Louis I of Vaud
Encyclopedia
Louis I was the Baron of Vaud. At the time of his birth he was a younger son of a younger son of the House of Savoy
, but through a series of deaths and his own effective military service, he succeeded in creating a semi-independent principality in the pays de Vaud by 1286. He tavelled widely in the highest circles of European nobility (the royal courts of London
, Paris
and Naples
), obtained the right to mint coins from the Holy Roman Emperor
, and convoked the first public assembly in the Piedmont
to include members of the non-noble classes. When he died, his barony was inherited by his son.
. His childhood was spent in the dower castles of his mother, especially that of Saint-Genix-d'Aoste on the bank of the Guiers. As a youth, in 1270, he accompanied his brothers, Thomas III and Amadeus V
, to England in the hopes of receiving from King Henry III
the fiefs (and incomes) which their uncle, Peter II, Count of Savoy, had bequeathed them. Some of these had already been bestowed on the king's son, Prince Edward Longshanks, who was then absent on the Ninth Crusade
. Until his return, any Savoyard claims on English territory could not be resolved, so Henry instead granted each of the brothers an annual pension of one hundred marks on the royal treasury.
While Louis was living in Paris
in July 1281, King Philip III of France
drew him into an pro-Angevin
alliance with Count Aymar IV of Valentinois and Louis de Forez, sire of Beaujeu
, against the bishops of Die, Lyon and Valence. Louis seems to have been induced to join by the promise of marrying Jeanne de Montfort, widow of Guy, sire of Beaujeu and count of Forez. The marriage probably took place in 1283, when Jeanne was still of child-bearing age. Her dowry
consisted of the lands held by the sire of Beaujeu in Bugey
and Valromey, lands which lay in an area of Savoyard expansion between the Rhône
and the Ain
.
and his allies broke out. Louis captured the Delphinal
fortress of La Buissière
, and then invaded the Grésivaudan
as his brother Amadeus invaded the region south of Grenoble
. Philip seems to have been grooming Louis to take command of the pays de Vaud, for as early as September 1281 he had been sent to Moudon
, the earliest Savoyard town in the Vaud, to receive the homage
of certain vassals of the count.
Louis may have felt underappreciated for his services at home, for Margaret of Provence, queen-mother of France and a Savoyard on her mother's side, tried to mediate between him and his brother and uncle in January 1283, to no effect. In the spring of 1283, Rudolf
, King of Germany and emperor-elect, was trying to enforce his authority in Helvetia
, and encroaching on the Savoyard sphere of influence. After his initial assault on Payerne
in the Vaud was repulsed in June, Louis came to the city with a body of troops to relieve it. Rudolf besieged it for six months, but starvation forced capitulation in December, and the city was lost to Savoy.
After peace was concluded with the emperor-elect, Savoy was deprived of Payerne and Gümmenen, the protectorates of Morat
and Bern, and the dower lands of Louis's aunt Margaret (died 1273), wife of Hartmann the Old, Count of Kyburg. All these lossess would significantly reduce the sphere of influence of whichever Savoyard prince ruled the Vaud. By the peace treaty, Moudon and the important castle of Romont
would remain fiefs of the Count of Savoy. Both these places had been acquired by Savoy under Thomas I, and only the acquisitions in the region made by Peter II before he became count were left to Louis. In accordance with this principle, Peter's other acquisitions in the pays de Gex and the Genevois
were ceded to Amadeus. This seems to have launched another grievance from Louis. In March 1284 he and Amadeus met at Lyon
in order for Margaret and Robert II, Duke of Burgundy
, to mediate their conflict. The brothers swore not to make any private alliances with the goal of furthering their claims on the succession. If the mediation of Count Philip or Queen Margaret failed to appease both parties, then they swore to abide by the judgement of Duke Robert.
In May 1284 Louis obtained from Rudolf the right to mint coin in the pays de Vaud, an implicit imperial confirmation of his lordship there. In October Philip wrote to Eleanor of Provence
, Margaret's sister and Henry III's husabnd, and her son, now King Edward, asking them to arbitrate Louis's grievances. He also sent the Bishop of Aosta to England to explain the problem exactly, but the English arbitration was fruitless and was perhaps intended only to delay Louis's resort to arms.
