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Amédée V de Savoie
14th Comte de Savoie
(1253–1323)

Other names: The Great

Biographical

14th Comte de Savoie 1285–1323†
Prince of the Holy Roman Empire 1313
Duc de Chablais 1285-1323†
Duca d'Aosta 1285-1323†
Marchese di Susa 1285-1323†
Marchese in Italia 1285-1323†
Comte de Maurienne 1285-1323†
Conte d'Asti 1313-23†
Seigneur de Baugé 1272 (jure uxoris)
Seigneur de Bresse 1272 (jure uxoris)
Signore d'Ivrea

Imperial Vicar of Lombardy 1313

Amadeus was appointed by the will of his uncle Philip, his successor in the countship of Savoy (excluding Philippe of Achaia, son of Amadeus' deceased older brother, Thomas III), and succeeded him in 1285. Amadeus gave the barony of Vaud, on the north bank of the Leman lake, as an appanage to his younger brother Louis and his heirs, as vassals of the Count of Savoy. In 1294 he likewise gave to his nephew Philip all the dominions belonging to the house of Savoy on the Italian side of the Alps, with the exception of the valley of Susa, as a fief of the Count of Savoy. In 1289 he had purchased Revermont and Pont d'Ain. Amadeus, like his ancestors, had frequent contests with the dauphin of Vienne, but he generally contrived to come out of them with advantage to himself. Henry of Luxembourg, having been elected as Emperor Henry VII and king of the Romans in 1308, came into Italy in 1310 for the purpose of receiving the imperial crown. He passed through the territories of Amadeus, and was entertained by him at Chambéry, which was now the capital of Savoy. Amadeus accompanied him across the Alps to Milan, where Henry assumed the iron crown in the basilica of St Ambrose. Amadeus followed him to Tuscany and to Rome, where Henry was crowned emperor in 1312. Henry had the greatest confidence in the Count of Savoy, whom he confirmed in his possessions, adding the grant of the city and territory of Asti, which however proved nearly nominal, as the city of Asti remained in possession of the Anjous of Provence, and afterwards of the Visconti, until the 15th century. The sudden death of the emperor at Buonconvento in Tuscany, in 1313, interrupted all further prospects of favour from that quarter. Amadeus returned to his dominions. In consequence of his first marriage with Sybilla, he added to his other dominions the county of Bresse, on the western slope of the Jura. He also inherited from his cousin Beatrix, daughter of Peter, count of Savoy, and heiress of Faucigny, her claims to the latter barony, of which, however, the house of Savoy did not obtain possession until the time of Amadeus VI. In 1323, Amadeus V repaired to Avignon to prevail upon Pope John XXII to summon a general crusade against the Ottomans, but he fell ill and died in October of that year.

Place of birth: Bourget du Lac
Place of marriage: Chillon
Place of death: Avignon
Place of burial: Hautecombe Abbey

Son of Thomas II de Savoie and Beatrice Fieschi. He was married firstly to Sibylle de Baugé in 1272, with issue, and secondly to Marie of Brabant in 1297, with issue. He also had illegitimate issue.

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