Geoffrey I Villehardouin

Geoffrey I Geoffroi Ier
Prince of Achaea
Coat of Arms of the Principality of Achaea
Reign	1209/1210–c. 1229
Predecessor	William I
Successor	Geoffrey II
Born	c. 1169 Unknown
Died	c. 1229 Unknown
Burial	Church of St James, Andravida
Spouse	Elisabeth (of Chappes?)
Issue	Geoffrey II Alix William II
Dynasty	Villehardouin
Father	John of Villehardouin
Mother	Celine of Briel

Geoffrey I of Villehardouin (French: Geoffroi Ier de Villehardouin) (c. 1169 – c. 1229) was a French knight from the County of Champagne who joined the Fourth Crusade. He participated in the conquest of the Peloponnese and became the second prince of Achaea (1209/1210–c. 1229).

Under his reign, the principality of Achaea became the direct vassal of the Latin Empire of Constantinople. He extended the borders of his principality, but the closing years of his rule were marked by his conflict with the church.

Geoffrey was the eldest son of John of Villehardouin and his wife, Celine of Briel. He married one Elisabeth, traditionally identified with Elisabeth of Chappes, a scion of a fellow crusader family, an identification rejected by Longnon.

He took the cross with his uncle, Geoffrey of Villehardouin, the future chronicler of the Fourth Crusade, at a tournament of Écry-sur-Aisne in late November 1199. Geoffrey were among the crusaders who went directly to Syria. Thus he was not present at the occupation of Constantinople by the crusaders on 13 April 1204.

But hearing of the capture of the great city on the Bosporus, he decided to sail west in the summer of 1204. But the weather became bad, and adverse winds drove him westward. He landed at Modon (now Methoni, Greece) in the southern Peloponnese where he spent the winter of 1204–1205.

At Modon, Geoffrey entered into an alliance with a Greek archon (nobleman) from Messenia to conquer as much of the western Peloponnese as they could. Almost immediately afterward, however, the Greek died, and his son broke off the alliance. It was at this point that Geoffrey learned of the appearance of King Boniface I of Thessalonica (1204–1207) with his army before Nauplia (now Nafplion, Greece). He determined to seek aid and rode up early in 1205 to join the king. He was well received by Boniface I who would have retained Geoffrey in his service. But in the camp at Nauplia, Geoffrey found his good friend William of Champlitte and offered to the latter to share the conquest of the Peloponnese. His friend accepted the offer and the two also received royal permission for their expedition.