After Philip's death, Louis did briefly make war on his brother, but he and Amadeus arrived at a settlement in January 1286. In return for liege homage, Louis received the entire pays de Vaud between the rivers Aubonne
and Veveyse, including Moudon and Romont. He also received Saillon
and Conthey
in the Valais
and Pierre-Châtel
in Bugey, and an annual pension of 400 livres viennois
from the péage
of Saint-Maurice-d'Agaune and Villeneuve
. A few lords of the pays de Vaud remained liege vassals of the count and their lands were not a part of the barony of Vaud. These were the Count of Gruyère and the lords of Châtel
and Cossonay
.
ies centred on Nyon
, Rolle
, Morges
, Moudon, Estavayer, Romont, Rue
, Yverdon, Les Clées
, and Vaulruz
. Morges was the baronial capital, where homage was received and the administration overseen. On 15 January 1285 Louis, who was at Lyon, sent a summons to the people of the Piedmont
ordering all to attend an assembly, of a type usually called a colloquy (colloquium) or parliament (parlamentum), scheduled for 24 May. This was the first assembly in the Savoyard lands that included "representatives of the non-noble classes". Louis's summons went out to "all noblemen, citizens, burgesses and others with them in the land of Piedmont from Mont Cenis
to Lombardy
" (universis nobilibus, civibus, burgensibus et aliis quibuscumque in terra Pedemontis a Monte Cinisii versus Lombardiam superius).
Louis's eldest son, Louis II
, succeeded him in Vaud, and his daughter Blanche made an adventitious match to a nephew of Otho de Grandison. This match was arranged in May 1303 at Paris, and the sons of Pierre II de Grandison and Blanche later served the Count of Savoy.
Louis I died in Naples
in 1302.
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...
, but through a series of deaths and his own effective military service, he succeeded in creating a semi-independent principality in the pays de Vaud by 1286. He tavelled widely in the highest circles of European nobility (the royal courts of London
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, Paris
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
and Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
), obtained the right to mint coins from the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, and convoked the first public assembly in the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
to include members of the non-noble classes. When he died, his barony was inherited by his son.
Youth in Savoy, England and France (1259–81)
Louis was the third son of Thomas II of Savoy. He was in the custody of his mother, Beatrice dei Fieschi, on the death of his father in 1259, when his older brothers were hostages of the commune of AstiAsti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
. His childhood was spent in the dower castles of his mother, especially that of Saint-Genix-d'Aoste on the bank of the Guiers. As a youth, in 1270, he accompanied his brothers, Thomas III and Amadeus V
Amadeus V, Count of Savoy
Amadeus V , surnamed the Great for his wisdom and success as a ruler, was the Count of Savoy from 1285 to 1323. He established Chambéry as his seat...
, to England in the hopes of receiving from King Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
the fiefs (and incomes) which their uncle, Peter II, Count of Savoy, had bequeathed them. Some of these had already been bestowed on the king's son, Prince Edward Longshanks, who was then absent on the Ninth Crusade
Ninth Crusade
The Ninth Crusade, which is sometimes grouped with the Eighth Crusade, is commonly considered to be the last major medieval Crusade to the Holy Land. It took place in 1271–1272....
. Until his return, any Savoyard claims on English territory could not be resolved, so Henry instead granted each of the brothers an annual pension of one hundred marks on the royal treasury.
While Louis was living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in July 1281, King Philip III of France
Philip III of France
Philip III , called the Bold , was the King of France, succeeding his father, Louis IX, and reigning from 1270 to 1285. He was a member of the House of Capet.-Biography:...
drew him into an pro-Angevin
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
alliance with Count Aymar IV of Valentinois and Louis de Forez, sire of Beaujeu
Beaujeu
Beaujeu is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Beaujeu, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département* Beaujeu, Rhône, in the Rhône département...
, against the bishops of Die, Lyon and Valence. Louis seems to have been induced to join by the promise of marrying Jeanne de Montfort, widow of Guy, sire of Beaujeu and count of Forez. The marriage probably took place in 1283, when Jeanne was still of child-bearing age. Her dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
consisted of the lands held by the sire of Beaujeu in Bugey
Bugey
The Bugey is a historical region in the département of Ain , France. It is located in a loop of the Rhône River in the southeast of the département...
and Valromey, lands which lay in an area of Savoyard expansion between the Rhône
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
and the Ain
Ain
Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
.
