Tommaso (Thomas) I of Savoy, Count of Savoy,

1178 - 1233  (~ 55 years)

• Name	Tommaso (Thomas) I of Savoy
  Suffix	Count of Savoy,
  Born	ca 1178	Aiguebelle, Departement de la Savoie Rhône-Alpes, France
  Gender	Male
  Died	01 Mar 1233	Moncalieri Città Metropolitana di Torino Piemonte, Italy
  Buried	Sacra di San Michele, Chiusa di San Michele, Città Metropolitana di Torino, Piemonte, Italy
  	Grave location and church photo: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=42986886
  Notes	Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas,_Count_of_Savoy He was Count of Savoy from 1189 to 1233. He is sometimes numbered "Thomas I" to distinguish him from his son of the same name, who governed Savoy but was not count. Thomas was born in Aiguebelle, the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. He was named in honour of Saint Thomas Becket. Thomas was still a minor when his father died on 4 March 1189, and a council of regency was established, composed of his mother Beatrice, his father's cousin Boniface I of Montferrat, and the Bishop of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Thomas possessed the martial abilities, energy, and brilliance that his father lacked, and Savoy enjoyed a golden age under his leadership. Despite his youth he began the push northwest into new territories. Thomas worked throughout his career to expand the control and influence of the County of Savoy. One of the key tools that he used was his large number of children, who he worked to get into positions of influence in neighboring regions. In part, this was done by getting many of his sons into high church offices in surrounding territories, in a time when bishops had temporal as well as spiritual authority. In 1219 he worked to get his daughter Beatrice married to the fourteen-year-old Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence. This established a close relationship between the two adjoining counties which would help cement Savoy control over trade between Italy and France. Thomas also worked through diplomatic and economic means to expand his control. The county of Savoy long enjoyed control over critical passes through the Alps. Thomas died at Moncalieri, Savoy. In 1195 he ambushed the party of Count William I of Geneva, which was escorting the count's daughter, Margaret of Geneva, to France for her intended wedding to King Philip II of France. Thomas carried off Marguerite and married her himself, producing some eight sons and six daughters. 1. Amedeo, his immediate successor 2. Umberto, d. between March and November 1223 3. Tommaso, lord and then count in Piedmont and founder of a line that became the Savoy-Achaea 4. Aimone, d. 30 August 1237, Lord of Chablais 5. Guglielmo (William of Savoy), Bishop of Valence and Dean of Vienne 6. Amadeo of Savoy, Bishop of Maurienne 7. Pietro, who resided much in England, became Earl of Richmond, and ultimately in 1263 became the disputed count of Savoy 8. Filippo, archbishop of Lyon, who resigned, through marriage became Count Palatine of Burgundy and ultimately in 1268 became the disputed count of Savoy 9. Bonifacio who became archbishop of Canterbury 10. Beatrice of Savoy, d. 1265 or 1266, married in December 1219 to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence (1209-1245) and was mother of four Queens-consort 11. Alasia of Savoy, abbess of the monastery of St Pierre in Lyon (d.1250) 12. Ágatha of Savoy, abbess of the monastery of St Pierre in Lyon (d.1245) 13. Margherita of Savoy, d. 1273, married in 1218 to Hartmann IV of Kyburg 14. Avita of Savoy (1215-92) who married Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon and Robert Aguillon (d.1286).
  Person ID	I36270	Master File
  Last Modified	7 Oct 2016

  
  

  Father	Humberto III (the Blessed) of Savoy, Count of Savoy,   b. 1136, Avigliana, Piemonte, Italy ,   d. 04 Mar 1189, Chambery, Departement de la Savoie Rhône-Alpes, France  (Age 53 years)
  Mother	Beatrice of Vienne, Countess of Savoy,   b. 1160, Vienne, Rhône-Alpes, France ,   d. 1230, Champagne-et-Fontaine, Aquitaine, France  (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F14970	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Marguerite (Margaret) of Geneva, Countess of Savoy,   b. ca 1179, Geneva, Switzerland ,   d. 08 Apr 1257, Pierre-Chatel Departement de l'Isère Rhône-Alpes, France  (Age ~ 78 years)
  Children	+ 1. Amadeus IV of Savoy, Count of Savoy,   b. 1197, Montmélian, Savoie, Italy ,   d. 24 Jun 1253, France  (Age 56 years)
  Last Modified	7 Oct 2016
  Family ID	F14971	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart