Amadeus VII (24 February 1360 – 1 November 1391), known as the Red Count, was Count of Savoy from 1383 to 1391.[1]
| Amadeus VII | |
|---|---|
 18th century portrait of Amadeus VII, artist unknown | |
| Count of Savoy | |
| Reign | 1383 – 1391 |
| Predecessor | Amadeus VI |
| Successor | Amadeus VIII |
| Born | 24 February 1360 Chambéry |
| Died | 1 November 1391 (aged 31) Thonon |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Bonne of Berry |
| Issue | Amadeus VIII Bonne Joan |
| House | Savoy |
| Father | Amadeus VI of Savoy |
| Mother | Bonne of Bourbon |
Biography
editAmadeus was born in Chambéry on 24 February 1360, the son of Count Amadeus VI of Savoy and Bonne of Bourbon.[1] After his father's death in 1383, his mother and grandmother fought over the regency.[2] In 1384, in order to suppress a revolt against his relative Edward of Savoy, Bishop of Sion, Amadeus led an army that attacked and pillaged Sion.[3] In 1388, he acquired territories in eastern Provence and the port city of Nice, thus giving the County of Savoy access to the Mediterranean Sea.[4]
On 1 November 1391, Amadeus died from tetanus,[5] as a result of a hunting accident.[4] Upon his death, controversy arose because of his will. Amadeus left the important role of guardian of his son and heir, Amadeus VIII, to his own mother, a sister of the powerful Duke de Bourbon, instead of following the tradition of appointing the child's mother, who was a daughter of the equally powerful Duke de Berry.[6] Due to the dispute between his mother and his wife, rumours that Amadeus had been poisoned emerged soon after his death.[4] It took three months of negotiations to restore peace in the family.[6]
Amadeus was known for his hospitality, for he would entertain people of all stations and never turned a person from his table without a meal.[7]
Marriage and children
editAmadeus married Bonne of Berry, daughter of John, Duke of Berry, who was the younger brother of King Charles V of France.[8] They had:
- Amadeus VIII, later known as Antipope Felix V, married Mary of Burgundy (1380–1422), daughter of Philip the Bold.[8]
- Bonne (d. 1432), married Louis of Piedmont, the final of the Savoy-Achaea Branch.
- Joan (d. 1460), married John Jacob, Marquis of Montferrat
References
edit- ^ a b Cox 1967, p. 378.
- ^ Pfeffer 2022, p. 84.
- ^ Cox 1967, p. 95-96.
- ^ a b c Bernard Andenmatten: Amadeus VII of Savoy in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 8 June 2022.
- ^ European Cases of the Reincarnation Type By Ian Stevenson, M.D., p. 19.
- ^ a b Tuchman 1978, p. 503.
- ^ Tuchman 1978, p. 426.
- ^ a b Vaughan 2002, p. 53.
Sources
edit- Cox, Eugene L. (1967). The Green Count of Savoy. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. LCCN 67-11030.
- Pfeffer, Wendy, ed. (2022). Blandin de Cornoalha, A Comic Occitan Romance: A New critical Edition and Translation. Translated by Burrell, Margaret; Pfeffer, Wendy. Medieval Institute Publications.
- Tuchman, Barbara Wertheim (1978). A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century. New York: Knopf.
- Vaughan, Richard (2002). Philip the Bold: The Formation of the Burgundian State. Boydell Press.