Wars with Geneva, the Dauphiné and the king (1281–84)
In the fall of 1282 Louis was back in the service of his family, led by Count Philip of Savoy, when a war with Amadeus II of GenevaAmadeus II of Geneva
Amadeus II was the Count of Geneva, which included the Genevois, but not the city of Geneva, from 1280. He was the second son of Count Rudolf and succeeded his heirless brother Aymon II.-Alliance and war :...
and his allies broke out. Louis captured the Delphinal
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
fortress of La Buissière
La Buissière
La Buissière is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, and then invaded the Grésivaudan
Grésivaudan
The Grésivaudan is a valley of the French Alps, situated mostly in the Isère. Etymologically, Graisivaudan comes from roots meaning "Grenoble" and "valley". It comprises the alluvial plain of the Isère River from Grenoble to the confluence of the Arc; or, more recently, the entire valley of the...
as his brother Amadeus invaded the region south of Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
. Philip seems to have been grooming Louis to take command of the pays de Vaud, for as early as September 1281 he had been sent to 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:...
, the earliest Savoyard town in the Vaud, to receive the homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
of certain vassals of the count.
Louis may have felt underappreciated for his services at home, for Margaret of Provence, queen-mother of France and a Savoyard on her mother's side, tried to mediate between him and his brother and uncle in January 1283, to no effect. In the spring of 1283, Rudolf
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
, King of Germany and emperor-elect, was trying to enforce his authority in Helvetia
Helvetia
Helvetia is the female national personification of Switzerland, officially Confœderatio Helvetica, the "Helvetic Confederation".The allegory is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss flag, and commonly with braided hair, commonly with a wreath as...
, and encroaching on the Savoyard sphere of influence. After his initial assault on 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....
in the Vaud was repulsed in June, Louis came to the city with a body of troops to relieve it. Rudolf besieged it for six months, but starvation forced capitulation in December, and the city was lost to Savoy.
After peace was concluded with the emperor-elect, Savoy was deprived of Payerne and Gümmenen, the protectorates of Morat
Morat
Morat can refer to:* a type of mead made from honey and mulberries* Rose Morat of New York City, the victim of a high profile muggingIt is also the name given to:* the town of Morat, also known as Murten, in Switzerland...
and Bern, and the dower lands of Louis's aunt Margaret (died 1273), wife of Hartmann the Old, Count of Kyburg. All these lossess would significantly reduce the sphere of influence of whichever Savoyard prince ruled the Vaud. By the peace treaty, Moudon and the important castle of Romont
Romont
Romont may refer to:*Romont, Fribourg, Switzerland*Romont, Berne, Switzerland...
would remain fiefs of the Count of Savoy. Both these places had been acquired by Savoy under Thomas I, and only the acquisitions in the region made by Peter II before he became count were left to Louis. In accordance with this principle, Peter's other acquisitions in the pays de Gex and the Genevois
Genevois
Genevois is the name used in Geneva used for the dialect of Arpitan used in the canton of Geneva. The title « Cé qu'è lainô » of the anthem of Geneva is in Genevois....
were ceded to Amadeus. This seems to have launched another grievance from Louis. In March 1284 he and Amadeus met at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in order for Margaret and Robert II, Duke of Burgundy
Robert II, Duke of Burgundy
Robert II of Burgundy was duke of Burgundy between 1271 and 1306, inheriting the title from his brother Eudes of Burgundy, who had no male heirs. Robert was the third son of duke Hugh IV and Yolande of Dreux...
, to mediate their conflict. The brothers swore not to make any private alliances with the goal of furthering their claims on the succession. If the mediation of Count Philip or Queen Margaret failed to appease both parties, then they swore to abide by the judgement of Duke Robert.
Succession crisis (1284–86)
In 1282 Louis's eldest brother, Thomas, died, and in the summer of 1283 his mother followed. This provoked a succession crisis, since the ruling count of Savoy, Philip, had no sons, and the sons of Thomas, thitherto his heir, were too young to hold the reins of government. In accordance with tradition, Amadeus was recognised as Philip's heir. Louis was promised an apanage, which he did not find sufficient, and the later Savoyard chroniclers Jehan Servion and Jean d'Oronville portray him as fighting his brother for the succession or for a larger share of the inheritance while their uncle was dying. Servion puts into Philip's mouth the following denunciation of Louis's motives, before he gathered together his barons and made them recognise Amadeus as his successor: "I have bestowed upon you more of my possessions than you deserve, and you are not in the least grateful. I know you well, for it is always you who complain of things. Your whole being is full of clamor, which makes you unwilling to hold to my will and commandment." It is more probable that "Louis felt inadequately rewarded for his efforts in the wars against the emperor and the dauphin in 1282–84", than that he was a person "full of clamor".In May 1284 Louis obtained from Rudolf the right to mint coin in the pays de Vaud, an implicit imperial confirmation of his lordship there. In October Philip wrote to Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272....
