Humbert III (1136 – 4 March 1189), surnamed the Blessed, was
Count of Savoy
The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at ...
from 1148 to 1188. His parents were
Amadeus III of Savoy
Amadeus III of Savoy (1095 – April 1148) was Count of Savoy and Maurienne from 1103 until his death. He was also known as a crusader.
Biography
He was born in Carignano, Piedmont, the son of Humbert II of Savoy and Gisela of Burgundy, the daug ...
and
Mahaut of Albon
Mahaut of Albon (1112–1148), was a Countess Consort of Savoy by marriage to Amadeus III, Count of Savoy.
Life
She was the eldest daughter of Guigues III of Albon and Matilda of Hauteville. The marriage was arranged as an alliance with the cou ...
. He ceded rights and benefits to monasteries and played a decisive role in the organization of
Hautecombe Abbey
Hautecombe Abbey (french: Abbaye d'Hautecombe, ; la, Altaecumbaeum) is a former Cistercian monastery, later a Benedictine monastery, in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille in Savoie, France. For centuries it was the burial place of the members of the H ...
. It is said that he would rather have been monk than a sovereign. On the death of his third wife he retired to Hautecombe, but then changed his mind and, by his fourth wife finally had son,
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
. He sided with the
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
party of
Pope Alexander III against the
Ghibelline
The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...
emperor
Frederick Barbarossa. The result was an invasion of his states twice: in 1174
Susa was set on fire, and in 1187
Henry VI banished him from the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
and wrested away most of his domains, of which he was left only with the valleys of
Susa and
Aosta
Aosta (, , ; french: Aoste , formerly ; frp, Aoûta , ''Veulla'' or ''Ouhta'' ; lat, Augusta Praetoria Salassorum; wae, Augschtal; pms, Osta) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of ...
. He died at Chambéry in 1189. He was the first prince buried at Hautecombe. His memorial day is March 4.
Life and reign
Early life
Humbert III was born around 1136 in the castle of
Avigliana
Avigliana (Piedmontese: ''Vijan-a'' ; French : ''Veillane'') is a town and '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Piedmont region or Italy, with 12,480 inhabitants as of January 1, 2017. It lies about west of Turin ...
,
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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, near
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...
, to Count
Amadeus III of Savoy and
Mahaut (Mathilde), Countess of Albon and Vienne. Humbert III is an important figure in medieval society, as attested in the history of
House of Savoy. His life was characterized by certain key features, including mysticism, borne of a vocation and tradition of the contemplative life, which came about in the events of his time as warrior and politician, which he undertook exclusively for dynastic reasons.
He inherited from his father, as well as from his grandfather,
Humbert II, the dream of reconstituting the fragmented
Kingdom of Burgundy
Kingdom of Burgundy was a name given to various states located in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. The historical Burgundy correlates with the border area of France, Italy and Switzerland and includes the major modern cities of Geneva and ...
, in stark opposition to the centralizing policy of the French royal family. In his efforts he was supported by
Frederick I Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt o ...
, and found himself induced to play a shrewd political subjugation of neighboring feudal lords or settled among his domains. Like his father, Humbert II, who died young when his son was a minor, Amadeus III entrusted the education of his own son, Humbert III, to Amedeus of Lausanne, former abbot of
Hautecombe, and under his guidance the young Humbert made great progress in studies and spiritual formation, despising the apparent splendor of worldly things, and giving himself to prayer, meditation and penance. To better achieve his lofty goals, he frequently withdrew to
Hautecombe Abbey
Hautecombe Abbey (french: Abbaye d'Hautecombe, ; la, Altaecumbaeum) is a former Cistercian monastery, later a Benedictine monastery, in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille in Savoie, France. For centuries it was the burial place of the members of the H ...
, on the banks of
Lake Bourget in Savoy, founded by his father. He always left the abbey with regret, every time the family and the Savoyard nobility called him back to occupy him with political matters.
Marriages
Amadeus III was a pilgrim in the Holy Land in 1122. He went there through the offices of
Pope Callixtus II, and in 1146 he participated in the
Second Crusade, and died on the island of Cyprus in
Nicosia on 1 April 1148, where he was buried, leaving the twelve-year-old Humbert as heir. Although still at an early age, in 1151 Humbert was bethrothed to
Faidiva, daughter of
Alphonse Jourdain, Count of Toulouse. She soon died without issue. He later married
Gertrude, daughter of
Thierry, Count of Flanders
Theoderic ( nl, Diederik, french: Thierry, german: Dietrich; – 17 January 1168), commonly known as Thierry of Alsace, was the fifteenth count of Flanders from 1128 to 1168. With a record of four campaigns in the Levant and Africa (including p ...
and
Sibylla of Anjou
Sibylla of Anjou (–1165) was a countess consort of Flanders as the wife of Thierry, Count of Flanders. She served as the regent of Flanders during the absence of her spouse in 1147-1149.
First marriage
Sybilla was the daughter of Fulk V of Anj ...
. This second marriage was annulled.
In 1164, Humbert married
Clementia of Zähringen
Clementia of Zähringen (died 1175), was a daughter of Conrad I, Duke of Zähringen and his wife Clementia of Namur. By her first marriage, Clementia was Duchess of Bavaria and Saxony. By her second marriage she was Countess of Savoy.
Duchess of ...
, by whom he had two daughters: Alice and Sofia. She died in 1173, and he decided to retire to
Hautecombe, but not for long. In 1177, the nobility in 1177 convinced him marry for the fourth time. As wife, he took
Beatrice, daughter
Géraud I of Mâcon and Maurette de Salins. At last he had a male heir,
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
, to continue the dynasty. Beatrice also bore him a daughter who died at the age of seven.
