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William V, Marquis of Montferrat

William V of Montferrat (occ./piem. Guilhem, it. Guglielmo) (c. 1115 – 1191) also known regnally as William III of Montferrat[1] while also referred to as William the Old or William the Elder,[1] in order to distinguish him from his eldest son, William Longsword, was seventh Marquis of Montferrat from 1135 to his death in 1191. William was the only son of Marquis Renier I and his wife Gisela,[2] a daughter of Count William I of Burgundy and widow of Count Humbert II of Savoy. It seems likely, given that he was still fit enough to participate in battle in 1187, that William was one of his parents' youngest children.

He was described by Acerbo Morena as of medium height and compact build, with a round, somewhat ruddy face and hair so fair as to be almost white. He was eloquent, intelligent and good-humoured, generous but not extravagant. Dynastically, he was extremely well connected: a nephew of Pope Callixtus II, a half-brother of Amadeus III of Savoy whose daughter, Matilda, was married to King Afonso I of Portugal, a brother-in-law of Louis VI of France (through his half-sister Adelasia of Moriana), a cousin of Alfonso VII of Castile, and his maternal great-grandmother was Alice of Normandy which made him a distant relative to the Norman monarchs of England.

Dynastic marriage edit

William married Judith (or Ita) of Babenberg, daughter of Leopold III of Austria and Agnes of Germany, sometime before March 28, 1133.[2] Judith was probably about 15 at the time. None of their surviving children seem to have been born before 1140 (there may have been older ones who died in infancy), and the youngest son was born in 1162. She died after 1168. They had five sons, four of whom became prominent in the affairs of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and of Byzantium:

and three daughters:

  • Agnes, who married Count Guido Guerra III Guidi conte di Modigliana.[4] The marriage was annulled on grounds of childlessness before 1180, when Guido remarried, and Agnes entered the convent of Santa Maria di Rocca delle Donne.
  • Adelasia, or Azalaïs (d. 1232), who married Manfred II, Marquis of Saluzzo, c. 1182, and was regent for her grandson Manfred III.[5]
  • An unidentified daughter, who married Albert, Marquis of Malaspina.

The vida of the troubadour Raimbaut de Vaqueiras claims that there was another daughter, Beatrice, who m. Henry I del Carretto, Marquis of Savona, and that she is the Bel Cavalher (Fair Knight) of Vaqueiras's songs. However, the lyrics of Vaqueiras's songs (as opposed to the later vida) describe Beatrice as Boniface's daughter, and thus William's granddaughter.

Otto of Tonengo (d. 1251), who became Bishop of Porto, and Cardinal in 1227, has sometimes been identified as a son of William V, and confused with Frederick. However, his dates make it more likely that he was a son of William VI of Montferrat, whether legitimate or not is uncertain.

William and Judith's powerful dynastic connections created difficulties in finding suitable wives for his sons, and too many potential spouses were related within prohibited degrees. In 1167, he unsuccessfully tried to negotiate marriages for his eldest sons to daughters of Henry II, King of England—but the girls were very young at the time and were related through Judith's descent from William V of Aquitaine. He then applied for sisters of William I, King of Scotland, who were not related, but were already married.

Alliances with the Western and Eastern Empires edit

William took part in the Second Crusade, alongside his half-brother Amadeus of Savoy (who died during the campaign), his nephew Louis VII of France, his brother-in-law Count Guido of Biandrate, and his wife's German and Austrian relatives.

As supporters of the imperial party (later known as the Ghibellines), he and his sons fought with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (Judith's nephew) in his lengthy struggle against the Lombard League. Following Barbarossa's capitulation with the Peace of Venice in 1177, William was left to deal with the rebellious towns in the area alone. Meanwhile, the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos sought support for his own politics in Italy.

William broke with Barbarossa and formed an alliance with Manuel. His eldest surviving son, Conrad, was taken prisoner by Barbarossa's chancellor, Archbishop Christian of Mainz, but then captured the chancellor in battle at Camerino. In 1179 Manuel suggested a marriage between his daughter Maria, second in line to the throne, and one of William's sons. As Conrad and Boniface were already married, the youngest son, Renier, was married off to the princess, who was ten years his senior. Renier and Maria were later killed during the usurpation of Andronikos, and the family rebuilt ties with Barbarossa.

