List of rulers of Montferrat

See also: List of consorts of Montferrat

The Marquisate of Montferrat (in brick red) in the context of late 15th century Italy.

Arms of Montferrat (House of Aleramo): Argent a chief gules.

The Marquises and Dukes of Montferrat^[1] were the rulers of a territory in Piedmont south of the Po and east of Turin called Montferrat. The March of Montferrat was created by Berengar II of Italy in 950 during a redistribution of power in the northwest of his kingdom. It was originally named after and held by the Aleramici. In 1574, Montferrat was raised to a Duchy by Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (see Duchy of Montferrat).

Marquesses

Aleramici dynasty

• William I (d. before 933)
• Aleramo (933–967)
  • William II, son and co-ruler
• Otto I (967–991), son
• William III (991 – bef. 1042), son
• Otto II (bef. 1042 – c. 1084), son
  • Henry (d. 1045), brother and co-ruler
• William IV (c. 1084 – c. 1100), son
• Rainier (c. 1100 – c. 1136), son
• William V (c. 1136–1191), son
• Conrad (1191–1192), son
• Boniface I (1192–1207), brother
• William VI (1207–1225), son
• Boniface II (1225–1253/55), son
• William VII (1253/55–1292), son
• John I (1292–1305), son

Palaeologus dynasty

• Theodore I (1306–1338), nephew of John
• John II (1338–1372), son
• Secondotto,^[2] also known as Otto III (1372–1378), son
• John III^[2] (1378–1381), brother
• Theodore II^[2] (1381–1418), brother
• John Jacob (1418–1445), son
• John IV (1445–1464), son
• William VIII (1464–1483), brother
• Boniface III (1483–1494), brother
• William IX (1494–1518), son. (Father-in-law to Federico II, Duke of Mantua.)
• Boniface IV (1518–1530), son, under the regency of his mother Anne of Alençon
• John George (1530–1533), uncle
  • Spanish occupation until 1536.

Gonzaga dynasty

In 1536 Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor granted the marquisate, despite competing claims from Savoy and from the Marquis of Saluzzo, to the Gonzagas. This was confirmed in 1559 by the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis.^[3]

• Frederick Gonzaga (1536–1540), Duke of Mantua. Married to Margaret of Montferrat, daughter of William IX and Anne of Alençon, and Marchioness of Montferrat in her own right.
• Francis I (1540–1550), Duke of Mantua, Marquess of Montferrat. Son of Margaret of Montferrat and Frederick Gonzaga.
• William X (1550–1587), Duke of Mantua, Marquess, then (from 1574) Duke of Montferrat. Son of Margaret of Montferrat and Frederick Gonzaga
• Vincent I (1587–1612), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of William X
• Francis II (1612), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of Vincent I
• Ferdinand I (1612–26), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of Vincent I.
• Vincent II (1626–27), Duke of Mantua and Montferrat. Son of Vincent I.
• War of the Mantuan Succession (1627–1631) – a portion was lost to Duchy of Savoy
• Maria, Duchess of Montferrat 1612–61, also Duchess of Mantua 1627–1631. Daughter of Francis II.
• Charles I, called "of Nevers", Duke of Montferrat (1627–1637), also Duke of Mantua and Nevers. Father-in-law of Maria, co-ruler with Maria and his son, Charles.
• Charles II (1637–1665). Also Duke of Nevers until 1659. Son of Maria, grandson of both Charles I and Francis II.
• Ferdinand Charles (1665–1708), Duke of Montferrat and Mantua. Son of Charles II.

Notes

1. "Marquess" (now normally "Marquis" for titles outside the British Isles) may also be rendered by the Germanic equivalent, Markgraf Margrave, the Latin Marchio and the Italian Marchese. Montferrat is also called Monferrato.
2. cit: Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat, John III, Marquess of Montferrat, Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat and Guglielmo, who were the sons of Elisabeth, daughter of James III of Majorca, and of John II, Marquess of Montferrat, have been called Dukes. Historiae et Urbium Regionum Italiae rariores, Volume 114, Cronica del Montferrato, Benvenuto Sangiorgio, Arnaldo Forni Editore 1780.
3. Fabbri, Paolo; Carter, Tim (1994), Monteverdi, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-35133-2

Bibliography

• Circolo Culturale I Marchesi del Monferrato (external link to website devoted to dynastic history)
• Haberstumpf, Walter. Dinastie europee nel Mediterraneo orientale. I Monferrato e i Savoia nei secoli XII–XV, 1995 (external link to downloadable text).
• The Margraves of Montferrat and Kings of Thessalonica, 961–1573 AD
• Usseglio, Leopoldo. I Marchesi di Monferrato in Italia ed in Oriente durante i secoli XII e XIII, 1926.