René of Savoy
Encyclopedia
René of Savoy was a French nobleman and soldier. He was count of Villars (1497) and of Tende (1501). Known as "the Great Bastard of Savoy", he was the illegitimate son of Philip II, Duke of Savoy
and Libera Portoneri - this made him the originator of the Savoie-Villars (or Savoie-Tende) branch of the House of Savoy
.
. He was the second husband of Anne Lascaris
- a daughter of the count of Tende, she was countess of Tende, marquise of Marro, lady of Prela, of Villeneuve and of Menton. René and Lascaris married on 28 January 1501 at Tende
, during René's governorship of Nice
. The count of Tende gave most of his lands with his daughter as her dowry and the marriage contract required that René take the name and coat of arms of the counts of Tende.
In 1501 Philibert II remarried, to Margaret of Austria, who hated René and had her father Maximilian I
revoke René's legitimation in 1502. An increasing influence on her husband, Margaret brought René to trial and in 1503 got Philibert to revoke his act legitimating René, thus losing him his fiefdoms in the Piedmont
and leaving him only with those in Tende, held through his wife. On René's father's death in 1509, Anne Lascaris and René received homage from their vassals in the Tende and from the vassals of all their fiefdoms in Provence
and Genoa
. René took refuge in France and paid homage to Louis XII of France
in 1510 in return for keeping Tende.
Philibert died suddenly in 1504 and René faced opposition from the Holy Roman Emperor when he tried to succeed to Philibert's duchy of Savoy - his half brother Charles III
became duke instead. As half-brother of Louise of Savoy
, René was uncle to Francis, Count of Angoulême
. When Francis acceded to the French throne as Francis I, René was made governor of Provence and grand sénéchal of Provence in 1515, then grand master of France
(surintendant of the maison du roi
) by letters patent of 31 October 1519, posts he held until his death. 1519 also saw René finally regain the duchy of Savoy. On 2 January 1562 Emmanuel Philibert
declared by letters patent that Claude of Savoy was count of Tende and that his descendants could succeed to the Estates of Savoy if the direct line died out.
Around 1519-1520, René built a grand nef
called the Sainte Marie de Bonaventure, nicknamed "La Grande Maîtresse", which served as his flagship. This ship left Marseille
on 24 August 1520 to protect the Knights Hospitallers against an attack by the Turks, returning there on 6 January 1521. During this expedition, admiral Christophe de Chanoy was killed at Beirut. In May 1522, the ship took part in the expedition to aid Genoa, commanded by René as admiral and by Pedro of Navarre
as lieutenant general. The ship took part in the defence and resupply of Marseille during the city's siege by the constable de Bourbon
in 1524. René rented the ship to his nephew France I for 1500 écu
s per month between 28 June 1524 and 30 April 1525.
He died at Pavia
in 1525. After René's death, Louise of Savoy put a value-estimate on the ship and it was bought by Francis I from the countess of Villars and Tende between July and August 1526.
, countess of Tende (1487–1554), daughter of Jean-Antoine de Lascaris-Vintimille and of Isabelle d'Anglure, widow of Louis de Clermont-Lodève, with whom he had the following children :
Philip II, Duke of Savoy
Philip II , surnamed the Landless was the Duke of Savoy for the brief reign from 1496 to 1497.-Biography:...
and Libera Portoneri - this made him the originator of the Savoie-Villars (or Savoie-Tende) branch of 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...
.
Biography
He was legitimated in 1499, by his half-brother Philibert IIPhilibert II, Duke of Savoy
Philibert II , surnamed the Handsome or the Good, was the Duke of Savoy from 1497 until his death.-Biography:...
. He was the second husband of Anne Lascaris
Anne Lascaris
Anne Lascaris , countess of Tende and of Villars, was a French noblewoman. She was the daughter of Jean-Antoine II de Lascaris, comte de Tende and of Vintimille, lord of Marro, Prela and Menton, and his wife Isabeau d'Anglure.At 11 and a half years old, Anne married Louis de Clermont-Lodève, then...
- a daughter of the count of Tende, she was countess of Tende, marquise of Marro, lady of Prela, of Villeneuve and of Menton. René and Lascaris married on 28 January 1501 at Tende
Tende
Tende is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Geography:Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps. The mountainous commune is bordered by Italy to the north, with the boundary determined by the watershed line between the two countries...
, during René's governorship of Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. The count of Tende gave most of his lands with his daughter as her dowry and the marriage contract required that René take the name and coat of arms of the counts of Tende.