, Margaret's sister and Henry III's husabnd, and her son, now King Edward, asking them to arbitrate Louis's grievances. He also sent the Bishop of Aosta to England to explain the problem exactly, but the English arbitration was fruitless and was perhaps intended only to delay Louis's resort to arms.
After Philip's death, Louis did briefly make war on his brother, but he and Amadeus arrived at a settlement in January 1286. In return for liege homage, Louis received the entire pays de Vaud between the rivers Aubonne
Aubonne
Aubonne is a municipality in the district of Morges in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:The municipality was settled very early. The oldest remains are from the Bronze Age. From Roman times, there remain foundations of villas, and from early medieval times, graves.The first documentation...
and Veveyse, including Moudon and Romont. He also received Saillon
Saillon
Saillon is a municipality in the district of Martigny in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-History:Saillon is first mentioned in 1052 as castellum Psallionis. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Schellon, however, that name is no longer used.-Geography:Saillon has an area, , of...
and Conthey
Conthey
Conthey is a municipality in the district of Conthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-History:Conthey is first mentioned about 800 as curtis Contextis. In 1146 it was mentioned as ecclesiam de Plano Contesio.-Geography:...
in the Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
and Pierre-Châtel
Pierre-Châtel
Pierre-Châtel is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.Lac de Pierre-Châtel and the Pierre Percée are located in the commune.Peter II of Savoy and Boniface I of Challant died in Pierre-Châtel, respectively in 1268 and 1426....
in Bugey, and an annual pension of 400 livres viennois
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
from the péage
Péage
The Péage is the French word for Toll road and in France and other French speaking countries it refers to the complete toll-road system or a specific main route using toll roads: we use the péage and not the route nationale...
of Saint-Maurice-d'Agaune and Villeneuve
Villeneuve
-People:*Andrew Villeneuve, founder and executive director the Northwest Progressive Institute in the U.S.*Annie Villeneuve , Singer from Quebec, Canada*Denis Villeneuve , film director...
. A few lords of the pays de Vaud remained liege vassals of the count and their lands were not a part of the barony of Vaud. These were the Count of Gruyère and the lords of Châtel
Châtel
Châtel is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated in the northern French Alps on the French/Swiss border and is a popular ski resort...
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...
.
Baron of Vaud (1286–1302)
Politically, the barony of Vaud under Louis I was divided into ten castellanCastellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
ies centred on 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...
, Rolle
Rolle
Rolle is a municipality in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was the seat of the district of Rolle until 2006, when it became part of the district of Nyon. It is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Geneva between Nyon and Lausanne...
, Morges
Morges
Morges is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud, located in the district of Morges and is also the seat of the district.-History:...
, Moudon, Estavayer, Romont, Rue
Rue, Switzerland
Rue is a municipality in the district of Glâne in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. On 1 January 1993 the former municipality of Blessens merged into Rue, followed by Promasens and Gillarens in 2001.-History:...
, Yverdon, Les 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 Vaulruz
Vaulruz
Vaulruz is a municipality in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-History:Vaulruz is first mentioned in 1115 as Valle Rodulphi. It was first mentioned at Vaulruz in 1303.-Geography:...
. Morges was the baronial capital, where homage was received and the administration overseen. On 15 January 1285 Louis, who was at Lyon, sent a summons to the people of the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
ordering all to attend an assembly, of a type usually called a colloquy (colloquium) or parliament (parlamentum), scheduled for 24 May. This was the first assembly in the Savoyard lands that included "representatives of the non-noble classes". Louis's summons went out to "all noblemen, citizens, burgesses and others with them in the land of Piedmont from Mont Cenis
Mont Cenis
Mont Cenis is a massif and pass in Savoie in France which forms the limit between the Cottian and Graian Alps.A road over the pass was built between 1803 and 1810 by Napoleon...
to Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
" (universis nobilibus, civibus, burgensibus et aliis quibuscumque in terra Pedemontis a Monte Cinisii versus Lombardiam superius).
Louis's eldest son, Louis II
Louis II of Vaud
Louis II , of the House of Savoy, was the Baron of Vaud from 1302 until his death. A military man, he fought widely in Italy and, during the first phase of the Hundred Years' War, in France...
, succeeded him in Vaud, and his daughter Blanche made an adventitious match to a nephew of Otho de Grandison. This match was arranged in May 1303 at Paris, and the sons of Pierre II de Grandison and Blanche later served the Count of Savoy.
Louis I died in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in 1302.