Ada of Holland (1208 – 15 June 1258) was a Dutch abbess of

Rijnsburg Abbey Rijnsburg Abbey ( nl, Abdij van Rijnsburg) was a Benedictine nunnery in Rijnsburg, Netherlands, active between 1133 until 1574. History It was founded by Petronilla of Lorraine Petronilla of Lorraine ( 1082 – 23 May 1144) was Countess of Holl ...

from 1239. Ada was born in about 1208 to Willem I, Count of Holland (ca. 1168-1222) and Aleid van Gelre (ca. 1178-1218). She first appears in written records in 1233 and in 1239 she moves from being a nun to being the abbess of

. Because the abbey had been donated by her family she was allowed to be called the Lady of Rijnsburg. Problems arose in 1244 when her brother, Otto III van Holland, required that she should refer important decisions to him and other clergy and monarchs. She appealed to the pope,

Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universitie ...

, who ruled in her favour. He confirmed her autonomy and also allowed the abbey the right to receive donations from novices entering the abbey. Ada's authority was further undermined when her cousin sold the abbey and Ada was obliged to use her own money to repurchase it. Van Holland died in

on 15 June 1258.

References

1208 births 1258 deaths Christian abbesses 13th-century Christian nuns {{Christianity-bio-stub