Crusade in Outremer edit

In 1183, with the accession of his grandson Baldwin V, a minor, as co-king of Jerusalem, William, then probably in his late sixties, left the government of Montferrat to Conrad and Boniface, and returned to the east. He was granted the castle of St. Elias (present-day Taybeh). He fought in the Battle of Hattin in 1187, where he was captured by Saladin's forces. In the meantime, his second son, Conrad, had arrived at Tyre from Constantinople. Conrad was given the command of the defences. During the siege of Tyre in November that year, he is said to have refused to surrender as much as a stone of its walls to liberate his father, even threatening to shoot him with a crossbow himself when Saladin had him presented as a hostage. Eventually, Saladin withdrew his army from Tyre. In 1188, William was released unharmed at Tortosa, and seems to have ended his days in Tyre, with his son. He probably died in the summer of 1191: Conrad last describes himself as "marchionis Montisferrati filius" in a charter of May that year.

Popular culture edit

William of Montferrat appears as an assassination target in the video game Assassin's Creed (2007), set during the Third Crusade in 1191.[6] In the game, William is Liege Lord of Acre under King Richard and is portrayed as middle aged, rather than in his early eighties. Unbeknowst to Richard, William is also a member of the Templar Order with secret instructions to prepare the people of Acre for the Templars' vision of the "New World". He does this by hoarding food and forcefully conscripting soldiers in order to teach them hardship and discipline, making him a target for the Assassins. William's assassination in the game is inspired by the real-life death of his son Conrad, who was also killed by the Assassins.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Beihammer, Parani & Schabel 2008, p. 183.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hamilton 2000, p. xxi.
  3. ^ Kosi 2021, p. 275.
  4. ^ Marrocchi, Mario (2004). "Guidi, Guido (Guido Guerra III)". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (in Italian) (61).
  5. ^ Berman 2018, p. 38.
  6. ^ McWhertor, Michael (15 October 2009). "Real-Life Assassin's Creed Weapons Seem Like A Good Idea". Kotaku. Australia: Allure Media. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  7. ^ Nichols, Derek (27 September 2013). "History Behind the Game – Assassin's Creed Characters". VentureBeat. Retrieved 30 April 2018.

Sources edit

  • Beihammer, Alexander D.; Parani, Maria G.; Schabel, Christopher D., eds. (2008). Diplomatics in the Eastern Mediterranean 1000-1500: Aspects of Cross-Cultural Communication. BRILL. ISBN 978-9047433033.
  • Berman, Constance Hoffman (2018). The White Nuns: Cistercian Abbeys for Women in Medieval France. University of Pennsylvania Press.
  • Hamilton, Bernard (2000). The Leper King and His Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge University Press.
  • Kosi, Miha (2021). "The Babenberg Dukes of Austria crusaders - "par excellence"". In Bronstein, Judith; Fishhof, Gil; Shotten-Hallel, Vardit (eds.). Settlement and Crusade in the Thirteenth Century: Multidisciplinary Studies of the Latin East. Routledge.
  • Haberstumpf, Walter. Dinastie europee nel Mediterraneo orientale. I Monferrato e i Savoia nei secoli XII–XV, 1995 (external link to downloadable text).
  • Hamilton, Bernard. The Leper King and His Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, 2000.
  • (external link)
  • Usseglio, Leopoldo. I Marchesi di Monferrato in Italia ed in Oriente durante i secoli XII e XIII, 1926.
Preceded by Marquis of Montferrat
c. 1136 – 1191
Succeeded by

