William III, Marquess of Montferrat
Encyclopedia
William III was the Margrave of Montferrat and Count of Vado
from 991 to his death. He was the eldest son and successor of Otto I. William I and II were the father and son respectively of Aleram, the first margrave, but neither served as margrave himself.
William's religious policy was a continuation of Aleram's. He founded the monastery of Spigno
. In 1014, he and his brother Riprando donated land to the abbey of Fruttuaria
. Between his succession and 1002, he made other donations to Acqui Terme
.
While following in the familiar policy of ecclesiastical patronage, William abandoned Aleram's support of the Holy Roman Emperors. Instead, he intervened in the wars of the Italian communes which characterised early eleventh-century Italy. He joined an anti-imperial alliance with Count Obert the Red, Margrave Ulric Manfred II of Turin
, and Bishop Leo of Vercelli
. The allies soon found themselves at odds and warring on each other. Leo besieged Santhià
, where William was then residing, and William, to avenge himself on the bishop, besieged Vercelli
and put it to flame. William signed a peace treaty with Ulric Manfred and married his son Henry to Manfred's daughter Adelaide
.
Even after all his allies had been pacified by imperial troops, William continued to resist Conrad II
, but he fared poorly. Conrad destroyed his fortress in the valley of Orba.
The Miracula sancti Bononii records William's wife as Waza. She prayed at the tomb of Saint Bononio, abbot of Santissimi Michele e Genuario di Lucedio. William died in 1041, probably before 29 January, when his son Henry cites him in an act donating land to the church in Turin
.
Vado
Teeyon Winfree, or best known as Vado, born on March 13, 1985, is an American rapper from Harlem, New York City. Vado is of Jamaican, St.Vincent and African American descent.-Career:...
from 991 to his death. He was the eldest son and successor of Otto I. William I and II were the father and son respectively of Aleram, the first margrave, but neither served as margrave himself.
William's religious policy was a continuation of Aleram's. He founded the monastery of Spigno
Spigno Monferrato
Spigno Monferrato is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 80 km southeast of Turin and about 45 km southwest of Alessandria.-History:...
. In 1014, he and his brother Riprando donated land to the abbey of Fruttuaria
Fruttuaria
thumb|300px|Bell tower of the abbey.Fruttuaria is an abbey in the territory of San Benigno Canavese, about twenty kilometers north of Turin, northern Italy.-History:...
. Between his succession and 1002, he made other donations to Acqui Terme
Acqui Terme
Acqui Terme is a city and comune of Piedmont, northern Italy, in the province of Alessandria. It is c. 35 km SSW of Alessandria...
.
While following in the familiar policy of ecclesiastical patronage, William abandoned Aleram's support of the Holy Roman Emperors. Instead, he intervened in the wars of the Italian communes which characterised early eleventh-century Italy. He joined an anti-imperial alliance with Count Obert the Red, Margrave Ulric Manfred II of Turin
Ulric Manfred II of Turin
Ulric Manfred II was the Margrave of Turin and Susa in the early 11th century.- Biography:...
, and Bishop Leo of Vercelli
Leo of Vercelli
Leo was a German prelate who served as the Bishop of Vercelli from 999. Born in Hildesheim, he was made an archdeacon by 998 and was appointed to the see of Vercelli as the candidate of the Emperor Otto III and Pope Sylvester II following the assassination of Bishop Peter...
. The allies soon found themselves at odds and warring on each other. Leo besieged Santhià
Santhià
Santhià is a comune in the province of Vercelli in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km northeast of Turin and about 20 km northwest of Vercelli....
, where William was then residing, and William, to avenge himself on the bishop, besieged Vercelli
Vercelli
Vercelli is a city and comune of about 47,000 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC.The city is situated on the river Sesia in the plain of the river...
and put it to flame. William signed a peace treaty with Ulric Manfred and married his son Henry to Manfred's daughter Adelaide
Adelaide of Susa
Adelaide of Susa was the Marchioness of Turin from 1034 to her death. She moved the seat of the march from Turin to Susa and settled the itinerant court there...
.
Even after all his allies had been pacified by imperial troops, William continued to resist Conrad II
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor
Conrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
, but he fared poorly. Conrad destroyed his fortress in the valley of Orba.
The Miracula sancti Bononii records William's wife as Waza. She prayed at the tomb of Saint Bononio, abbot of Santissimi Michele e Genuario di Lucedio. William died in 1041, probably before 29 January, when his son Henry cites him in an act donating land to the church in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
Sources
- Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LX Grosso – Guglielmo da Forlì. Rome, 2003.
- Marchesi di Monferrato: Guglielmo III.