John II, Marquess of Montferrat

John II, Marquess of Montferrat
Marquess of Montferrat
Reign	1338 - 1372
Predecessor	Theodore I Palaiologos
Successor	Otto III Palaiologos
Spouse(s)	Isabel of Majorca
Issue Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat John III, Marquess of Montferrat Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat Margaret William
Noble family	House of Palaiologos
Father	Theodore I of Montferrat
Mother	Argentina Spinola
Born	5 February 1321
Died	19 March 1372 (aged 51) Volpiano

John II Palaeologus (5 February 1321 – 19 March 1372)^[1] was the Margrave of Montferrat from 1338.

Career

John was the son of Theodore I of Montferrat, with whom he was associated in the government from 1336. He had great fortune in extending the boundaries of the margraviate against his neighbours. With the help of his cousin Otto of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, John turned against the Angevins of Naples, who had large possessions in Piedmont and Savoy. On 9 October 1338, he was named governor of Asti.

In 1343, when Robert, King of Naples died and his young granddaughter Joanna I took the crown, John took the opportunity to expand his control in northern Italy. By 1344, he had conquered Alessandria, Asti, Tortona, Bra and Alba. On 22 April 1345, at the Battle of Gamenario, he defeated the Angevine vicar Reforza d'Angoult, who died in the battle.^[2] With the tacit support of Luchino Visconti, John occupied Alba, Bra, Valenza and, in 1348, Cuneo. His power grew in 1355 when he accompanied the Emperor Charles IV through Italy. At that time he received the cities of Cherasco, Novara and Pavia.

By a marriage to the last titular Queen of Majorca, Isabella, he lost the support of the emperor and had to fend off attacks from imperial and Visconti troops. This conflict concluded with restitution of territory around Pavia occupied by John to the Visconti in exchange for Visconti possessions in the area of Asti. John lost many vassals to the Visconti. In his will of 1372, John left the tutelage of his children to Otto of Brunswick and Amadeus VI of Savoy. He had four sons, three of whom succeeded him in turn, and a daughter with his wife Isabella (Secondotto, John III, Theodore II, Margaret and William). John died at Volpiano^[1] near Turin soon after composing his testament and was buried at Chivasso.

Ancestry

Ancestors of John II, Marquess of Montferrat

16. Andronikos Doukas Komnenos Palaiologos               8. Michael VIII Palaiologos                       17. Theodora Angelina Palaiologina               4. Andronikos II Palaiologos                             18. John Doukas Vatatzes               9. Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina                       19. Eudokia Angelina               2. Theodore I Palaeologos, Marquess of Montferrat                                   20. Boniface II, Marquess of Montferrat               10. William VII, Marquess of Montferrat                       21. Margaret of Savoy               5. Irene of Montferrat                             22. Alfonso X of Castile               11. Beatrice of Castile                       23. Violant of Aragon               1. John II Palaeologus                                         24. Corrado Spinola               12. Sbaralia Spinola                       6. Opicino Spinola                             3. Argentina Spinola                                   28. Manfred III, Marquess of Saluzzo               14. Thomas I, Marquess of Saluzzo                       29. Beatrice of Savoy               7. Violante of Saluzzo                             30. William II, Marquess of Ceva               15. Luigia di Ceva                       31. X of Saluzzo

References

• Cox, Eugene L. (1967). The Green Count of Savoy. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. LCCN 67-11030.

1. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol.LVI, Roma 2000, pp. 123-129.
2. Cox 1967, p. 63.