william, marquis, montferrat, william, montferrat, piem, guilhem, guglielmo, 1115, 1191, also, known, regnally, william, montferrat, while, also, referred, william, william, elder, order, distinguish, from, eldest, william, longsword, seventh, marquis, montfer. William V of Montferrat occ piem Guilhem it Guglielmo c 1115 1191 also known regnally as William III of Montferrat 1 while also referred to as William the Old or William the Elder 1 in order to distinguish him from his eldest son William Longsword was seventh Marquis of Montferrat from 1135 to his death in 1191 William was the only son of Marquis Renier I and his wife Gisela 2 a daughter of Count William I of Burgundy and widow of Count Humbert II of Savoy It seems likely given that he was still fit enough to participate in battle in 1187 that William was one of his parents youngest children William VMarquis of MontferratReign1135 1191PredecessorRainier Marquis of MontferratSuccessorConrad of MontferratBorn1115Died1191Tyre LebanonNoble familyAleramiciSpouse s Judith of BabenbergIssueWilliam of Montferrat Count of Jaffa and AscalonConrad of MontferratBoniface of MontferratFrederick of Montferrat Bishop of AlbaRenier of MontferratAgnes Countess of ModiglianaAzalais Marchioness of SaluzzoFatherRenier I of MontferratMotherGisela of Burgundy He was described by Acerbo Morena as of medium height and compact build with a round somewhat ruddy face and hair so fair as to be almost white He was eloquent intelligent and good humoured generous but not extravagant Dynastically he was extremely well connected a nephew of Pope Callixtus II a half brother of Amadeus III of Savoy whose daughter Matilda was married to King Afonso I of Portugal a brother in law of Louis VI of France through his half sister Adelasia of Moriana a cousin of Alfonso VII of Castile and his maternal great grandmother was Alice of Normandy which made him a distant relative to the Norman monarchs of England Contents 1 Dynastic marriage 2 Alliances with the Western and Eastern Empires 3 Crusade in Outremer 4 Popular culture 5 References 6 SourcesDynastic marriage editWilliam married Judith or Ita of Babenberg daughter of Leopold III of Austria and Agnes of Germany sometime before March 28 1133 2 Judith was probably about 15 at the time None of their surviving children seem to have been born before 1140 there may have been older ones who died in infancy and the youngest son was born in 1162 She died after 1168 They had five sons four of whom became prominent in the affairs of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and of Byzantium William Longsword Count of Jaffa and Ascalon 2 father of Baldwin V of Jerusalem Conrad King of Jerusalem 2 Boniface 3 his successor to Montferrat and founder of the Kingdom of Thessalonica Frederick who entered the Church and became Bishop of Alba dates uncertain Renier 2 married into the Byzantine imperial family and three daughters Agnes who married Count Guido Guerra III Guidi conte di Modigliana 4 The marriage was annulled on grounds of childlessness before 1180 when Guido remarried and Agnes entered the convent of Santa Maria di Rocca delle Donne Adelasia or Azalais d 1232 who married Manfred II Marquis of Saluzzo c 1182 and was regent for her grandson Manfred III 5 An unidentified daughter who married Albert Marquis of Malaspina The vida of the troubadour Raimbaut de Vaqueiras claims that there was another daughter Beatrice who m Henry I del Carretto Marquis of Savona and that she is the Bel Cavalher Fair Knight of Vaqueiras s songs However the lyrics of Vaqueiras s songs as opposed to the later vida describe Beatrice as Boniface s daughter and thus William s granddaughter Otto of Tonengo d 1251 who became Bishop of Porto and Cardinal in 1227 has sometimes been identified as a son of William V and confused with Frederick However his dates make it more likely that he was a son of William VI of Montferrat whether legitimate or not is uncertain William and Judith s powerful dynastic connections created difficulties in finding suitable wives for his sons and too many potential spouses were related within prohibited degrees In 1167 he unsuccessfully tried to negotiate marriages for his eldest sons to daughters of Henry II King of England but the girls were very young at the time and were related through Judith s descent from William V of Aquitaine He then applied for sisters of William I King of Scotland who were not related but were already married Alliances with the Western and Eastern Empires editWilliam took part in the Second Crusade alongside his half brother Amadeus of Savoy who died during the campaign his nephew Louis VII of France his brother in law Count Guido of Biandrate and his wife s German and Austrian relatives As