Recent from talks
Peter II, Count of Savoy
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Peter II, Count of Savoy
Peter II (c. 1203 – 15 May 1268), called the Little Charlemagne, was Count of Savoy from 1263 until his death in 1268. He was also holder of the Honour of Richmond, Yorkshire in England, and the English lands of the Honour of the Eagle also known as the Honour of Pevensey and the Honour of Eu also known as the Honour of Hastings. His significant land holdings in the English County of Sussex were also marked by his holding of the wardship of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey which brought with it lands centred upon Lewes castle. Briefly, from 1241 until 1242, castellan of Dover Castle and Keeper of the Coast (later called Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports). In 1243 he was granted land by the River Thames on the Strand near the City of London, where he built the Savoy Palace.
Peter was born around 1203, possibly at Susa, Piedmont. He was likely the seventh child of Thomas I, Count of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. It was through his sister Beatrice of Savoy and her daughters: Margaret of Provence, Queen of France, Eleanor of Provence, Queen of England, Sanchia of Provence, Queen of the Romans and Beatrice of Provence, Queen of Sicily and Naples, that the House of Savoy and Peter in particular would derive much of their career and influence.
As a younger son of a noble house, Peter started his career in the church, obtaining appointments in dioceses under the influence of his family. From 1226 to 1233 he was a canon at Lausanne, where he was briefly acting bishop before a new permanent bishop was named in 1231. Peter also held the offices of canon at Lyon and of provost at Aosta and Geneva, before retiring from church life in 1234. Upon the death of his father, Peter demanded substantial portions of the county from his eldest brother Amadeus. The brothers met at Chillon in 1234, where they negotiated a settlement which recognized Amadeus as the head of the house. From this, Peter received control of the key castles of the Château de Cornillon at Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey and the Château d'Angeville at what is now Hauteville-Lompnes also in Bugey. both of which helped him threaten Geneva. His brother William negotiated a marriage for him with Agnes of Faucigny, which also helped provide territory of his own, so he caused less trouble for his elder brothers. The marriage also allowed him to influence Burgundian affairs as Agnes was related to the Joinville family. This relationship brought Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville, Agnes's half-brother, to England. The younger Simon de Joinville, another of Agnes's half-brothers, would provide the conduit by which Burgundian knights would serve England both in Gascony and Wales.
His desire to further extend his territory led him into conflict with his uncle, William II of Geneva. Around 1236, Peter was ambushed and captured by his cousin Rudolf. When the resulting conflict was concluded in 1237, Amadeus forced William to sign a treaty which required Geneva to pay 20,000 marks and the castle of Arlod. In 1240, when Peter's brother Philip was in a contested election for the Bishop of Lausanne against Jean de Cossonay, a Geneva supported candidate, Peter brought 6000 troops, though the battle did not get resolved decisively.
He continued using both money and force to take further control of lands surrounding Savoy. In May 1244 Rudolph III, Count of Gruyère, surrendered Gruyères Castle to Peter, who then gave it to William, the second son of Rudolph, with the agreement that William and his heirs would serve Peter and his family. On 29 May 1244, Cossonay similarly surrendered significant territories to Peter and Amadeus, retaining them only under the overlordship of Savoy. He continued to gain control of key towns and trade routes throughout the Pays de Vaud, often by enfeofing them to the younger sons of the previous rulers. He was responsible for the significant renovations of the Château de Chillon, and by 1253 he was the protector of Bern. One scholar suggests that French is the language of western Switzerland due partly to Peter's extensive conquests in the region.
In January 1236, Eleanor of Provence, Peter's niece, married King Henry III and Peter came with a number of other Savoyards. On 20 April 1240, Peter was given the Honour of Richmond by Henry III who invited him to England about the end of the year, and knighted him on 5 January 1241 when he became known popularly as Earl of Richmond although he never assumed the title, nor was it ever given to him in official documents. On 25 September 1241 he was granted the Honour of the Eagle and wardship of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey bringing much land in Sussex and the south coast of England. His position on the south coast was further strengthened in 1249 by the Honour of Eu, also known as the Honour of Hastings. In February 1246 he was granted land between the Strand and the Thames, where Peter built the Savoy Palace in 1263, on the site of the present Savoy Hotel. It was destroyed during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. By his will, the Honour of Richmond was left to his niece Queen Eleanor, who transferred it to the crown.
In 1241, Henry sent Peter to gather support for a pending invasion of Poitou. He travelled to Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy; Theobald I of Navarre; his brother Amadeus IV, Count of Savoy; and his brother-in-law Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence. In February 1242, Peter was sent into Poitou to see what support existed there for Henry. He was nearly captured there, but managed to escape. He then travelled to Provence to negotiate the marriage of his niece Sanchia of Provence to Henry's brother Richard.
In 1246, Peter went back to Savoy, in part to seal a marriage deal with Amadeus. In February 1247, he returned to England with Alice of Saluzzo, Amadeus's granddaughter by Beatrice. She was married to Edmund de Lacy, Baron of Pontefract that May.