Reign
Humbert's reign was long. It lasted forty years, and was characterized by struggles with the Holy Roman Emperor, various lords and count-bishops. The main reason for conflict consisted in the patronage of the Bishop of Turin by
Frederick Barbarossa, who dreamed of undisturbed dominance of the capital of Piedmont. This led to a gradual reduction of the possessions and authority of Humbert III on the Italian side, leaving him with the rump territories of the valleys of
Susa and
Aosta
Aosta (, , ; french: Aoste , formerly ; frp, Aoûta , ''Veulla'' or ''Ouhta'' ; lat, Augusta Praetoria Salassorum; wae, Augschtal; pms, Osta) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of ...
. In 1187, he was banished from the Holy Roman Empire by
Henry VI for supporting the emperor's opponents. He did not retire, as has been said, to his Alpine domains, devoting himself in particular to the practice of personal virtues and fraternal charity. He also promoted the foundation of Precettoria of St. Anthony of Ranverso at Buttigliera Alta, not far from the town of Avigliana, entrusting it to Antoniani from Vienne, France.
Death
The death of Humbert III, March 4, 1189 in
Chambéry
Chambéry (, , ; Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the prefecture of the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The population of the commune of Chambéry was 58,917 as of 2019, while the population of the Chamb ...
,
Savoy at the age of fifty-two, was mourned sincerely by all the people. He was the first prince of Savoy to be buried in
Hautecombe Abbey
Hautecombe Abbey (french: Abbaye d'Hautecombe, ; la, Altaecumbaeum) is a former Cistercian monastery, later a Benedictine monastery, in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille in Savoie, France. For centuries it was the burial place of the members of the H ...
, which has since become a burial place for the dynasty.
Veneration
The spirituality of Humbert undoubtedly blossomed in an environment of ancient Christian traditions, favored especially by the example of his father, a pilgrim and crusader in the Holy Land, and of his tutor, Amadeus, Bishop of Lausanne. However, Humbert's life was full of contradictions: He was a lover of peace, but had frequent hostilities and wars. He was penitent, ascetic, contemplative, but was forced to take the reins of government, during which time he had a life of action, and found himself forced in marriage in order to have an heir. However, he let unmistakable signs of great moral balance, severity with himself and indulgence and love of neighbor. He was a benefactor to churches, monasteries, and charitable causes, the care of the poor. Throughout his life, he supported
Hautecombe Abbey
Hautecombe Abbey (french: Abbaye d'Hautecombe, ; la, Altaecumbaeum) is a former Cistercian monastery, later a Benedictine monastery, in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille in Savoie, France. For centuries it was the burial place of the members of the H ...
. In 1188 he founded the
Monastery of Sant'Antonio di Ranverso.
Humbert was venerated by many immediately after his death. Miracles were reportedly wrought through his intercession. In Aosta, he is depicted on the facade of the
city's cathedral. He is mentioned by
Alphonsus Ligouri as a particularly pious monk.
In 1838,
Charles Albert
Charles Albert (; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849) was the King of Sardinia from 27 April 1831 until 23 March 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the Albertine Statute, and with the First Italian War of Independenc ...
, King of Sardinia and his descendant, succeeded in having him beatified by Pope Gregory XVI. The king's efforts on behalf of
Boniface of Savoy, Archbishop of Canterbury, also succeeded. In Italy, Humbert is still remembered in particular at Racconigi, where the Royal Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie houses a picture of him.
Family
Humbert had four wives:
1.
Faidiva of Toulouse
Faidiva of Toulouse (1133 – 1154) was a Countess Consort of Savoy by marriage to Humbert III, Count of Savoy.
She was the daughter of Alfonso Jordan
Alfonso Jordan, also spelled Alfons Jordan or Alphonse Jourdain (1103–1148), was the Count ...
(d. c. 1154) daughter of
Alphonse Jourdain, Count of Toulouse
2.
Gertrude of Flanders (m. abt. 1155). The marriage was annulled, she was confined to a convent, later freed, and returned to the court of her brother,
Philip of Flanders
3.
Clementia of Zähringen
Clementia of Zähringen (died 1175), was a daughter of Conrad I, Duke of Zähringen and his wife Clementia of Namur. By her first marriage, Clementia was Duchess of Bavaria and Saxony. By her second marriage she was Countess of Savoy.
Duchess of ...
(married 1164), daughter of
Conrad I, Duke of Zähringen
Conrad I ( – 8 January 1152) was Duke of Zähringen from 1122 until his death and from 1127 also Rector of Burgundy. He spent most of his life stemming the growing power of the House of Hohenstaufen and to this end, allied himself with the ...
. They had two daughters:
::* Sofia, (1165–1202), married
Azzo VI of Este
Azzo VI (1170 – November 1212), also known as Azzolino, was an Italian nobleman and condottiero. He held the title of Marquis of Este (''marchio Eystensis'') from the death of his father, Azzo V (1190) until his death.
Biography
He was heavil ...
::* Alicia, (1166–1178), betrothed to
John of England
John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Emp ...
4.
Beatrice of Viennois and had one son:
::*
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
(born 1178)
Notes
References
*
*
External links
Umberto at ''Patron Saints Index''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Umberto III, Count of Savoy
1136 births
1189 deaths
12th-century Counts of Savoy
People from Avigliana
Roman Catholic royal saints
Burials at Hautecombe Abbey