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Humbert II de Savoie
6th Comte de Savoie
(1072–1103)

Other names: the Fat

Biographical

6th Comte de Savoie 1080–1103†
Marchese di Torino 1091 dep; titular 1091–1103†
Marchese in Italia 1080–1103†
Comte de Maurienne 1080–1103†
Conte d'Aosta 1080–1103†
Conte di Torino 1091 dep
Signore di Torino 1091 dep
Comte de Chablais 1080–1103†
Seigneur de Bas-Valais 1080–1103†
Seigneur de Tarentaise 1082–11037†
Seigneur de Bugey 1080–1103†
Signore di San Dalmazio 1091–98
Signore di Boves 1091–98
Signore di Sommariva del Bosco ?–1098
Seigneur de Valromey 1080–1103†
Signore di Romanisio ?–1098
Signore di Quattordio 1098
Signore di Auriate 1091 dep
Signore di Bredulo 1091 dep
Signore di Brusaporcello 1091–98
Signore di Asti 1091 dep
Signore di Alba 1091 dep
Signore di Albenga 1091 dep
Signore di Ventimiglia? 1091-?

In 1082 Heraclius, Archbishop of Tarentaise, put his diocese under the protection of Humbert II in opposition to the tyrannical Aymon, Lord of Briançon. With this, and other acquisitions, Humbert's estates in Savoy increased, but those on the Italian side of the Alps were diminished. After the death of his grandmother in 1091, Adelaide of Turin, the march of Turin broke up, and he lost most of the southern portions. The mark had been seized upon during his minority by several claimants, including Boniface del Vasto, Marquis of Savona, who took Bredulo, Albenga, and Auriate that year, Count Peter of Montbeliard (Adelaide's recognised heir), and by Agnes of Poitou who occupied the county of Turin, which was also claimed by Conrad, son of Henry IV of Germany, in right of his mother Bertha. In the midst of all this the towns of Turin, Asti, Chieri, and others, availed themselves of the general confusion occasioned by the long struggle between the pope and the emperor to assert their independence of all vassalage except the nominal one to the Empire. Humbert, however, seems to have succeeded to the mark of Turin as Adelaide's heir. It is likely from the first that he had the support of the great abbeys of the county of Turin. Humbert crossed the Alps in 1097, and not being strong enough to attack all his opponents, he made a treaty of alliance in 1098 with the town/commune of Asti and its bishop against Boniface, by confirming the newly acquired liberties of the citizens of Asti and by ceding to them several villages and territories, and ensuring to them free passage and protection from his Burgundian or Transalpine territories. Specifically, he ceded the territories of San Dalmazio, Brusaporcello, Boves, Sommariva del Bosco, Romanisio and Quattordio, although, in reality, he possessed none of these as they, with the exception of Quattordio, lied in the south of the mark which was held by Boniface del Vasto. Humbert made donations to several churches and convents, and he also intended to proceed to Palestine with the Crusaders, but he died.

Place of death and burial: Moûtiers

Son of Amédée II de Savoie and Jeanne de Genève. He married Gisèle de Bourgogne in 1090, and had issue.

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