Amadeus III, Count of Savoy

Amadeus III of Savoy
Coat of Arms of Counts of Savoy
Spouse(s)	Adelaide Mahaut of Albon
Noble family	House of Savoy
Father	Humbert II of Savoy
Mother	Gisela of Burgundy
Born	1095 Carignano
Died	April 1148 Nicosia
Buried	Church of St. Croix in Nicosia

Amadeus III of Savoy (1095 – April 1148) was Count of Savoy and Maurienne from 1103 until his death. He was also known as the Crusader.

He was born in Carignano, Piedmont, the son of Humbert II of Savoy and Gisela of Burgundy, the daughter of William I of Burgundy. He succeeded as count of Savoy upon the death of his father. Amadeus had a tendency to exaggerate his titles, and also claimed to be Duke of Lombardy, Duke of Burgundy, Duke of Chablais, and vicar of the Holy Roman Empire, the latter of which had been given to his father by Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.

He helped restore the Abbey of St. Maurice of Agaune, in which the former kings of Burgundy had been crowned, and of which he himself was abbot until 1147. He also founded the Abbey of St. Sulpicius in Bugey, Tamié Abbey in the Bauges, and Hautecombe Abbey on the Lac du Bourget.

In 1128, Amadeus extended his realm, known as the "Old Chablais", by adding to it the region extending from the Arve to the Dranse d'Abondance, which came to be called the "New Chablais" with its capital at Saint-Maurice. Despite his marriage to Mahaut, he still fought against his brother-in-law Guy, who was killed at the Battle of Montmeillan. Following this, King Louis VI of France, married to Amadeus' sister Adélaide de Maurienne, attempted to confiscate Savoy. Amadeus was saved by the intercession of Peter the Hermit, and by his promise to participate in Louis' planned crusade.

In 1147, he accompanied his nephew Louis VII of France and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine on the Second Crusade. He financed his expedition with help from a loan from the Abbey of St. Maurice. In his retinue were many barons from Savoy, including the lords of Faucigny, Seyssel, La Chambre, Miolans, Montbel, Thoire, Montmayeur, Vienne, Viry, La Palude, Blonay, Chevron-Villette, Chignin, and Châtillon. Amadeus travelled south through Italy to Brindisi, where he crossed over to Durazzo, and marched east along the Via Egnatia to meet Louis at Constantinople in late 1147. After crossing into Anatolia, Amadeus, who was leading the vanguard, became separated from Louis near Laodicea, and Louis' forces were almost entirely destroyed.

Marching on to Adalia, Louis, Amadeus, and other barons decided to continue to Antioch by ship. On the journey, Amadeus fell ill on Cyprus, and died at Nicosia in April 1148. He was buried in the Church of St. Croix in Nicosia. In Savoy, his son Humbert III succeeded him, under the regency of bishop Amadeus of Lausanne.

Family and children

He had no children with his first wife Adelaide. In 1123 he married Mahaut (or Mafalda, or Matilda) of Albon, the sister of Guy IV of Dauphinois, with whom he had ten children:

1. Elisa of Savoy (1120–?) married Humberto of Beaujeu
2. Mafalda (Mahaut) (1125–1158), married Afonso I of Portugal
3. Agnes of Savoy (1125–1172), married William I, Count of Geneva
4. Humbert III (1136–1188)
5. John of Savoy
6. Peter of Savoy
7. William of Savoy
8. Margaret of Savoy (died 1157)
9. Isabella of Savoy
10. Juliana of Savoy (died 1194), abbess of St. André-le-Haut

Ancestry

Family of Amadeus III, Count of Savoy

16. Humbert I of Savoy               8. Otto of Savoy                       17. Auxilia of Lenzburg               4. Amadeus II of Savoy                             18. Ulric Manfred II of Turin               9. Adelaide of Susa                       19. Bertha of Luni               2. Humbert II of Savoy                                   20. Gérold I, Count of Geneva               10. Gérold II, Count of Geneva                       21. Berthe               5. Jeanne of Geneva                             11. Gisèle                       1. Amadeus III of Savoy                                         24. Otto-William, Count of Burgundy               12. Reginald I, Count of Burgundy                       25. Adelaide Ermentrude of Reims and Roucy               6. William I, Count of Burgundy                             26. Richard II, Duke of Normandy               13. Adelaide of Normandy                       27. Judith of Brittany               3. Gisela of Burgundy                                   7. Étiennette

External links

Amadeus III, Count of Savoy House of Savoy Born: 1095 Died: 1148
Regnal titles
Preceded by Humbert II	Count of Savoy 1103–1148	Succeeded by Humbert III