Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat

Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat
Marquess of Montferrat
Reign	1381 - 1418
Predecessor	John III Palaiologos
Successor	John Jacob Palaiologos
Spouse(s)	Argentina Malaspina Joanna of Bar Margaret of Savoy
Issue John Jacob of Montferrat Sophia Palaiologina, empress
Noble family	House of Palaiologos
Father	John II, Marquess of Montferrat
Mother	Isabella of Majorca
Born	1364
Died	16 April 1418(1418-04-16) (aged 54)

Theodore II Palaeologus (died 16 April 1418) was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1381.

Life

He was the thirdborn son of John II of Montferrat and Isabel of Majorca. Theodore was named governor of the margraviate after the death of his brother John III. After the death of John II, Montferrat had been plunged into a crisis brought on by the quick succession of two young rulers, neither of whom had the necessary authority to deal with internal state of chaos. During his youth, Theodore was under the regency of Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Soon it became apparent that he was a weak person on his own. By marrying, of his own will, a Milanese woman, the daughter of Leonardo Malaspina, margrave of Lunigiana, he was forced to cede Asti to Gian Galeazzo.

After the death of his first and second wives, he remarried Margaret of Savoy, daughter of Amadeus, Prince of Achaea, on 17 February 1403. Immediately, a war erupted between Theodore and Amadeus VIII of Savoy. The Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan intervened on behalf of Theodore in return for the aid the Visconti had received in reestablishing their power in Milan.

In 1400, Theodore had granted Borgo San Martino to one Facino Cane for his service. In 1409, Theodore and Facino succeeded in taking possession of Milan and Genoa. Theodore maintained possession of these places until 1413, when, finding the government of both his Piedmontese and Lombard dominions too difficult, he gave them up in exchange for a large sum.

After the death of Facino, Theodore had to fight the Visconti in Piedmont until an agreement was reached in 1417. Theodore died soon after, leaving a widow in the person of Margaret, later the Blessed Margaret. He was succeeded by his son John Jacob.

Marriages and children

Theodore married, as his first wife, Argentina Malaspina. She was a daughter of Leonardo Malaspina, Marquess of Massa. They had no known children.

In 1393, Theodore married his second wife Joanna of Bar. She was a daughter of Robert I, Duke of Bar and Marie of Valois. Her maternal grandparents were John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia. They had two known children:

• John Jacob of Montferrat (23 March 1395 – 12 March 1445).
• Sophia of Montferrat (died 21 August 1434). Married John VIII Palaiologos.

Joanna died on 15 January 1402. Theodore remained a widower for a year. On 17 January 1403, Theodore married his third wife Margaret of Savoy. She was the eldest daughter of Amadeo, Prince of Achaea and Catherine of Geneva. Their marriage was childless. Margaret survived her husband by forty-six years and died on 23 November 1464.

Literary References

Theodore is one of the major antagonists in Rafael Sabatini's 1926 novel Bellarion the Fortunate, wherein he is portrayed as being sly, untrustworthy, and overly ambitious, though a formidable opponent in war. This is in contrast to his historical repute as a captain, which was not great. Sabatini's book alters history slightly by having Theodore as Regent, when he was in fact the reigning Marquess. Theodore's son and successor John Jacob also appears as a minor character in the book, though he is portrayed as Theodore's nephew.

Ancestry

Family of Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat

16. Michael VIII Palaiologos               8. Andronikos II Palaiologos                       17. Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina               4. Theodore I, Marquess of Montferrat                             18. William VII, Marquess of Montferrat               9. Irene of Montferrat                       19. Beatrice of Castile               2. John II, Marquess of Montferrat                                   20. Sbaralia Spinola               10. Opicino Spinola                       5. Argentina Spinola                             22. Thomas I, Marquess of Saluzzo               11. Violante of Saluzzo                       23. Luigia di Ceva               1. Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat                                         24. James II of Majorca               12. Ferdinand of Majorca                       25. Esclaramunda of Foix               6. James III of Majorca                             26. Isnard de Sabran               13. Isabelle de Sabran                       27. Margaret of Villehardouin               3. Isabella of Majorca                                   28. James II of Aragon               14. Alfonso IV of Aragon                       29. Blanche of Anjou               7. Constance of Aragon                             30. Gombald d'Entença               15. Teresa d'Entença                       31. Constance of Attillon

External links

• His listing in "Medieval lands" by Charles Cawley.

Preceded by John III

Margrave of Montferrat 1381–1418

Succeeded by John Jacob