Humbert III of Savoy
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Humbert III (b. 1135 - d. 1189), surnamed the Blessed, was Count of Savoy from 1148 to 1189. According to Cope, "Humbert III, who reigned from 1149 to 1189...was a man of irresolute spirit who was disconsolate at being born a prince and preferred the seclusion of a monestery. He only renounced his chosen state of celibacy so as to give his land an heir."
His first wife died young; his second marriage ended in divorce. Humbert gave up and became a Carthusian monk. However, the nobles and common people of Savoy begged him to marry yet again, which he reluctantly did. This third wife gave him two more daughters, and Humbert attempted to return to the monastic life yet again. Finally he was prevailed upon to marry for a fourth time, and this wife, Beatrice, produced the son who would ultimately succeed him.
He married four times:
- Faidiva (Italian) daughter of Alphonse I of Toulouse
- Gertrude of Flanders, whom he divorced and confined. She was freed thanks to Robert, bishop of Cambrai and returned to the court of her brother, Philip of Flanders
- Clemenza of Zähringen (married 1164), daughter of Conrad I of Zähringen. They had 2 daughters:
- Sofia, (1165-1202), married Azzo IV of Este
- Alicia, (1166-1178), betrothed to John of England
- Beatrice of Viennois and had 1 son
Sources
- Cope, Christopher. The Lost Kingdom of Burgundy.
| Preceded by: Amadeus III | Count of Savoy | Succeeded by: Thomas I |