supporters of the imperial party later known as the Ghibellines he and his sons fought with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa Judith s nephew in his lengthy struggle against the Lombard League Following Barbarossa s capitulation with the Peace of Venice in 1177 William was left to deal with the rebellious towns in the area alone Meanwhile the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos sought support for his own politics in Italy William broke with Barbarossa and formed an alliance with Manuel His eldest surviving son Conrad was taken prisoner by Barbarossa s chancellor Archbishop Christian of Mainz but then captured the chancellor in battle at Camerino In 1179 Manuel suggested a marriage between his daughter Maria second in line to the throne and one of William s sons As Conrad and Boniface were already married the youngest son Renier was married off to the princess who was ten years his senior Renier and Maria were later killed during the usurpation of Andronikos and the family rebuilt ties with Barbarossa Crusade in Outremer editIn 1183 with the accession of his grandson Baldwin V a minor as co king of Jerusalem William then probably in his late sixties left the government of Montferrat to Conrad and Boniface and returned to the east He was granted the castle of St Elias present day Taybeh He fought in the Battle of Hattin in 1187 where he was captured by Saladin s forces In the meantime his second son Conrad had arrived at Tyre from Constantinople Conrad was given the command of the defences During the siege of Tyre in November that year he is said to have refused to surrender as much as a stone of its walls to liberate his father even threatening to shoot him with a crossbow himself when Saladin had him presented as a hostage Eventually Saladin withdrew his army from Tyre In 1188 William was released unharmed at Tortosa and seems to have ended his days in Tyre with his son He probably died in the summer of 1191 Conrad last describes himself as marchionis Montisferrati filius in a charter of May that year Popular culture editWilliam of Montferrat appears as an assassination target in the video game Assassin s Creed 2007 set during the Third Crusade in 1191 6 In the game William is Liege Lord of Acre under King Richard and is portrayed as middle aged rather than in his early eighties Unbeknowst to Richard William is also a member of the Templar Order with secret instructions to prepare the people of Acre for the Templars vision of the New World He does this by hoarding food and forcefully conscripting soldiers in order to teach them hardship and discipline making him a target for the Assassins William s assassination in the game is inspired by the real life death of his son Conrad who was also killed by the Assassins 7 References edit a b Beihammer Parani amp Schabel 2008 p 183 a b c d e Hamilton 2000 p xxi Kosi 2021 p 275 Marrocchi Mario 2004 Guidi Guido Guido Guerra III Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani in Italian 61 Berman 2018 p 38 McWhertor Michael 15 October 2009 Real Life Assassin s Creed Weapons Seem Like A Good Idea Kotaku Australia Allure Media Retrieved 30 April 2018 Nichols Derek 27 September 2013 History Behind the Game Assassin s Creed Characters VentureBeat Retrieved 30 April 2018 Sources editBeihammer Alexander D Parani Maria G Schabel Christopher D eds 2008 Diplomatics in the Eastern Mediterranean 1000 1500 Aspects of Cross Cultural Communication BRILL ISBN 978 9047433033 Berman Constance Hoffman 2018 The White Nuns Cistercian Abbeys for Women in Medieval France University of Pennsylvania Press Hamilton Bernard 2000 The Leper King and His Heirs Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem Cambridge University Press Kosi Miha 2021 The Babenberg Dukes of Austria crusaders par excellence In Bronstein Judith Fishhof Gil Shotten Hallel Vardit eds Settlement and Crusade in the Thirteenth Century Multidisciplinary Studies of the Latin East Routledge Haberstumpf Walter Dinastie europee nel Mediterraneo orientale I Monferrato e i Savoia nei secoli XII XV 1995 external link to downloadable text Hamilton Bernard The Leper King and His Heirs Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem 2000 Settia Aldo A Guglielmo V di Monferrato detto il Vecchio Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani vol LX Roma 2003 external link Usseglio Leopoldo I Marchesi di Monferrato in Italia ed in Oriente durante i secoli XII e XIII 1926 Preceded byRainier Marquis of Montferratc 1136 1191 Succeeded byConrad Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William V Marquis of Montferrat amp oldid 1157688236, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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