In 1501 Philibert II remarried, to Margaret of Austria, who hated René and had her father Maximilian 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...
revoke René's legitimation in 1502. An increasing influence on her husband, Margaret brought René to trial and in 1503 got Philibert to revoke his act legitimating René, thus losing him his fiefdoms 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...
and leaving him only with those in Tende, held through his wife. On René's father's death in 1509, Anne Lascaris and René received homage from their vassals in the Tende and from the vassals of all their fiefdoms in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. René took refuge in France and paid homage to Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
in 1510 in return for keeping Tende.
Philibert died suddenly in 1504 and René faced opposition from the Holy Roman Emperor when he tried to succeed to Philibert's duchy of Savoy - his half brother Charles III
Charles III, Duke of Savoy
Charles III of Savoy , often called Charles the Good, was Duke of Savoy from 1504 to 1553, although most of his lands were ruled by the French between 1536 and his death....
became duke instead. As half-brother of Louise of Savoy
Louise of Savoy
Louise of Savoy was a French noble, Duchess regnant of Auvergne and Bourbon, Duchess of Nemours, the mother of King Francis I of France...
, René was uncle to Francis, Count of Angoulême
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...
. When Francis acceded to the French throne as Francis I, René was made governor of Provence and grand sénéchal of Provence in 1515, then grand master of France
Grand Master of France
The Grand Master of France was, during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration in France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and head of the "Maison du Roi", the king's royal household...
(surintendant of the maison du roi
Maison du Roi
The Maison du Roi was the name of the military, domestic and religious entourage around the royal family in France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration; the exact composition and duties of its various divisions changed constantly over the Early Modern period...
) by letters patent of 31 October 1519, posts he held until his death. 1519 also saw René finally regain the duchy of Savoy. On 2 January 1562 Emmanuel Philibert
Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy
Emmanuel Philibert was Duke of Savoy from 1553 to 1580....
declared by letters patent that Claude of Savoy was count of Tende and that his descendants could succeed to the Estates of Savoy if the direct line died out.
Around 1519-1520, René built a grand nef
Carrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
called the Sainte Marie de Bonaventure, nicknamed "La Grande Maîtresse", which served as his flagship. This ship left Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
on 24 August 1520 to protect the Knights Hospitallers against an attack by the Turks, returning there on 6 January 1521. During this expedition, admiral Christophe de Chanoy was killed at Beirut. In May 1522, the ship took part in the expedition to aid Genoa, commanded by René as admiral and by Pedro of Navarre
Pedro Navarro, Count of Oliveto
Don Pedro Navarro, Count of Oliveto was a Spanish military engineer and general who participated in the War of the League of Cambrai. At the Battle of Ravenna in 1512 he commanded the Spanish and Papal infantry, but was captured by the French...
as lieutenant general. The ship took part in the defence and resupply of Marseille during the city's siege by the constable de Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
in 1524. René rented the ship to his nephew France I for 1500 écu
ECU
ECU may refer to:Automotive terms* Electronic control unit, a generic term for any embedded system that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a motor vehicle...
s per month between 28 June 1524 and 30 April 1525.
He died at 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...
in 1525. After René's death, Louise of Savoy put a value-estimate on the ship and it was bought by Francis I from the countess of Villars and Tende between July and August 1526.
Marriages and issue
On 28 January 1501, he married Anne LascarisAnne Lascaris
Anne Lascaris , countess of Tende and of Villars, was a French noblewoman. She was the daughter of Jean-Antoine II de Lascaris, comte de Tende and of Vintimille, lord of Marro, Prela and Menton, and his wife Isabeau d'Anglure.At 11 and a half years old, Anne married Louis de Clermont-Lodève, then...
, countess of Tende (1487–1554), daughter of Jean-Antoine de Lascaris-Vintimille and of Isabelle d'Anglure, widow of Louis de Clermont-Lodève, with whom he had the following children :
- Claude of Savoy, who followed ;
- Madeleine (c. 1510 - c. 1586), married constable Anne de MontmorencyAnne de MontmorencyAnne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France.-Early life:...
(1492 † 1567) ; - Marguerite (died 15 July 1591), married Antoine of Luxembourg, count of Brienne;
- Honorat II of SavoyHonorat II of SavoyHonorat de Savoie, marquis of Villars was a marshal of France and admiral of France.- Life :...
, who followed; - Isabelle, in 1527 married René of Batarnay, count of Bouchage