Coat of Arms of the Aleramici of Savona or del VastoCoat of arms of the extinct Aleramici of MonferratoThe five imperial marches of northern Italy in the 10th century (Aleramici in green)
Their name derived from count Aleramo, proclaimed first Marquis of Central Liguria by emperor Otto the Great in 966. The Aleramici were divided in two main lines: the Marquises of Savona or Del Vasto, and the Marquises of Monferrato. In the 14th century the line of Monferrato ended in Irene of Montferrat, Empress of Constantinople, whilst the line of Savona carried on in multiple descending branches.
The Aleramici formed one of the four imperial margraviates in the northern Kingdom of Italy, soon becoming one of the most powerful dynasties of the Middle Ages. Due to their ancestral Salic tradition, they divided their original territory into multiple marquisates, grouped into two main lines founded by Aleramo's two surviving sons: the Marquises of Savona, or del Vasto, descendants of the eldest son Anselmo, and the Marquises of Monferrato, descendants of the youngest son Otto. Despite their constant territorial division between the multiple male descendants, the Aleramici managed to maintain control over an important part of the Piedmont and the Eastern flank of the Ligurian Bay, forming powerful alliances throughout the ruling houses of Europe, including the Capetians and the Hohenstaufens.
Despite the extinction of their cadet branch, the Aleramici survived the Middle Ages through the multiple descending branches of the Marquises of Savona, including the Marquises of Saluzzo (from 1135 to 1548), Finale (ruled by the Aleramici del Carreto from 1135 to 1602), Ceva, Busca, Clavesana, Loreto, Bosco, Belforte, Ussecio, Pareto, Varazze, Ponzone, amongst others, whose domains were mostly absorbed by the Republic of Genoa between the 12th and 14th centuries.[2] Only the Marquises of Finale and the Marquises of Saluzzo continued to rule over part of the original Aleramician domains until the 16th century.
Rulers of the Aleramic dynasty
Aleramic dynasty
Partitions of Liguria under Aleramic rule
Marquisate of Liguria (924-991)
Marquisate of Western Liguria (991-1125)
Marquisate of Occimiano (991-1275)
Marquisate of Rocchetta (1084-1203)
Marquisate of Eastern Liguria Evolved as: Marquisate of Montferrat (991-1306)
A Frankish count and the oldest known member of the family. His title of Marquis is usually given in retrospection: it's possible that he never used the title.
Grandchildren of Oberto I (sons of a son or daughter of this marquis), and nephews of Oberto II. They shared power, or at least, in documents, the title of marquis.
Children of Anselmo III, divided their inheritance: Guglielmo inherited his father's domains at Ceva; Bonifazio inherited his uncle Ugo's marquisate at Clavesana.
Laid also claim on the Kingdom of Thessalonica, ruling it effectively from 1205, after the Sack of Constantinople. During his reign in Montferrat, he encouraged the development of literature, inviting many troubadours to his court.
Cousins, possibly held the marquisate jointly. In spite of Manfred III having children, they stopped claiming co-rulership in the marquisate, which was then held exclusively by Berengar's line.
In 1313, Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the marquisate to the duke of Savoy.[24] This meant the loss of independence of the various branches that descended from Giorgio II. The marquisate itself met its end in 1427, when it was absorbed officially by Savoy.
In 1332, after a war between his children over the succession, Manfredo signed a treaty with Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy, in which he abdicated to his eldest son, Federico.
Inherited the marquisate from her brother in 1305, and tried to propose her eldest son to succeed her brother, but got rejected by Patriarch Athanasius I of Constantinople. Given that she inherited the marquisate, it's probable that she ruled in Montferrat between the death of her brother and the arrival of the chosen successor of John, her son Theodore.[25] Yolande was also Eastern Roman Empress consort at Constantinople.
The marquisate was probably ruled by Federico (Oddone's son) and Argentina and Caterina, Francesco's daughters. As Argentina and Caterina's children were also known as Marquis of Clavesana, it's possible that, at this point, the three ruled jointly, or they divided the marquisate between them.
From 1330, fought with his younger half-brother Manfredo, who their father had favoured and designated successor with the influence of Federico's stepmother Isabella Doria. The treaty with the count of Savoy (1332) made his father abdicate and give the land to him.
Became involved in his father's previous war of succession, as his uncle Manfredo came back to reclaim power once more. However, his uncle's victory was short-lived, and he recovered the throne not long after.
After the war with his brother and subsequent exile, he managed to take power from his nephew. However, he was eventually persuaded by the House of Visconti to abandon his claim on Saluzzo.
↑ Moriondus, J. B. (1790) Monumenta Aquensia (Turin), Pars II, col. 291.
↑ The couple was already married in 1030, according to Monumenta Aquensia, Pars II, col. 299, quoting Ex libro miraculorum S. Bononii Abbatis Lucediensis, Acta Sanctorum, 30 Aug, Tome VI, p. 623, n. 20.
↑ According to D H II 305, p. 379, he was at least documented in 1014.
↑ Despite some sources referring a marriage to Alice of Savoy, a daughter of Peter II of Savoy, the marriage makes sense given the claimantship of the March of Turin (to which the Aleramics opposed the Savoyards). However, the degree of proximity between bride and groom was too close to be permitted.
↑ According to C. Du Cange, Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, Graz, 1954, III, p. 82, Bonifacio's first bride was initially a bride of his brother Anselmo.
↑ According to Cluny, Tome V, 3996, p. 348, they were already married in 1127.
↑ He was alive in 1126, according to Monumenta Aquensia, Pars II, col. 320. It's possible that he lived at least until 1135
↑ Despite being documented only until 1190, it's possible that she died in 1203, when her younger sons inherited her marquisate.
↑ According to Hamilton (2000), p.XXI, they were already married on 28 March of that year.
↑ According to Casale Monferrato, Vol. I, XVI, p. 25, they were already married in 1147.
↑ Despite their names not being known, they were referenced as Enrico's children in 1203
↑ Federico was still a minor by the time of his accession, according to Gioffredo (1839), Vol. III, pp. 44-5, citing “Chiesa Cronaca di Saluzzo ms”.
↑ This child, Giovanni of Saluzzo, was known as Marquis of Clavesana, according to Liber iurium reipublicæ Genvensis, Tome II, CCLXX, col. 952.
↑ These two children, Emmanuele and Aleramo del Carretto, were Marquises of Clavesana, according to Liber iurium reipublicæ Genvensis, Tome II, CXCII, col. 550.
Works cited
Kinkade, Richard P. (2004). "Beatrice "Contesson" of Savoy (c. 1250–1290): The Mother of Juan Manuel". La corónica: A Journal of Medieval Hispanic Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. 2, Number 3, Summer (3): 163–225. doi:10.1353/cor.2004.0017. S2CID163041548.
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The Marchof Montferrat was a frontier march of the Kingdom of Italy during the Middle Ages and a state of the Holy Roman Empire. The margraviate was raised to become the Duchy of Montferrat in 1574.
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