Humbert I (; 9801047), better known as Humbert the White-Handed () or (), was the
count of Savoy
The titles of the count of Savoy, and then duke of Savoy, are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the House of Savoy held the county. Several of these rulers ruled as kings at ...
from 1032 until his death and the founder of the
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...
.
Of obscure origins, his service to the
Holy Roman Emperors Henry II
Henry II may refer to:
Kings
* Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014
*Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154
*Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
and
Conrad II was rewarded with the
counties
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
of
Maurienne
Maurienne (; ; ) is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
Location
The Maurienne val ...
and
Aosta
Aosta ( , , ; ; , or ; or ) is the principal city of the Aosta Valley, a bilingual Regions of Italy, region in the Italy, Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the G ...
and lands in
Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...
, all at the expense of local bishops and archbishops; the territory came to be known as the
county of Savoy.
Biography
Family
Humbert was the son of Amadeus, who may or may not have preceded him as
count of Maurienne. His brother was Bishop Otto of Belley. Humbert is the progenitor of the dynasty known as the
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...
. The origins of this dynasty are unknown, but Humbert's ancestors are variously said to have come from
Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
,
Burgundy
Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
or
Provence
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
. Given Humbert's close connections with
Rudolf III of Burgundy, it is likely that his family was Burgundian, and was descended either from the dukes of
Vienne, or from a Burgundian aristocratic family (such as the Guigonids, ancestors of the
counts of Albon). It is also likely that Humbert was related to
Ermengarde of Burgundy, second wife of Rudolf III.
Humbert initially held lands around
Belley
Belley (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Bèlê'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Ain Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region, France. It is the capital of the historical regi ...
and in the county of Sermorens, before gaining lands in
Aosta
Aosta ( , , ; ; , or ; or ) is the principal city of the Aosta Valley, a bilingual Regions of Italy, region in the Italy, Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the G ...
and
Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...
.
Humbert and the empire
After Rudolf III's death (1032), Humbert I swore fealty to
Emperor Conrad II. He supported Conrad II in his campaigns against
Odo II, Count of Blois, and
Aribert, Archbishop of Milan. In return, Conrad II appointed Humbert count of Savoy and granted him
Maurienne
Maurienne (; ; ) is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
Location
The Maurienne val ...
,
Chablais and perhaps
Tarentaise. These imperial grants to a loyal supporter secured key passes through the Alps, controlling trade between Italy and Western Europe, which would be the core of Savoy power for centuries.
Marriage and children
Humbert married Ancelie (Auxilia or Ancilia). She may have been Ancilla of Aoste, the daughter of ''vir illustris'' Anselme of Aoste or Ancilla of
Lenzburg
Lenzburg is a town in the central region of the Switzerland, Swiss canton of Aargau and is the capital of the Lenzburg District. The town, founded in the Middle Ages, lies in the Seetal, Seetal valley, about 3 kilometres south of the Aare river. L ...
, the daughter of the
master of ceremonies of Burgundy. Alternatively, Ancilla may have been a daughter of Anselm and Aldiud, and thus a member of a northern Italian dynasty known as the Anselmids.
With his wife, Humbert had at least four sons:
#
Amadeus I (died 1056), Count of Savoy, successor
#Aymon (died 1054 or 1055),
Bishop of Sion
#
Burchard (died 1068 or 1069),
Archbishop of Lyon
The Archdiocese of Lyon (; ), formerly the Archdiocese of Lyon–Vienne–Embrun, is a Latin Church metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archbishops of Lyon are also called Primate o ...
#
Otto (died c. 1057), Count of Savoy, successor of his brother
Some authors believe that he had additional sons.
Death

Humbert is often said to have died c. 1047/8 at
Hermillon, a town in the Maurienne region of present-day
Savoie
Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population o ...
, France. In the 21st century, it has been suggested that he died by 1042.
[Ducourthial, ''Géographie'', p. 231]
Notes
References
*
*
C. W. Previté-Orton, ''The Early History of the House of Savoy (1000-1233)'' (Cambridge, 1912), accessible online at
archive.org
*S. Hellmann, ''Die Grafen von Savoyen und das Reich: bis zum Ende der staufischen Periode'' (Innsbruck, 1900), accessible online (but without page numbers) at
*''Die Urkunden der burgundischen Rudolfinger'', ed. T. Schieffer, MGH DD Burg (Munich, 1977), accessible online at
*C. Ducourthial, ''Géographie du pouvoir en pays de Savoie au tournant de l'an Mil'', in C. Guilleré, J-M. Poisson, L. Ripart and C. Ducourthial, eds., ''Le royaume de Bourgogne autour de l'an mil'' (Chambéry, 2008), pp. 207–246.
*Laurent Ripart, ''Les fondements idéologiques du pouvoir des comtes de la maison de Savoie (de la fin du Xe siècle au début du XIIIe siècle'' (unpublished PhD thesis,
Université de Nice, 1999).
External links
History of House of Savoy(in German)
Humbert Biancamano, Conte di Savoia(in Italian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Humbert 01, Count of Savoy
11th-century counts of Savoy
Counts of Aosta
980s births
1040s deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Year of death uncertain
Place of birth unknown