assassinated brother Gian Maria Visconti as Duke of Milan in 1412. They were the sons of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Gian Maria's predecessor, by...
, Duke of Milan, asked her hand in marriage and begged Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
to relieve her of her vow. But Margaret opposed a formal refusal to this request and thoroughly resolved to give herself entirely to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
: with several young women of rank, she founded a monastery and placed it under the rule of the order of St. Dominic. Redoubling her mortifications she remained a model of piety and died in a saintly manner at Alba
Alba, Italy
Alba is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Cuneo. It is considered the capital of the hilly area of Langhe, and is famous for its white truffle, peach and wine production...
, 23 November 1464.
Cult and relics
On 13 December 1464, her remains were placed in a simple tomb; in 1481 they were transferred to a different and much more beautiful sepulchre built in her monastery at the expense of William VIII of Montferrat.Four noble beati of the Savoy family are depicted on the vault of a bay in the south aisle of the church of San Michele
San Michele Maggiore
The Basilica of San Michele Maggiore is a church of Pavia, one of the most striking example of Lombard-Romanesque style. It dates from the 11th and 12th centuries.-History:...
in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
. Margaret is shown dressed as a nun holding three arrows.