<b>Savoy (~1000-1714)<b>

The county of Savoy is largely forgotten today, but in the past it was an important territory. It turned from a county into a duchy, and from a duchy into a kingdom. Located partly on the western Alps, it held a pivotal position in western European politics and military, with a foothold in Imperial, French and Italian lands. In this article we will briefly outline the medieval history of this no longer existing country.

Savoy was born when the king of Burgundy, Rudolph III, granted territories on the Italian half of the Alps to Umberto Biancamano in 1003.Shortly after this, the kingdom of Burgundy was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, but the Emperors never spent much time on Savoy, allowing it to become a semi-independent state.

Amadeus III made large additions to the county of Savoy, and improved ties with France. He actually went on crusade with King Louis VII of France. With the power of the Empire waning, French interest and influence into Savoyard territories increased; however, it would take several centuries beyond the scope of this article before the majority of Savoyard lands became incorporated into France.

It was Tommaso I who conquered the Vaud, a territory part of modern day Switzerland, thus increasing the Savoyard hold over the Alps. Tommaso was a conqueror in more than one aspect: he ambushed the wife-to-be of French King Philip II and married her himself!

With the Alps secure and a foothold on both sides of it, Savoy's influence was extensive. Their control of the Alps allowed them to prevent the ever-popular Italian mercenaries from reaching their masters, and they could also set tolls on the trade across the mountains. This powerful position was rewarded politically when the county of Savoy was elevated to a duchy in 1416. Shortly thereafter the dukes of Savoy acquired a piece of cloth that would outlast the duchy: the Turin Shroud.

During the 1470s, Savoy became a puppet-state of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. His attempt to incorporate the duchy into his own territories was prevented when the Swiss delivered a severe blow to the Burgundians at the battle of Murten, causing the Savoyards to rebel successfully. However, the vital Vaud territories were conquered by the Swiss, and still form part of Switzerland today. The rest of Savoy has  been split up between France and Italy since.
