Jacques, Duke of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
. He was the son of Louis, Duke of Savoy
Louis, Duke of Savoy
Louis I was Duke of Savoy from 1440 until his death.-Life:...
and Anne de Lusignan. In 1484, he married Marie de Luxembourg
Marie de Luxembourg
Marie of Luxembourg was a French noblewoman, the elder daughter and principal heiress of Pierre II de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, by Margaret, a daughter of Louis, Duke of Savoy...
(1462–1546). They had one child, Françoise Louise of Savoy (1485–1511).
Count of Romont and Lord of Vaud
The House of SavoyHouse 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...
possessed the Lordship of Vaud since the 12th century, when it wrested control from the original owners, the House of Zähringen. Savoy extended its influence by supporting the city of Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
against the House of Habsburg. After the Battle of Laupen
Battle of Laupen
The Battle of Laupen in 1339 was fought between the Bern and its allies on one side, and Freiburg together with feudal landholders from the County of Burgundy and Habsburg territories on the other. Bern was victorious, consolidating its position in the region...
, Savoy and Berne became allies, but as the power of Berne increased, they became enemies at the beginning of the Burgundian Wars.
When Amadeus IX
Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy
The Blessed Amadeus IX , surnamed the Happy, was the Duke of Savoy from 1465 to 1472. He was the son of Louis, Duke of Savoy, and Anne de Lusignan, daughter of Janus of Cyprus, King of Cyprus....
became head of the House of Savoy in 1465, he gave his brother Jacques as an appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
the region of Vaud with the title of Count of Romont, Lord of Vaud and the towns of Murten
Murten
Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
, Avenches
Avenches
Avenches is a Swiss municipality in the canton of Vaud, located in the district of Broye-Vully.-History:The roots of Avenches go back to the Celts...
, Payerne
Payerne
Payerne is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the district of Payerne, and is now part of the district of Broye-Vully....
, Romont, Moudon
Moudon
Moudon is a municipality in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was the seat of the district of Moudon and is now in the Broye-Vully district.-History:...
, Rue and Yverdon
Yverdon-les-Bains
Yverdon-les-Bains is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord vaudois of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district...
.
Amadeus suffered from epilepsy and let his wife, Yolande of Valois
Yolande of Valois
Yolande of Valois was a Duchess consort of Savoy. She was was a daughter of King Charles VII of France, "The Victorious," and Marie of Anjou. She married Duke Amadeus IX of Savoy in 1452. She was named after her grandmother, Yolande of Aragon. She is sometimes known as Yolande of France...
, and his brother, the Count of Bresse
Philip II, Duke of Savoy
Philip II , surnamed the Landless was the Duke of Savoy for the brief reign from 1496 to 1497.-Biography:...
govern for him. He died in 1472 and was succeeded by his son Philibert
Philibert I, Duke of Savoy
Philibert I , surnamed the Hunter, was the son of Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy and Yolande of Valois. Philibert was Duke of Savoy from 1472 to 1482....
, who was only 6 years old. The young Duke's mother, Yolande, became his regent and tutor.
Several alliances were formed within the family. Peter, Prince-Bishop of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and brother of Amadeus, became a counsellor at Yolande's court. The Count of Bresse sought the favor of Louis XI of France
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
. Jacques of Savoy joined the army of the powerful Duke of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
, Charles de Bold
Charles I, Duke of Burgundy
Charles the Bold , baptised Charles Martin, was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477...
. Jacques took the opportunity of a conflict with his sister-in-law Yolande to grab several fortified places that Amadeus IX had retained, and an arbitration by Berne and Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
in 1471 awarded them to him. However, these different alliances and clever political manoeuvering by King Louis XI eventually led to the loss of all the territories belonging to the Count of Romont in Vaud.
In the army of Charles the Bold
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
, becoming an ally of King Louis XI through the League of Constance, which further comprised Sigismund of Tirol
Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
Sigismund of Austria, Duke, then Archduke of Further Austria was a Habsburg archduke of Austria and ruler of Tirol from 1446 to 1490....
, the town of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and the Alsatian
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
towns of Straßburg
Strasburg
-Places:*Strasbourg, a city in Alsace *Straßburg, Austria, in Carinthia*Strasburg, Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania*the former name of Brodnica, became Polish after World War I*Strassburg, the German name for Aiud, Alba...
, Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
, and Schlettstadt. The treaty stipulated mutual assistance in case of outside attack and was directed against the Duke of Burgundy.
Sigismund of Austria, of the House of Habsburg, had given the Upper Alsace to Burgundy as an appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
. The region revolted against its Burgundian bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
, Peter von Hagenbach
Peter von Hagenbach
Peter von Hagenbach was a Bourguignon knight from Alsace and Germanic military and civil commander....
, and the League of Constance declared war on Charles the Bold and laid siege to Héricourt. In November 1474 Jacques of Savoy led his army in an attempt to lift the siege. However, when he arrived, Héricourt had already surrendered and in the ensuing battle
Battle of Héricourt
The Battle of Héricourt, fought in November 1474, was part of the Burgundian Wars, and resulted in a defeat for Burgundy and its allies....
the Burgundian army suffered a crushing defeat.
