Montferrat
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Montferrat (in Italian, Monferrato) is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises the modern provinces of Asti and Alessandria. Within the territory of Montferrat are located the most important centres of Italian wine and spumante production.
Originally a county, it was elevated to marquessate under count Aleramo in 961, following the transition of power in Northern Italy from Berengar of Ivrea to Otto I of Germany. Its marquesses and their family members were related to the Kings of France and the Holy Roman Emperors. Members of the family participated frequently in the Crusades, and intermarried with the royal family of Jerusalem and the Byzantine Imperial families of Comnenus and Palaeologus.
The descendants of Aleramo in the male line ruled Montferrat until it passed to the Imperial Byzantine Palaeologus family in 1305. It was briefly controlled by Spain (1533-1536) before it passed to the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua (1536-1708). With the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628-1631) a piece of the marquisate passed to the Kingdom of Savoy, the remainder passing to Savoy in 1708, as Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor gained possession of the Gonzaga territory.
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Marquesses
Aleramo dynasty
- Aleramo (954-991)
- Otho I (c.969-bef.991), co-ruler?. Son of Aleramo
- William I (991-bef.1042), son of Otho I
- Otho II (bef.1042-c.1084), son of William I
- William II (c.1084-c.1100), son of Otho II
- Renier I (c.1100-c.1136), son of William II
- William III (c.1136-1191), son of Renier I
- Conrad (1191-1192), son of William III. King of Jerusalem
- Boniface I (1192-1207), son of William III. King of Thessalonica from 1205
- William IV (1207-1225), son of Boniface I
- Boniface II (1225-1253/55), son of William IV. Titular king of Thessalonica (1239/49-1255)
- William V (55-1292), son of Boniface II. Titular king of Thessalonica
- John (1292-1305), co-ruler from 1290, son of William V. Titular king of Thessalonica
Palaeologi dynasty
- Theodore I (1306-1338), nephew of John
- John II (1338-1372), son of Theodore I
- Otho III (1372-1378), son of John II
- John III (1378-1381), son of John II
- Theodore II (1381-1418), son of John II
- John Jacob (1418-1445), son of Theodore II
- John IV (1445-1464), son of John Jacob
- William VI (1464-1483), son of John Jacob
- Boniface III (1483-1494), son of John Jacob
- William VII (1494-1518), son of Boniface III
- Boniface IV (1518-1530), son of William VII
- John George (1530-1533), son of Boniface III
Gonzaga dynasty
- Federico I (1533-1540), married to Margaret, daughter of William VII
- Francesco I (1540-1550), son of Federico
- William VIII (1550-1587), son of Federico
- Vincenzo I (1587-1612), son of William VIII
- Francesco II (1612), son of Vincenzo I
- Ferdinando (1612-26), son of Vincenzo I
- Vincenzo II (1626-27), son of Vincenzo I
- War of Mantuan Succession (1627-1631)
- Carlo I (1627-1637), Duke of Nevers. Son of Ludovico, Duke of Nevers, son of Federico I
- Carlo II (1637-1665), Duke of Nevers until 1659. Grandson of Carlo I and Francesco II
- Ferdinando Carlo (1665-1708), son of Carlo II
Montferrat is also the name of several communes in France:
- Montferrat, in the Isère département
- Montferrat, in the Var département