Hub AI
Peter II, Count of Savoy AI simulator
(@Peter II, Count of Savoy_simulator)
Peter II, Count of Savoy
Peter II (c. 1203 – 15 May 1268), called the Little Charlemagne, was Count of Savoy from 1263 until his death in 1268. He was also holder of the Honour of Richmond, Yorkshire in England, and the English lands of the Honour of the Eagle also known as the Honour of Pevensey and the Honour of Eu also known as the Honour of Hastings. His significant land holdings in the English County of Sussex were also marked by his holding of the wardship of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey which brought with it lands centred upon Lewes castle. Briefly, from 1241 until 1242, castellan of Dover Castle and Keeper of the Coast (later called Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports). In 1243 he was granted land by the River Thames on the Strand near the City of London, where he built the Savoy Palace.
Peter was born around 1203, possibly at Susa, Piedmont. He was likely the seventh child of Thomas I, Count of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. It was through his sister Beatrice of Savoy and her daughters: Margaret of Provence, Queen of France, Eleanor of Provence, Queen of England, Sanchia of Provence, Queen of the Romans and Beatrice of Provence, Queen of Sicily and Naples, that the House of Savoy and Peter in particular would derive much of their career and influence.
As a younger son of a noble house, Peter started his career in the church, obtaining appointments in dioceses under the influence of his family. From 1226 to 1233 he was a canon at Lausanne, where he was briefly acting bishop before a new permanent bishop was named in 1231. Peter also held the offices of canon at Lyon and of provost at Aosta and Geneva, before retiring from church life in 1234. Upon the death of his father, Peter demanded substantial portions of the county from his eldest brother Amadeus. The brothers met at Chillon in 1234, where they negotiated a settlement which recognized Amadeus as the head of the house. From this, Peter received control of the key castles of the Château de Cornillon at Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey and the Château d'Angeville at what is now Hauteville-Lompnes also in Bugey. both of which helped him threaten Geneva. His brother William negotiated a marriage for him with Agnes of Faucigny, which also helped provide territory of his own, so he caused less trouble for his elder brothers. The marriage also allowed him to influence Burgundian affairs as Agnes was related to the Joinville family. This relationship brought Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville, Agnes's half-brother, to England. The younger Simon de Joinville, another of Agnes's half-brothers, would provide the conduit by which Burgundian knights would serve England both in Gascony and Wales.
His desire to further extend his territory led him into conflict with his uncle, William II of Geneva. Around 1236, Peter was ambushed and captured by his cousin Rudolf. When the resulting conflict was concluded in 1237, Amadeus forced William to sign a treaty which required Geneva to pay 20,000 marks and the castle of Arlod. In 1240, when Peter's brother Philip was in a contested election for the Bishop of Lausanne against Jean de Cossonay, a Geneva supported candidate, Peter brought 6000 troops, though the battle did not get resolved decisively.
He continued using both money and force to take further control of lands surrounding Savoy. In May 1244 Rudolph III, Count of Gruyère, surrendered Gruyères Castle to Peter, who then gave it to William, the second son of Rudolph, with the agreement that William and his heirs would serve Peter and his family. On 29 May 1244, Cossonay similarly surrendered significant territories to Peter and Amadeus, retaining them only under the overlordship of Savoy. He continued to gain control of key towns and trade routes throughout the Pays de Vaud, often by enfeofing them to the younger sons of the previous rulers. He was responsible for the significant renovations of the Château de Chillon, and by 1253 he was the protector of Bern. One scholar suggests that French is the language of western Switzerland due partly to Peter's extensive conquests in the region.
In January 1236, Eleanor of Provence, Peter's niece, married King Henry III and Peter came with a number of other Savoyards. On 20 April 1240, Peter was given the Honour of Richmond by Henry III who invited him to England about the end of the year, and knighted him on 5 January 1241 when he became known popularly as Earl of Richmond although he never assumed the title, nor was it ever given to him in official documents. On 25 September 1241 he was granted the Honour of the Eagle and wardship of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey bringing much land in Sussex and the south coast of England. His position on the south coast was further strengthened in 1249 by the Honour of Eu, also known as the Honour of Hastings. In February 1246 he was granted land between the Strand and the Thames, where Peter built the Savoy Palace in 1263, on the site of the present Savoy Hotel. It was destroyed during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. By his will, the Honour of Richmond was left to his niece Queen Eleanor, who transferred it to the crown.
In 1241, Henry sent Peter to gather support for a pending invasion of Poitou. He travelled to Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy; Theobald I of Navarre; his brother Amadeus IV, Count of Savoy; and his brother-in-law Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence. In February 1242, Peter was sent into Poitou to see what support existed there for Henry. He was nearly captured there, but managed to escape. He then travelled to Provence to negotiate the marriage of his niece Sanchia of Provence to Henry's brother Richard.
In 1246, Peter went back to Savoy, in part to seal a marriage deal with Amadeus. In February 1247, he returned to England with Alice of Saluzzo, Amadeus's granddaughter by Beatrice. She was married to Edmund de Lacy, Baron of Pontefract that May.