The looting of Vaud
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
, led by Berne, raised militia groups against Vaud. Vaud is strategically located, offering access to the Alps and transit to the Mediterranean and Italy. Berne also wanted to stop the flow of Italian mercenaries using Vaud to join the army of Charles the Bold. The armed groups ravaged the land, killing, raping, plundering and ransoming. As Jacques de Savoy could not return to defend his territories, the "Swiss bands" had soon overrun them, taking Grandson
Grandson, Switzerland
Grandson is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.During the Burgundian Wars, Charles the Bold was defeated near here in the Battle of Grandson on 2 March 1476.-History:...
, Orbe, Montagny
Montagny-près-Yverdon
Montagny-près-Yverdon is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Montagny-près-Yverdon is first mentioned around 995-96 as in villa Montaniaco. In 1397 it was mentioned as Montaigny-le-Courbe.Its history goes back to at least the 12th...
and Echallens
Echallens
Echallens is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:The territory of the municipality was already settled very early. There are remains of a Bronze Age foundry....
. Murten
Murten
Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
took the side of the invaders. Massacres took place in Nyon
Nyon
Nyon is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva, and is the seat of the district of...
, Clées
Les Clées
Les Clées is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Les Clées is first mentioned in 1134 as Clees....
and Jougne
Jougne
Jougne is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Geography:The commune is situated from Pontarlier and from the Swiss border. It lies in the Jura Mountains, which form the border between France and Switzerland....
. La Sarraz
La Sarraz
La Sarraz is a municipality of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, located in the district of Morges.-Geography:La Sarraz has an area, , of . Of this area, or 48.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 39.0% is forested...
and Cossonay
Cossonay
Cossonay is a municipality in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district of Morges.-History:Cossonay has both Roman ruins and medieval graves. The first documentation of the settlement dates from 1096 under the name Cochoniacum...
were taken. Genève and Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, bishop's cities, were heavily ransomed. In the East, troops from Berne took Aigle and a part of Chablais
Chablais
Chablais was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.This region is currently divided into three territories, the Chablais savoyard, the Chablais valaisan, and the Chablais vaudois, and is now split across two countries: France and Switzerland...
. In the end, the surviving population of 16 towns and 43 castles swore allegiance to their new Swiss masters.
On 14 October 1475 Berne declared war on Jacques of Savoy on the pretext of the hostility of the population they had themselves terrorised. Troops from Berne invaded Vaud again and massacred resisting garrisons. As no help would be forthcoming, other Vaudois villages surrendered before being attacked. However, as Charles the Bold became successful on the European battlefields, Jacques of Savoy could at last concentrate his attention on his territories in Vaud. In the beginning of 1476 he was able to retake his territories, in part because the Swiss confederation was withdrawing everywhere before the powerful army of Charles the Bold arrived.
Loss of Vaud
After the battles of GrandsonBattle of Grandson
The Battle of Grandson, took place on 2 March 1476, was part of the Burgundian Wars, and resulted in a major defeat for Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.- Siege of Grandson, February 1476 :...
and Murten
Battle of Morat
The Battle of Morat was a battle in the Burgundian Wars fought June 22, 1476 between Charles I, Duke of Burgundy and a Swiss army at Morat, about 30 kilometres from Bern.-Background:...
, both decisive Swiss victories, Vaud was again conquered by the Swiss and lost to Jacques of Savoy. Berne demanded Vaud and threatened Geneva and Savoy. Meanwhile, Duchess Yolande had fallen into the hands of Charles the Bold. King Louis XI intervened in favor of his sister and forced the Swiss to accept an armistice. On 14 April 1476 the Swiss Confederacy and Savoy concluded a peace treaty under the sponsorship of the French King.
The Treaty of Fribourg stipulated that the Swiss would be paid to return the territories of Savoy. However, the House of Savoy was unable to raise the ransom, so the territories remained in the hands of Berne. The Treaty also prevented the "Barony of Vaud" from being separated from Savoy in appanage and excluded the Count of Romont forever as Lord of Vaud. In this way, Jacques of Savoy lost all rights to his fiefs.
New fiefs and death
Battle of Nancy
The Battle of Nancy was the final and decisive battle of the Burgundian Wars, fought outside the walls of Nancy on 5 January 1477 between Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and René II, Duke of Lorraine...
, Jacques of Savoy joined the court of Charles's daughter and heiress, Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy ruled the Burgundian territories in Low Countries and was suo jure Duchess of Burgundy from 1477 until her death...
, wife of the Habsburg emperor Maximillian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
. In 1478, he was awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
. He participated courageously in the Battle of Guinegate
Battle of Guinegate (1479)
The First Battle of Guinegate took place on August 7, 1479. French troops of King Louis XI were defeated by the Burgundians led by Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg...
in 1479, where he was wounded, helping to beat the army of King Louis XI of France and keeping the County of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
for Mary.
In 1484 Jacques of Savoy married Marie of Luxembourg (1462–1546), granddaughter of Louis of Luxembourg-Saint-Pol, Count of Saint-Pol
Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise
Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The population of the canton is 14,939.-History:The county of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, usually referred to as just Saint-Pol, was originally a stronghold of the Counts of Flanders and was established as a county...
. He received Saint-Pol from King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, with other fiefs in Flanders and Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
out of the inheritance of Louis of Luxembourg.
Jacques of Savoy died on 30 June 1486 in the Castle of Ham
Ham, Somme
Ham is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Ham is situated on the D930 and D937 crossroads, some southwest of Saint-Quentin, in the far southeast of the department, near the border with the department of the Aisne....
, an old possession of the Counts of Saint-Pol.